Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 5, Episode 10 - Episode #5.10 - full transcript
Dick, voice-over:
I'm Dick Strawbridge.
Along with my wife Angel
and our two children...
Angel: Yay!
Dick: Well done.
Dick, voice-over: we've lived
in this magnificent chateau
for the past 5 years.
Dick:
Look. Look, look, look, look,
look, look, look, look, look,
look, look, look,
look, look, look.
Angel: Oh, my God.
That is so beautiful.
Dick, voice-over:
It's not just our home...
Dick: Ahh, we're up.
Dick, voice-over:
but our business.
Dick:
You may kiss your bride.
[Cheering and applause]
Dick, voice-over: And all over
France, there are other Brits
doing exactly the same.
Woman: Oh, my God.
Dick, voice-over:
We'll follow a new wave of
intrepid chateau owners...
[Tool whirring]
Man: Open some windows.
Might help get rid of some dust.
Dick, voice-over:
and some familiar faces...
[Tool whirring]
as they take on these
majestic buildings.
And we'll reveal more about
our own chateau life.
Girl: Thank you very much.
Dick and Angel: Yay!
Dick, voice-over:
There'll be triumphs...
Woman: This looks incredible.
Second woman: You like it?
First woman: I love it.
Dick, voice-over:
and setbacks...
Man: Oh!
Dick, voice-over: as they battle
to renovate their homes...
[Clattering]
and earn their keep.
Woman: OK. I'm ready.
Dick, voice-over: But no matter
how hard the going gets...
Woman: This is probably, yeah,
my worst nightmare.
Dick, voice-over: they get
to live the dream
as custodians of
their very own castle.
Today...
one couple continue their search
for their dream castle.
Kate: It's like we've walked
back in time.
Dick, voice-over: At our place,
it's a family affair.
Dick: Perfect.
That's my girl.
Dick, voice-over: At this
chateau, job delegation...
Mark: Let's go and see how deep
this well really is.
Dick, voice-over:
'causes a stink.
George: It's a bit smelly.
Mark: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Dick, voice-over: And these new
chateau owners
have a furniture fallout.
Anna: It could be nice if
we painted it.
Philipp: That's such a cliché,
painted old furniture.
Dick, voice-over: Relocating
across the Channel
with a young family is
a big decision.
It took Angel and I 4 years
to find our perfect place.
Dick: Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Angel: Oh, look at that.
Dick, voice-over: But it's once
the keys are handed over
that the hard work
really starts.
North of us, a family are
right at the start
of their chateau adventure.
Set in 15 acres of grounds,
16-room Chateau de Gonneville
is the new home to fashion
designer Anna,
her Italian filmmaker husband
Philipp,
and their two daughters,
Lily and Ella.
Anna: I remember just driving in
through the driveway
and just thinking, "Wow,
this is amazing."
I couldn't imagine buying
any other chateau.
My heart was with this one.
Dick, voice-over:
Located in Normandy,
the couple sunk all their money
and took out a huge loan
to buy the chateau for
£900,000...
with the promise of opening it
as a B&B by spring.
Philipp: The real pressure
is that we had to take out
quite a lot of money
from the bank,
and we have to run it
as a business.
Anna: We're very much cash poor,
property rich,
so if it doesn't work,
then maybe we'll be forced
to sell it,
which would just be too sad.
I don't even want to think
of that.
Dick, voice-over: They decided
to renovate the top floor
into a family apartment
before transforming
the first floor,
where they're currently living,
into guest accommodation.
Philipp: The wood underneath
the window
is equally as rotten
as the window frames themselves.
Dick, voice-over: But now
currently behind schedule,
the pressure is on to get
the place finished.
Philipp: There's no hidden
savings that we could use
if everything turns wrong.
Anna: It's a little scary
and intimidating
and a bit overwhelming,
I would say.
Dick, voice-over: With Philipp
across the major renovations,
Anna's domain is furnishing.
So today they're bargain hunting
at a local charity shop.
Anna: Specifically today,
we were looking to find
a cabinet that we could use in
our bathroom to put the sink on.
And, uh, we'll see if
there's anything else
that catches our eye.
Dick, voice-over:
Given your tight budget,
that sounds like
a risky business.
Best to focus on
the bathroom cabinet.
These places, though, are full
of distractions.
Anna: What do you think?
Do you like them?
Look, they're Lily-sized.
Philipp: We have this
little chapel
that we want to restore one day,
but it's completely empty.
So I think this could be
the first step
of furnishing that chapel could
be these two chairs.
Do you like the chair?
Yes. That's a big yes.
"I like the chair."
Dick, voice-over: Philipp isn't
the only one
who's had his head turned.
Anna: You see this one, Philipp.
This one right here.
Philipp: This one?
Anna: I thought it could be nice
if we painted it,
for the girls,
for their room.
What do you think?
Philipp: Hmm. Mm-mmm. No.
Anna: You don't like it?
Philipp: Not at all.
Anna: I think it's quite nice,
and it's only 30 euros.
I like this idea of this sort of
style of wardrobe and painted.
Philipp: I hate the idea of
painting wood furniture.
Anna: I'm gonna convince you.
I'm gonna show you some--
Philipp: That's such a cliché,
painted old furniture.
Anna: Yes.
Philipp: You like it?
Anna: Yes, I like it.
Philipp: So...
we have our first disagreement.
Anna: I don't care.
I'm just gonna do it anyway.
Philipp: Yeah, OK.
Anna: You don't have a choice.
Dick, voice-over:
I'm staying out of this one.
Anna: This chair here, Philipp,
it's only 10 euros.
Philipp: It's gonna be nice
if it's redone.
Yeah. I mean, 10 euros,
come on.
You can tell it has been
repaired once.
And you could imagine it
with a new fabric.
And I think it's a good project
for Anna.
Anna was always talking about
upholstering things.
Anna: I want to sort of...
Philipp: It's like a fantasy of
yours, upholstering.
Anna: I would love to have
a go, anyway.
Philipp: Yeah, let's get it.
I think you can repair that one.
Anna: I think for 10 euros,
yeah.
Philipp: Yeah, good find.
Dick, voice-over: Now,
that doesn't look like
a bathroom cabinet,
but I'm pleased you found
something you can agree on.
Anna: I've never reupholstered
anything in my life.
I really want to have a go.
I think I'll be all right.
I think I could manage.
Dick, voice-over:
That's the spirit, Anna.
Nothing ventured,
nothing gained.
And she's not the only
person getting into
the swing of things.
- What do you think of this?
- How much are they?
Philipp: 35.
Anna: Yeah.
Philipp: Huh?
Anna: OK.
Philipp: I think we should get
it. We have so many chimneys.
Anna: Yeah. Yeah.
No, it's beautiful.
Philipp: That's a beautiful
tuning mirror.
What do you think about
this mirror?
Anna: Yeah, this one I like.
Philipp: It's a little
over the top, but, um...
Anna: Why not?
Philipp: Why not?
Anna: I think it's cool.
Philipp: Yeah, cool.
Dick, voice-over: They certainly
aren't leaving empty-handed.
But having spent 165 euros,
about £140 pounds,
there's still nothing
for the bathroom.
Philipp: Merci beaucoup.
Anna: I think we just have to
keep coming back here.
Every week there's new stuff,
so we'll just become regulars.
Dick, voice-over: That's fine
when you have the time,
but you'll need to keep moving
ahead with the renovations
if there's any chance of opening
that B&B on schedule.
160 miles south, Scotsman Iain
and his wife Kate
are waiting to start their own
chateau adventure
in the Loire Valley.
They've spent the last
6 years hunting for a property
that's large enough for
their extended family,
as well as having genuine
money-making potential.
Iain: We need to have a business
when we purchase our chateau
to allow us to enjoy the life
and the lifestyle
that we want to have.
Kate: And I think we will need
the chateau
to look after itself, basically.
Dick, voice-over: Iain and Kate
have sold their home
and a stake in their pharmacy
business in Australia
to raise £1.3 million
for the move.
So far this trip, with the help
of their family,
they've seen 4 incredible
chateaux.
Kate: Ahh, beautiful.
Dick, voice-over: While
Kate is drawn to period
detail and grandeur...
Kate: It still has
original features,
which is really important
to us.
Dick, voice-over:
Iain has an eye for the
business opportunities.
Iain: This is a lovely
proportioned room, isn't it?
Dick, voice-over: They even had
a sneak preview
of one that's not on the market,
which they loved.
Iain: This is so special,
this room.
Just look at the level of detail
in there.
Kate: I've got a good feel
about it. I like it.
Dick, voice-over: Iain and Kate
have been impressed so far,
but they have not yet
made up their mind,
so today they're viewing
the enormous 17th-century
Chateau de Rare, which boasts
almost 6,500 square feet
of living space.
Built on the remains of
a feudal castle,
it sits in 25 acres and has
5 large outbuildings.
Iain: Just look at that chateau
driving up.
You can only imagine the events
you could have here
and the family life we could
have here as well.
Pretty excited to see inside.
Dick, voice-over: Located in
the Loire Valley,
at around one and a half
million pounds,
it's over budget, but has
tremendous business potential.
Estate agent Betran is showing
them around...
Iain: How are you?
Nice to see you.
Nice to see you.
Good morning. Good morning.
Dick, voice-over: along with
their daughter Jade
and her family.
Iain: A lot of history?
Betran: Yeah, 17th century.
And a real original.
It stayed in the same family
for 22 generations.
Iain: 22 generations.
Betran: Yeah.
Let's go inside to visit
the chateau.
Iain: Thank you.
Dick, voice-over: First,
the impressive entrance hall.
Kate: Oh, wow.
Iain: Beautiful condition.
Jade: The floor is amazing.
Iain: Beautiful condition.
Betran: The foyer is
original stairs.
It's rare to have wood
finished like this.
It was normally stone.
Kate: Yes. Stone, yes.
I like it.
Betran: Let's go to the
corridor,
and after you have access
to the principal room.
Kate: Wow.
Jade: Wow, look at this floor.
Betran: Yeah, it's a real
Versailles floor, yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
With the French gentry's
desire to impress,
once introduced in the Palace of
Versailles,
it became fashionable in many
other aristocratic homes.
Kate: I love that it's light
in color.
Not so dark. You know, when you
usually say it's really dark.
Iain: Have a look at some of
the detailing
along the inside of
the fireplace.
Kate: I know. It's beautiful.
I love it.
This is like perfect.
Dick, voice-over:
The original features
have certainly got Kate
fired up,
but they haven't seen
anything yet.
Next up is the chapel in one of
the chateau's towers.
Iain: Do you like it, guys?
Jade: It's pretty amazing.
Kate: It looks like it's
untouched.
Jade: Yeah, it really does.
Kate: Like it was like this
when it was first built.
Betran: You can see the vitrail.
The vitrail.
Kate: What's the vitrail?
Iain: Vitrified glass.
Kate: So we call it
stained glass.
Iain: Yeah, vitrail.
Kate: OK.
Iain: It's in very good
condition, Betran.
It's very well maintained.
Kate: Oh, really.
So is this ordained? Ordained?
Is that what they say?
Ordained?
Iain: We say ordained, so a
priest can come in
and conduct the ceremony.
Betran: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over: Looks like
Iain might be thinking
about the potential of this
place as a wedding venue.
A good call.
I wonder if it'll be love
at first sight
in their modern kitchen.
Kate: Ooh, OK.
Betran: A red kitchen.
Iain: Ahh.
Kate, your thoughts?
Kate: No, don't like it.
How disappointing.
But, oh, well, you get that,
I suppose.
That's a project.
Iain: You can fix that. Yep.
Kate: I think it's fixable.
Definitely 'cause there's
a room right next door
that you could knock through to.
Iain: Yeah.
Kate: I like the floor
all the way through.
Iain: Just need to open up
the space.
Kate: That's probably all
I'd keep.
What do you think, Jade?
Jade: Just knock it down
and start again.
- Yeah.
- We'll knock it down, will we?
Knock the wall down.
Will you help me?
Yeah. Good man.
Dick, voice-over: Looks like the
whole family is in agreement.
Kate: Such a disappointment
because everything
in the chateau is so grand
and beautiful,
and then you walk in there
and go, "Ooh, OK.
Maybe, seventies, eighties."
Someone had a red moment.
Dick, voice-over: Well, so far,
feels like this place
is in the balance.
It could all depend on what they
find upstairs.
This is the 17th-century
Chateau de Saginville,
believed to have been home
to one of the three musketeers.
With 6 acres of land,
several outbuildings,
and 42 rooms,
it was bought for £645,000
last year by music teacher Becky
and her engineer husband Mark.
Becky plans to move here
permanently from the Middle East
with daughters and Charlotte
and Sophia next year.
Mark: We took 10 years from the
first day we started looking
before we found this place.
And we just don't regret it's--
Every day this place just
keeps giving.
Becky: When we open up the
windows and look out
onto the garden
and see the view,
it's just absolutely stunning.
Dick, voice-over: Sharing
the chateau with them
is Becky's retired father
George,
who looks after when
they're away.
George: These are not
nearly as good
as the more expensive ones,
unfortunately.
Dick, voice-over:
Located 25 miles from Toulouse
in southwest France,
Becky and Mark have taken
the first step
to making this their home,
hosting drinks for
the village in their courtyard.
Girl: Mummy!
Another visitor.
George: Ah, bonsoir.
Dick, voice-over: Now, before
they return to the Middle East,
they're turning their attention
to an outbuilding
they eventually hope will be let
out as a gite.
Becky: That will help to sort of
put a few more pennies aside
for the day-to-day running
of the property.
And hopefully going forward
in the next 10 years or so
once we retire, we'll also have
that as an income
coming in to help us.
Dick, voice-over:
They recently discovered
a disused well next to
the proposed gite.
Mark: [Groans]
Becky: Oh, my goodness me.
Mark: Look at that.
Becky: Oh, it's water.
Dick, voice-over: They're
wondering if the well
could be used to supply
the gite.
If the chateau's drainage system
in the courtyard connects to it,
it may be unusable.
The whole family's mucking in
to investigate.
Mark: Oh, thank you.
Becky: Ha ha ha!
Mark: Right.
Becky: I think we should
get the hose
and open up the drain here
and open up the well,
see where it's going.
Mark: OK, let's see.
Dick, voice-over: The first step
is to clear out the drains
to see where the water
is going to.
Becky: Ah, Charlotte.
Charlotte: [Giggles]
Dick, voice-over: Mark, that
job's got your name on it.
Mark: So we've got quite
a few roots
in the bottom of the drain here.
But it is still draining down,
which is good,
so it's clearly going somewhere.
We've just got to find out
where it's going.
Becky: How are you getting on?
Have you reached Australia yet?
Girl: [Giggles]
Dick, voice-over:
At times like these,
it's great to know your family
has your back.
Becky: Oh, poor Daddy.
He's halfway up the drain.
Mark: [Indistinct]
Becky: Have we got anything
that we could stick up there
rather than your hand?
Mark: Not really.
I think we've gone as far
as we can with this.
Dick, voice-over: Time to bring
in the big guns.
Becky: Charlotte.
Mark: Charlotte,
do you want to bring that water
down here?
Dick, voice-over: With as much
gunk cleared out as possible,
they try to get some water
to flow through.
Mark: Charlotte, you keep
squirting,
and we'll see if the water
is coming through
into the well.
Right, here we go.
Let's see what we've got. OK.
Becky: Is there any
obvious sign?
Mark: It doesn't look like the
water from the drain
is connected to the well here.
Dick, voice-over:
That could be good,
but as that well also looks
very clogged up,
you won't be sure until
you've cleared it out.
Rather you than me.
Almost 400 miles north
in Normandy,
the target date to move into
the family apartment has passed,
and they're still months away
from completion.
Philipp is working flat out,
as winter's coming.
While Philipp tackles a big DIY
project upstairs,
Anna's mum Jenny has arrived
and is helping out wherever
she can...
Anna: Ooh!
Jenny: Oh!
Dick, voice-over: including
Anna's new project
to restore her bargain from
the charity shop.
Anna: Now we understand why it
was only 10 euros.
Jenny: [Chuckles]
This might be
the most expensive 10 euros
that you've spent.
We could be opening
a can of worms.
But we won't know until we've
taken this off.
Dick, voice-over: Well, nothing
beats having a go
to learn a new skill.
Anna: This is like a test,
like a learning chair
and probably one of the most
difficult ones.
Dick, voice-over: Having taken
off the fabric,
they discover the old padding.
Jenny: It's attached
to the back.
Look. [Gasps]
Look, look, look.
Got it?
Anna: Yes.
Whoa.
Oh, that's kind of gross.
[Laughter]
Jenny: It's just bits of hay.
Anna: Oh, is it hay or is it
horse hair as well?
Maybe it is horse hair as well,
actually.
Dick, voice-over: Before manmade
materials were available,
horse hair was often mixed
with hay as cheap padding.
Jenny: Leave these around
the edge here.
Anna: Yeah.
I think that's all the way
through. Let's take this off.
Oh, gross.
Should be get the Hoover?
Dick, voice-over: I'm not sure
I'd want to keep decades
worth of dust, decaying horse
hair, and hay either.
Underneath the padding is
a knotted string web,
keeping the springs in place.
Anna: If I take a picture of it,
then I--
we can remember kind of
how it went.
Dick, voice-over: Good idea.
There's a lot of bits to put
back together again.
Anna: It's gonna probably take
another week at least.
Jenny: It's going to be very
nice once it's finished.
Anna: It is.
I think it's gonna be fine.
I love it.
And I'm really excited to repair
it and restore it
and see it when it's finished,
'cause I think it's gonna
be beautiful
and everyone will laugh
and say--
Jenny: That was the chair.
Anna: That was the 10 euro
chair.
Dick, voice-over: A couple
of days later,
Anna's moving on to
the next stage of her
chair refurbishment.
For simplicity and speed,
she's invested in a staple gun
to put new webbing on the chair
before reattaching the springs.
Anna: I've never done it
before,
and I was really scared,
but actually,
it's not as scary as it looks.
[Staple gun clicks]
Dick, voice-over:
Lengths of webbing
are attached under the base
of the chair
to form a lattice for
the springs to sit on.
Anna: The more tension
the better, basically.
And normally you have
a special tool
for stretching the webbing,
but...
[Hammers]
it was quite expensive,
and I kind of found a video
online
that was basically some guy
using a...
it's a monkey wrench.
Well, this isn't a monkey
wrench.
I actually should have
a monkey wrench
because then you can actually
fix it.
This is just a normal wrench.
Dick, voice-over:
Sometimes, Anna, you
just have to improvise.
A while later, with
the webbing done,
it's time for the next stage--
reattaching the springs.
Anna: OK. Hang on.
Oh, oh.
We don't want to let go
of our needle.
Dick, voice-over:
For this job,
luckily Anna has
a little helper.
Anna: OK, pull the string
through so it's really tight.
And then with this needle,
we're going to go in on
the other side of this spring.
Push in. That's it.
And then we have to grab it
from underneath.
And then you have to pull it.
Lily: Ow!
Anna: I know, it's a bit
tricky, isn't it?
Pull the thread nice and tight.
1, 2, 3. That's it.
Well done.
Anna: What color fabric should
we put on this chair, Lily?
Lily: Pink!
Anna: Is that because that's
your favorite color?
Lily: Yes. Pink here
and blue here.
Anna: Oh, we could do that,
a multi-color chair.
That could be funky.
Dick, voice-over:
You're a little way off
making color
choices just yet,
but your bargain chair is really
starting to take shape.
Anna: And obviously this is
the first time,
so my skills at upholstery will
improve, hopefully.
I'm enjoying it,
so I think I'll keep going.
I'll do some more projects
after this one for sure.
Dick, voice-over: By the time
you finish the chateau, Anna,
you'll be a dab hand.
Spending quality time
with our children
is one of the joys of
owning a chateau.
At our place in the
Pays de Loire,
when there are jobs to be done,
the whole family loves
mucking in.
Dick: Now, now, now,
how is this gonna work?
Arthur, can you pick up
that one
and walk over there?
Keep walking.
Keep walking.
No, no, go to your left.
Which side's your left?
That side.
Yes! Pull harder.
Dick, voice-over: It may not
always be the fastest way
to get things done...
Arthur: I can't see!
Dick: I need you to help me.
We're not finished yet.
Dick, voice-over: but it does
mean we all contribute
to our life here in France.
[Geese honking]
Man: What are we gonna do?
Dorothy: Oh, come with me.
Dick, voice-over: One job I
recently got Dorothy to do
was assembling the new
cupboards for our pantry.
Man: Yeah. Right.
Put it under there, see if we
can get it open.
Well done. Wow.
Dick, voice-over: And she had
an eager apprentice
in granddad Steve.
Steve: And we'll--
do you know what?
Dick, voice-over: Even if
the foreman of this crack
flat-pack team
was rather easy distracted...
Steve: Dorothy, right,
should be put this on?
Dick, voice-over: once she got
started,
she showed her granddad
the ropes.
Dorothy: You need a hammer.
Steve: You just take my hand,
so...
Gosh.
Done. Feel that.
Does that feel nice and tight?
Dick, voice-over: Clearly
a chip off the old block.
And to finish the job off,
Dorothy called
for the sacred Strawbridge
mallet.
Steve: Ah, look, perfect.
That's the special one.
Just tap it.
Good one.
OK. All right.
You hold on.
Right, do it again.
Keep going. Keep going.
Dick, voice-over: Ouch.
[Laughter]
Ah, well, you can't make
an omelet
without breaking some fingers.
Dick: That's my girl.
Took a bash at Bappy.
Steve: [Laughs]
Dick, voice-over: And a couple
of days later,
and with all the cupboards
built,
Dorothy left Steve and I to
start fixing them to the wall.
Dick: Now you've got to lift
it up.
I've got this side.
I can't see a thing
from where I am.
Steve: Got this on.
Dick: OK.
Dick, voice-over:
And a few hours later,
the pantry was finished.
Many hands, old and young,
make light work indeed.
Back in the Loire Valley,
Kate, Iain, and their family
are viewing 17th-century
Chateau de Rare.
While the kitchen may have
thrown Kate off,
the rest of the downstairs
impressed,
so now they're checking out the
8 en-suite bedrooms upstairs.
Iain: This is nice.
Kate: Yeah. It's a good size.
Iain: Yes.
Kate: Yeah, the original
floors again.
And lots of natural light
coming in.
Betran: So between two bedrooms,
you have a bathroom.
Iain: Yeah. Excellent.
Dick, voice-over: This chateau's
been run as a B&B
for the past 10 years,
so there's real business
potential here.
Kate: I like these thick walls.
Jade: Yeah.
You could turn it into like
a suite, like a bridal suite.
Betran: Do you want to go to see
the roof?
Iain: Yeah.
Betran: [Indistinct]
Dick, voice-over: The interiors
have impressed,
but it's important to see that
the bones of the building
are in good nick, too.
Kate: OK. The roof looks new.
Betran: It's a new one.
Kate: Yeah.
Iain: Yeah. No, really good.
Very happy with that.
And recent, within
the last couple of years
they've done this.
Betran: 5 years ago.
Iain: 5 years.
Yeah. Still looks very good.
Kate: Yeah, it's in really good
condition.
Dick, voice-over: Good news,
but will it be enough
to seal the deal for
Iain and Kate?
Iain: It's exceeded expectations
with regard to the actual
grandeur of the place.
The fact that it has a moat
there as well is an added bonus.
The chapel is just outstanding,
so very happy.
Kate: I'm probably not as in
love with it as Iain is.
It's very grand,
it's very beautiful.
I don't know.
It'd need a lot of work for it
to be homely for me.
So I'm not sure.
Iain: Yeah. You'll come round.
Kate: I'll come round.
Iain: You'll see the light.
Kate: Yeah, maybe not.
[Laughs]
Betran: Thank you so much
for your visit.
Iain: Lovely to meet you.
Thank you very much.
Kate: It's beautiful.
Thank you so much.
Iain: Thank you very much.
Dick, voice-over: With a
substantial amount
of money on the line,
it's vital Iain and Kate
are certain about this
huge decision.
The question is, can they agree
any of the 5 chateaus they've
seen is the place for them?
In southwest France,
Becky and Mark
are trying to find if
the courtyard drains
feed into their
newly-discovered well
ahead of returning to the
Middle East in a weeks' time.
So they've hired a digger
to clear the surrounding area...
Mark: Ahh, it's tight.
Oh, god, that's heavy.
Dick, voice-over: before
removing the heavy iron lid
covering the well.
Mark: Stop.
The digger today did
an amazing job,
but the size of the roots
that we had to dig up
are far bigger than we'd
imagined.
Dick, voice-over: Now they can
access it,
Mark's roped in his
father-in-law George
to help clean the well out.
Mark: OK, let's go and see how
deep this well really is.
So what we're trying to do
is find out the source
of the water that's in the well.
We'll be able to identify
how much of it, if any,
we can reuse as we develop
the outbuildings
around the chateau.
George: What's rather
interesting is the use
of the word "we," because
I think it's me,
and he'll be giving the orders,
as happens as usual.
Mark: Yeah. That's what project
management's all about.
Dick, voice-over: Poor George.
George: You've got pristine
green boots on.
Mark: Yeah, that's why I'm not
going in the hole.
Right. You ready?
George: It's going down,
it's going down.
Mark: It is. Well, exactly,
that why you need to go in,
because I'm a lot heavier
than you are, so.
George: At least you admit it.
Been sitting around in offices
all your life.
So says the desk jockey.
It's a bit smelly.
Mark: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I know where that's going.
Thank you.
Dick, voice-over:
On with clearing,
and all this rubble
is a first clue
as to why it's got so
clogged up.
George: Now, what I'd like to do
is to get some of this all
into the wheelbarrow.
Mark: OK.
George: Can you get it a little
bit closer, do you think?
Dick, voice-over: Once enough
silt has been cleared out,
they should be able to see
if any water is coming in.
George: * Mud, mud,
glorious mud *
Mark: One bucket.
Dick, voice-over: Even if
that may take a while,
one bucket at a time.
Mark: If you can fill it,
I'll empty it on the roses.
Mark: Oh, my poor roses.
George: Yes, but I'm already
dirty.
Mark: Ahh!
Dick, voice-over: A lot of graft
and stinky buckets of mud later,
George spots something.
George: That's clean water.
Mark: It is indeed.
George: Goodness gracious me,
we have found gold.
Mark: We've found the water.
There you go.
Dick, voice-over: They've found
where the water's coming in,
but they still need to
investigate more.
For now, though, George at least
has more pressing concerns.
George: I think I might need
a wash.
Mark: I think you might need
a hosedown.
So we haven't got a lot
of time left.
We've just under a week
before we leave,
probably have to get
a pump in
to suck out the remaining water
from the bottom.
So it's then going to be easier
and quicker
to dig out the mud.
You agree?
George: Yes. Well, as usual,
I'm left with the dregs.
Mark: Exactly.
Well, you know.
Dick, voice-over: I think I'll
leave you two
to sort out who does what.
Back in the Loire Valley,
after viewing 5 chateaus,
Iain and Kate have made
the decision to return
to the magnificent 18th-century
Chateau de Nouilles.
Iain: So pretty.
Kate: Actually, this is probably
my favorite view of it.
Dick, voice-over: The chateau
isn't on the market yet,
which means they could save tens
of thousands of pounds on fees.
They already knew owner Francois
from holidaying in a gite here,
so they got a sneak preview.
Francois: You see
the dining room.
Iain: Wow. Nice.
This is so special, this room.
Just look at the level
of detailing there.
Dick, voice-over: And despite it
needing a lot of work,
they fell in love with
its character.
Kate: We pull into the driveway
here
and it does feel like home.
I can imagine myself being here
on a full-time basis.
Iain: I'm very comfortable with
this place
from a business perspective
because it has
revenue streams rolling in
already,
so it allows the permission
to then go on
and make the chateau grand
again.
Dick, voice-over: Today
they're having a second
viewing on their own
for a closer inspection
of what they could be taking on.
Iain: Love this room.
The heart of the home.
Dick, voice-over: It's important
that Iain and Kate
don't get carried away
and remember what
they're looking for--
somewhere that feels
like home
but with that all-important
business potential.
Kate: Love these doors.
They're beautiful.
Dick, voice-over: First up is
the grand salon.
Iain: It's such a beautiful
detailed room, isn't it?
Kate: Beautiful. Forgot how much
detail is in it.
Iain: It's preserved in time,
isn't it?
Kate: It is. It's like we've
walked back in time.
This floor needs a little
bit of love.
Should we go and have a look
upstairs?
Iain: Yeah, great.
I'd love the other floor.
Kate: The other rooms.
Dick, voice-over: Even though
they've been here before,
now they're on their own,
Iain and Kate
can have a really good
dig around.
Kate: Let's investigate.
Yes, this is it.
Love this room.
Look at the detail on the roof.
I'd forgotten how much
I love it.
Iain: And that fireplace.
Kate: I know, so amazing.
The wallpaper.
I'd forgotten all of
the details.
There is a lot to be done.
Like, there is, you know,
damage that needs to be fixed.
Iain: But don't you
think it'd just be like
a joy working in here?
But you're working in
an environment
that's actually just so nice
that you'd be like--
And once you do a job, you know,
whether it be restore that
or restore that, you'd just be--
Kate: Very satisfying.
Iain: Yeah, very satisfying.
Dick, voice-over: And the treats
don't end here with this room.
Iain: OK, there's something
in here as well.
Wow.
Kate: I love that. Yay. Perfect.
Iain: Excellent.
Kate: Yeah. Good toilet.
Dick, voice-over:
This secret bathroom
is one of 4 bathrooms
on this floor,
along with 8 bedrooms.
But there's a fair bit
of work to bring it
all up to B&B standard.
Kate: OK. This is the--
where the renovation
mainly needs to be done.
Iain: Nice, big space.
Kate: This is a big space
that he's already demolished.
Iain: Hmm.
Kate: But really, he's just
cleaned out,
and we can just start again,
can't you?
Beautiful and light, considering
there's no--
Iain: Great views,
double aspect to...
Kate: Yeah. This could be
a beautiful room.
Iain: toward the canal
and the park. Great.
Dick, voice-over: This room
definitely has potential.
And while it needs major work,
they seem to be up for
the challenge.
I wonder if the 6-year hunt
for their dream chateau
could soon be coming to an end.
Back in Normandy
and under pressure,
Philipp is still working
on the attic apartment
in a race to get the family in
before winter arrives.
The next major job he has
to do is laying the flooring,
starting with the girls'
13-meter square bedroom.
And Philipp being Philipp
has done his research
and come up with a novel
plan for the chateau's
new wood floors.
Philipp: We're using
a floor system
that involves these little
granules
to even out the old wonky floor,
and on top of these granules,
we put some flooring boards.
We bought 3 and a half
cubic meters of these,
and this should be enough
to even out
the whole floor of our
4-bedroom apartment.
Dick, voice-over: The granule
and board system
Philipp's chosen for
the floors
works out at twice the cost of
standard flooring.
Given their stretched budget,
I hope it's a decision
that pays off.
Philipp: I've seen people
doing this online for hours.
Dick, voice-over: The first step
is to lay down a simple membrane
to stop any of the granules
making an escape.
Philipp: Step one accomplished.
It looks OK.
It looks OK.
Ready to go with the granules.
Dick, voice-over: The trick here
is to make sure
they're completely even before
laying the floor on top.
Philipp: Looks level to me.
So now we need to do the same
on the other side.
Dick, voice-over: And a little
while later,
the floor's ready for
the next stage.
Philipp: I think we're done with
the preparation of that room,
so we are ready to get
the floorboards in.
Dick, voice-over: The boards
and clay granules
help insulate the sound.
And with two children
running amuck,
that's good news for the
eventual guests
in the suites below.
Philipp: Ahh, now we need
a second one.
I think that looks like
success.
Dick, voice-over: So far so
good, but it's slow going.
Philipp: I will try to get on
and finish this tonight,
even if it's gonna be
a late one.
Dick, voice-over: Given
how far behind schedule
you are, Philipp,
I doubt it'll be your last one.
Still, a couple of hours later,
this is one job that can be
ticked off the list.
Philipp: I think that's it.
Nothing's squeaking.
It's flat.
Ahh!
And for the first time,
I can walk on a floor
that's not dirty,
that's not dusty,
that's not wonky.
I'm really pleased with it.
Don't want to think about
all the other square
meters I still have to do,
which is certainly more than
a week of work, but.
And if it all goes as smooth
as this room,
I'm really happy.
Dick, voice-over: Whilst the
family apartment isn't finished
and they're not in when they
wanted to be,
Anna and Philipp have certainly
had a busy
first 5 months as chateau
owners.
Anna: Oh, my goodness.
Dick, voice-over:
From picking up the keys...
Anna: OK, there's a lot to do.
Dick, voice-over: to starting
to plumb the place.
Philipp: Give me a high-five.
Anna: Well done.
Dick, voice-over: And despite
the setbacks they've faced...
Philipp: It used to be a beam
and now it's dust.
Dick, voice-over: Anna and
Philipp remain positive.
Philipp: Nice!
Anna: We're happy, aren't we?
We love it here.
We have definitely no regrets
about our new...
Philipp: Absolutely not.
Anna: Like, we've learned
a lot of new skills
and it's taken us a lot of time
to figure things out,
but I feel like we're--
once we get going, we're gonna
speed up,
and I think we'll be fine.
Well, I'm staying positive
anyway.
Dick, voice-over: But with
no end in sight
for their family apartment,
they're feeling the strain
as the deadline to open as
a B&B looms ever closer.
Philipp: There is a pressure,
obviously.
Anna: It's a little scary
to think about
how much is left to do.
Dick, voice-over:
Good luck, you two.
It's always tough at
the beginning,
but I'm sure it'll get
easier.
In the Loire Valley,
Iain and Kate are viewing
Chateau de Nouilles
for the second time.
They've been looking for
their forever home
and somewhere to run
as a business for 6 years.
And although this place
needs a lot of work,
that doesn't seem to have
fazed them.
Kate: All right.
Dick, voice-over: The place
isn't yet on the market,
so it's time to sit down
with owner Francois.
Francois: Hello, hello.
Hey. Good to see you again.
Iain: Well, thank you very much
for your hospitality
and letting us look through
your beautiful chateau.
Kate: We can see us growing
old here,
and our family growing
with us. Heh heh.
Iain: It's just a wonderful
place, and all credit to you.
Francois: You like it.
Kate: We love it.
Francois: [Laughs]
Iain: It--it's lovely.
It's lovely, and we've seen
a lot of chateaux.
Um, and some big, some small,
but nothing quite with
as much heart as this place.
And, look, on the basis of
that, Francois,
we would like to put
an offer in for the chateau
to buy it, because it's
so beautiful
and it just feels so authentic
and right for us.
So I hope we can come to
a deal
that works for you
and works for us as well
over the next little while.
Francois: Thank you very much
for being so frank and direct.
Kate: Yeah.
Iain: Thank you very much,
Francois, for your time
and also for your hospitality.
We will speak soon.
Francois: You bet.
Iain: Thank you very much.
All the very best. Thank you.
Francois: My kiss. [Laughs]
Dick, voice-over:
I'm very happy to report
that a few weeks later,
Kate and Iain agreed
a price with Francois
and signed on the dotted line.
Kate: Everyone that we know will
be in shock
that we finally made
a decision
because it has been going on
for so long.
It's just one of those dreams
that never comes true.
But we're determined to make it
come true.
Iain: I have no worry that this
will be successful here.
Dick, voice-over: Iain and Kate
are currently back in Australia
preparing to make the full-time
move to France in the spring.
I wish them all the very best.
In southwest France,
Mark is keen to finish cleaning
out the well
before he and Becky return
to the Middle East
in a couple of days' time.
He plans to use
an electric pump
to clear out the standing water
and silt.
He should then be able
to understand
how the water fills it.
Mark: So just by lifting this,
you can now hear the motor
is operating.
You can actually see
the water levels dropping.
What I am seeing is there is
what appears to be water
coming in from the wall.
It's just a small stream
right down in the corner.
Dick, voice-over: Good to see,
but there's still a lot of silt
to remove.
Becky, though, has other
things on her mind.
Becky: Have you found
the gold yet?
Mark: Nope, no gold.
Becky: Still not.
Becky: Oh, OK.
Dick, voice-over: Oh, well, at
least Mark
seems to be enjoying himself.
Mark: Getting into the bottom
of a well
and trying to clear out
the mud
is just a nice break
from the day job.
Um...
So it's, you know,
that's--that's part of the joys
of owning a chateau--you're
doing something different.
Dick, voice-over:
It's different all right.
Let's just hope all this
hard work pays off in the end.
Mark: I do think that's gonna be
about as much as we can do,
if I am indeed standing
on the bottom. So.
Dick, voice-over:
After hours of pumping,
and with plenty of silt
yet to clear,
Mark's about to call it
a day,
once he's got Grandpa George's
input.
Mark: What you started out
with me is not finished,
but we are now at a point
where confirmed the bottom, so.
George: OK. Well done.
It's very good.
Yeah. Nice to see you got
muddy as well.
For me, I think the biggest
concern
is getting something
on top of it,
the fear of somebody
falling down.
Dick, voice-over:
Sounds wise, George.
Although Mark is already
thinking ahead.
Mark: So you've got
about 2,000 liters of
water capacity in there.
And if we--if we lined it and
then allowed it fill fuller,
we could get to about
3,000 liters.
George: So what's the plan?
Mark: If we could put a liner
into this,
we should be able to then have
water come into this,
but also effectively try and
retain most of it,
and then we could start to use
it to pump water into the--
well, initially into the garden,
and then for the gite
as a reliable water source.
George: Nice to see you working,
actually.
For a change.
Mark: [Chuckles]
Ha ha ha.
George: I've been watering
the garden practically daily
for the last little while,
and I'm very conscious of
the water meter.
Dick, voice-over:
Quite right, George.
But I'm afraid for the moment,
using the well water
is some way off.
It's been a busy first chateau
summer
for Mark and Becky's
whole family.
Along with discovering
the well,
they've given their courtyard
a facelift...
George: Oh, that's a bummer.
Um, that's not meant to happen.
Becky: Now that looks lovely.
Dick, voice-over:
and successfully
hosted a drinks party
for the whole village.
Becky: Fete des Voisines at the
beginning of the holidays,
it was lovely to have
the gates open
and see all the villagers
coming in.
And I think we won them over.
Dick, voice-over:
And with their place
in the local community now
cemented,
the family can look forward
to joining Grandpa George
and moving here full time
next year.
Becky: I'm very sad
to be leaving.
I really am. There's lots of
things I want to do.
Mark: It already feels
like home
and, you know, we've
barely lived in this
house for two months.
It's no longer just
a holiday home, it is home.
Dick, voice-over: Well, at least
George will be here
to look after the place
in the meantime.
And once you do make
the move,
I'm sure it'll be all
you ever wanted.
I know it was for us.
I'm Dick Strawbridge.
Along with my wife Angel
and our two children...
Angel: Yay!
Dick: Well done.
Dick, voice-over: we've lived
in this magnificent chateau
for the past 5 years.
Dick:
Look. Look, look, look, look,
look, look, look, look, look,
look, look, look,
look, look, look.
Angel: Oh, my God.
That is so beautiful.
Dick, voice-over:
It's not just our home...
Dick: Ahh, we're up.
Dick, voice-over:
but our business.
Dick:
You may kiss your bride.
[Cheering and applause]
Dick, voice-over: And all over
France, there are other Brits
doing exactly the same.
Woman: Oh, my God.
Dick, voice-over:
We'll follow a new wave of
intrepid chateau owners...
[Tool whirring]
Man: Open some windows.
Might help get rid of some dust.
Dick, voice-over:
and some familiar faces...
[Tool whirring]
as they take on these
majestic buildings.
And we'll reveal more about
our own chateau life.
Girl: Thank you very much.
Dick and Angel: Yay!
Dick, voice-over:
There'll be triumphs...
Woman: This looks incredible.
Second woman: You like it?
First woman: I love it.
Dick, voice-over:
and setbacks...
Man: Oh!
Dick, voice-over: as they battle
to renovate their homes...
[Clattering]
and earn their keep.
Woman: OK. I'm ready.
Dick, voice-over: But no matter
how hard the going gets...
Woman: This is probably, yeah,
my worst nightmare.
Dick, voice-over: they get
to live the dream
as custodians of
their very own castle.
Today...
one couple continue their search
for their dream castle.
Kate: It's like we've walked
back in time.
Dick, voice-over: At our place,
it's a family affair.
Dick: Perfect.
That's my girl.
Dick, voice-over: At this
chateau, job delegation...
Mark: Let's go and see how deep
this well really is.
Dick, voice-over:
'causes a stink.
George: It's a bit smelly.
Mark: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Dick, voice-over: And these new
chateau owners
have a furniture fallout.
Anna: It could be nice if
we painted it.
Philipp: That's such a cliché,
painted old furniture.
Dick, voice-over: Relocating
across the Channel
with a young family is
a big decision.
It took Angel and I 4 years
to find our perfect place.
Dick: Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Angel: Oh, look at that.
Dick, voice-over: But it's once
the keys are handed over
that the hard work
really starts.
North of us, a family are
right at the start
of their chateau adventure.
Set in 15 acres of grounds,
16-room Chateau de Gonneville
is the new home to fashion
designer Anna,
her Italian filmmaker husband
Philipp,
and their two daughters,
Lily and Ella.
Anna: I remember just driving in
through the driveway
and just thinking, "Wow,
this is amazing."
I couldn't imagine buying
any other chateau.
My heart was with this one.
Dick, voice-over:
Located in Normandy,
the couple sunk all their money
and took out a huge loan
to buy the chateau for
£900,000...
with the promise of opening it
as a B&B by spring.
Philipp: The real pressure
is that we had to take out
quite a lot of money
from the bank,
and we have to run it
as a business.
Anna: We're very much cash poor,
property rich,
so if it doesn't work,
then maybe we'll be forced
to sell it,
which would just be too sad.
I don't even want to think
of that.
Dick, voice-over: They decided
to renovate the top floor
into a family apartment
before transforming
the first floor,
where they're currently living,
into guest accommodation.
Philipp: The wood underneath
the window
is equally as rotten
as the window frames themselves.
Dick, voice-over: But now
currently behind schedule,
the pressure is on to get
the place finished.
Philipp: There's no hidden
savings that we could use
if everything turns wrong.
Anna: It's a little scary
and intimidating
and a bit overwhelming,
I would say.
Dick, voice-over: With Philipp
across the major renovations,
Anna's domain is furnishing.
So today they're bargain hunting
at a local charity shop.
Anna: Specifically today,
we were looking to find
a cabinet that we could use in
our bathroom to put the sink on.
And, uh, we'll see if
there's anything else
that catches our eye.
Dick, voice-over:
Given your tight budget,
that sounds like
a risky business.
Best to focus on
the bathroom cabinet.
These places, though, are full
of distractions.
Anna: What do you think?
Do you like them?
Look, they're Lily-sized.
Philipp: We have this
little chapel
that we want to restore one day,
but it's completely empty.
So I think this could be
the first step
of furnishing that chapel could
be these two chairs.
Do you like the chair?
Yes. That's a big yes.
"I like the chair."
Dick, voice-over: Philipp isn't
the only one
who's had his head turned.
Anna: You see this one, Philipp.
This one right here.
Philipp: This one?
Anna: I thought it could be nice
if we painted it,
for the girls,
for their room.
What do you think?
Philipp: Hmm. Mm-mmm. No.
Anna: You don't like it?
Philipp: Not at all.
Anna: I think it's quite nice,
and it's only 30 euros.
I like this idea of this sort of
style of wardrobe and painted.
Philipp: I hate the idea of
painting wood furniture.
Anna: I'm gonna convince you.
I'm gonna show you some--
Philipp: That's such a cliché,
painted old furniture.
Anna: Yes.
Philipp: You like it?
Anna: Yes, I like it.
Philipp: So...
we have our first disagreement.
Anna: I don't care.
I'm just gonna do it anyway.
Philipp: Yeah, OK.
Anna: You don't have a choice.
Dick, voice-over:
I'm staying out of this one.
Anna: This chair here, Philipp,
it's only 10 euros.
Philipp: It's gonna be nice
if it's redone.
Yeah. I mean, 10 euros,
come on.
You can tell it has been
repaired once.
And you could imagine it
with a new fabric.
And I think it's a good project
for Anna.
Anna was always talking about
upholstering things.
Anna: I want to sort of...
Philipp: It's like a fantasy of
yours, upholstering.
Anna: I would love to have
a go, anyway.
Philipp: Yeah, let's get it.
I think you can repair that one.
Anna: I think for 10 euros,
yeah.
Philipp: Yeah, good find.
Dick, voice-over: Now,
that doesn't look like
a bathroom cabinet,
but I'm pleased you found
something you can agree on.
Anna: I've never reupholstered
anything in my life.
I really want to have a go.
I think I'll be all right.
I think I could manage.
Dick, voice-over:
That's the spirit, Anna.
Nothing ventured,
nothing gained.
And she's not the only
person getting into
the swing of things.
- What do you think of this?
- How much are they?
Philipp: 35.
Anna: Yeah.
Philipp: Huh?
Anna: OK.
Philipp: I think we should get
it. We have so many chimneys.
Anna: Yeah. Yeah.
No, it's beautiful.
Philipp: That's a beautiful
tuning mirror.
What do you think about
this mirror?
Anna: Yeah, this one I like.
Philipp: It's a little
over the top, but, um...
Anna: Why not?
Philipp: Why not?
Anna: I think it's cool.
Philipp: Yeah, cool.
Dick, voice-over: They certainly
aren't leaving empty-handed.
But having spent 165 euros,
about £140 pounds,
there's still nothing
for the bathroom.
Philipp: Merci beaucoup.
Anna: I think we just have to
keep coming back here.
Every week there's new stuff,
so we'll just become regulars.
Dick, voice-over: That's fine
when you have the time,
but you'll need to keep moving
ahead with the renovations
if there's any chance of opening
that B&B on schedule.
160 miles south, Scotsman Iain
and his wife Kate
are waiting to start their own
chateau adventure
in the Loire Valley.
They've spent the last
6 years hunting for a property
that's large enough for
their extended family,
as well as having genuine
money-making potential.
Iain: We need to have a business
when we purchase our chateau
to allow us to enjoy the life
and the lifestyle
that we want to have.
Kate: And I think we will need
the chateau
to look after itself, basically.
Dick, voice-over: Iain and Kate
have sold their home
and a stake in their pharmacy
business in Australia
to raise £1.3 million
for the move.
So far this trip, with the help
of their family,
they've seen 4 incredible
chateaux.
Kate: Ahh, beautiful.
Dick, voice-over: While
Kate is drawn to period
detail and grandeur...
Kate: It still has
original features,
which is really important
to us.
Dick, voice-over:
Iain has an eye for the
business opportunities.
Iain: This is a lovely
proportioned room, isn't it?
Dick, voice-over: They even had
a sneak preview
of one that's not on the market,
which they loved.
Iain: This is so special,
this room.
Just look at the level of detail
in there.
Kate: I've got a good feel
about it. I like it.
Dick, voice-over: Iain and Kate
have been impressed so far,
but they have not yet
made up their mind,
so today they're viewing
the enormous 17th-century
Chateau de Rare, which boasts
almost 6,500 square feet
of living space.
Built on the remains of
a feudal castle,
it sits in 25 acres and has
5 large outbuildings.
Iain: Just look at that chateau
driving up.
You can only imagine the events
you could have here
and the family life we could
have here as well.
Pretty excited to see inside.
Dick, voice-over: Located in
the Loire Valley,
at around one and a half
million pounds,
it's over budget, but has
tremendous business potential.
Estate agent Betran is showing
them around...
Iain: How are you?
Nice to see you.
Nice to see you.
Good morning. Good morning.
Dick, voice-over: along with
their daughter Jade
and her family.
Iain: A lot of history?
Betran: Yeah, 17th century.
And a real original.
It stayed in the same family
for 22 generations.
Iain: 22 generations.
Betran: Yeah.
Let's go inside to visit
the chateau.
Iain: Thank you.
Dick, voice-over: First,
the impressive entrance hall.
Kate: Oh, wow.
Iain: Beautiful condition.
Jade: The floor is amazing.
Iain: Beautiful condition.
Betran: The foyer is
original stairs.
It's rare to have wood
finished like this.
It was normally stone.
Kate: Yes. Stone, yes.
I like it.
Betran: Let's go to the
corridor,
and after you have access
to the principal room.
Kate: Wow.
Jade: Wow, look at this floor.
Betran: Yeah, it's a real
Versailles floor, yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
With the French gentry's
desire to impress,
once introduced in the Palace of
Versailles,
it became fashionable in many
other aristocratic homes.
Kate: I love that it's light
in color.
Not so dark. You know, when you
usually say it's really dark.
Iain: Have a look at some of
the detailing
along the inside of
the fireplace.
Kate: I know. It's beautiful.
I love it.
This is like perfect.
Dick, voice-over:
The original features
have certainly got Kate
fired up,
but they haven't seen
anything yet.
Next up is the chapel in one of
the chateau's towers.
Iain: Do you like it, guys?
Jade: It's pretty amazing.
Kate: It looks like it's
untouched.
Jade: Yeah, it really does.
Kate: Like it was like this
when it was first built.
Betran: You can see the vitrail.
The vitrail.
Kate: What's the vitrail?
Iain: Vitrified glass.
Kate: So we call it
stained glass.
Iain: Yeah, vitrail.
Kate: OK.
Iain: It's in very good
condition, Betran.
It's very well maintained.
Kate: Oh, really.
So is this ordained? Ordained?
Is that what they say?
Ordained?
Iain: We say ordained, so a
priest can come in
and conduct the ceremony.
Betran: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over: Looks like
Iain might be thinking
about the potential of this
place as a wedding venue.
A good call.
I wonder if it'll be love
at first sight
in their modern kitchen.
Kate: Ooh, OK.
Betran: A red kitchen.
Iain: Ahh.
Kate, your thoughts?
Kate: No, don't like it.
How disappointing.
But, oh, well, you get that,
I suppose.
That's a project.
Iain: You can fix that. Yep.
Kate: I think it's fixable.
Definitely 'cause there's
a room right next door
that you could knock through to.
Iain: Yeah.
Kate: I like the floor
all the way through.
Iain: Just need to open up
the space.
Kate: That's probably all
I'd keep.
What do you think, Jade?
Jade: Just knock it down
and start again.
- Yeah.
- We'll knock it down, will we?
Knock the wall down.
Will you help me?
Yeah. Good man.
Dick, voice-over: Looks like the
whole family is in agreement.
Kate: Such a disappointment
because everything
in the chateau is so grand
and beautiful,
and then you walk in there
and go, "Ooh, OK.
Maybe, seventies, eighties."
Someone had a red moment.
Dick, voice-over: Well, so far,
feels like this place
is in the balance.
It could all depend on what they
find upstairs.
This is the 17th-century
Chateau de Saginville,
believed to have been home
to one of the three musketeers.
With 6 acres of land,
several outbuildings,
and 42 rooms,
it was bought for £645,000
last year by music teacher Becky
and her engineer husband Mark.
Becky plans to move here
permanently from the Middle East
with daughters and Charlotte
and Sophia next year.
Mark: We took 10 years from the
first day we started looking
before we found this place.
And we just don't regret it's--
Every day this place just
keeps giving.
Becky: When we open up the
windows and look out
onto the garden
and see the view,
it's just absolutely stunning.
Dick, voice-over: Sharing
the chateau with them
is Becky's retired father
George,
who looks after when
they're away.
George: These are not
nearly as good
as the more expensive ones,
unfortunately.
Dick, voice-over:
Located 25 miles from Toulouse
in southwest France,
Becky and Mark have taken
the first step
to making this their home,
hosting drinks for
the village in their courtyard.
Girl: Mummy!
Another visitor.
George: Ah, bonsoir.
Dick, voice-over: Now, before
they return to the Middle East,
they're turning their attention
to an outbuilding
they eventually hope will be let
out as a gite.
Becky: That will help to sort of
put a few more pennies aside
for the day-to-day running
of the property.
And hopefully going forward
in the next 10 years or so
once we retire, we'll also have
that as an income
coming in to help us.
Dick, voice-over:
They recently discovered
a disused well next to
the proposed gite.
Mark: [Groans]
Becky: Oh, my goodness me.
Mark: Look at that.
Becky: Oh, it's water.
Dick, voice-over: They're
wondering if the well
could be used to supply
the gite.
If the chateau's drainage system
in the courtyard connects to it,
it may be unusable.
The whole family's mucking in
to investigate.
Mark: Oh, thank you.
Becky: Ha ha ha!
Mark: Right.
Becky: I think we should
get the hose
and open up the drain here
and open up the well,
see where it's going.
Mark: OK, let's see.
Dick, voice-over: The first step
is to clear out the drains
to see where the water
is going to.
Becky: Ah, Charlotte.
Charlotte: [Giggles]
Dick, voice-over: Mark, that
job's got your name on it.
Mark: So we've got quite
a few roots
in the bottom of the drain here.
But it is still draining down,
which is good,
so it's clearly going somewhere.
We've just got to find out
where it's going.
Becky: How are you getting on?
Have you reached Australia yet?
Girl: [Giggles]
Dick, voice-over:
At times like these,
it's great to know your family
has your back.
Becky: Oh, poor Daddy.
He's halfway up the drain.
Mark: [Indistinct]
Becky: Have we got anything
that we could stick up there
rather than your hand?
Mark: Not really.
I think we've gone as far
as we can with this.
Dick, voice-over: Time to bring
in the big guns.
Becky: Charlotte.
Mark: Charlotte,
do you want to bring that water
down here?
Dick, voice-over: With as much
gunk cleared out as possible,
they try to get some water
to flow through.
Mark: Charlotte, you keep
squirting,
and we'll see if the water
is coming through
into the well.
Right, here we go.
Let's see what we've got. OK.
Becky: Is there any
obvious sign?
Mark: It doesn't look like the
water from the drain
is connected to the well here.
Dick, voice-over:
That could be good,
but as that well also looks
very clogged up,
you won't be sure until
you've cleared it out.
Rather you than me.
Almost 400 miles north
in Normandy,
the target date to move into
the family apartment has passed,
and they're still months away
from completion.
Philipp is working flat out,
as winter's coming.
While Philipp tackles a big DIY
project upstairs,
Anna's mum Jenny has arrived
and is helping out wherever
she can...
Anna: Ooh!
Jenny: Oh!
Dick, voice-over: including
Anna's new project
to restore her bargain from
the charity shop.
Anna: Now we understand why it
was only 10 euros.
Jenny: [Chuckles]
This might be
the most expensive 10 euros
that you've spent.
We could be opening
a can of worms.
But we won't know until we've
taken this off.
Dick, voice-over: Well, nothing
beats having a go
to learn a new skill.
Anna: This is like a test,
like a learning chair
and probably one of the most
difficult ones.
Dick, voice-over: Having taken
off the fabric,
they discover the old padding.
Jenny: It's attached
to the back.
Look. [Gasps]
Look, look, look.
Got it?
Anna: Yes.
Whoa.
Oh, that's kind of gross.
[Laughter]
Jenny: It's just bits of hay.
Anna: Oh, is it hay or is it
horse hair as well?
Maybe it is horse hair as well,
actually.
Dick, voice-over: Before manmade
materials were available,
horse hair was often mixed
with hay as cheap padding.
Jenny: Leave these around
the edge here.
Anna: Yeah.
I think that's all the way
through. Let's take this off.
Oh, gross.
Should be get the Hoover?
Dick, voice-over: I'm not sure
I'd want to keep decades
worth of dust, decaying horse
hair, and hay either.
Underneath the padding is
a knotted string web,
keeping the springs in place.
Anna: If I take a picture of it,
then I--
we can remember kind of
how it went.
Dick, voice-over: Good idea.
There's a lot of bits to put
back together again.
Anna: It's gonna probably take
another week at least.
Jenny: It's going to be very
nice once it's finished.
Anna: It is.
I think it's gonna be fine.
I love it.
And I'm really excited to repair
it and restore it
and see it when it's finished,
'cause I think it's gonna
be beautiful
and everyone will laugh
and say--
Jenny: That was the chair.
Anna: That was the 10 euro
chair.
Dick, voice-over: A couple
of days later,
Anna's moving on to
the next stage of her
chair refurbishment.
For simplicity and speed,
she's invested in a staple gun
to put new webbing on the chair
before reattaching the springs.
Anna: I've never done it
before,
and I was really scared,
but actually,
it's not as scary as it looks.
[Staple gun clicks]
Dick, voice-over:
Lengths of webbing
are attached under the base
of the chair
to form a lattice for
the springs to sit on.
Anna: The more tension
the better, basically.
And normally you have
a special tool
for stretching the webbing,
but...
[Hammers]
it was quite expensive,
and I kind of found a video
online
that was basically some guy
using a...
it's a monkey wrench.
Well, this isn't a monkey
wrench.
I actually should have
a monkey wrench
because then you can actually
fix it.
This is just a normal wrench.
Dick, voice-over:
Sometimes, Anna, you
just have to improvise.
A while later, with
the webbing done,
it's time for the next stage--
reattaching the springs.
Anna: OK. Hang on.
Oh, oh.
We don't want to let go
of our needle.
Dick, voice-over:
For this job,
luckily Anna has
a little helper.
Anna: OK, pull the string
through so it's really tight.
And then with this needle,
we're going to go in on
the other side of this spring.
Push in. That's it.
And then we have to grab it
from underneath.
And then you have to pull it.
Lily: Ow!
Anna: I know, it's a bit
tricky, isn't it?
Pull the thread nice and tight.
1, 2, 3. That's it.
Well done.
Anna: What color fabric should
we put on this chair, Lily?
Lily: Pink!
Anna: Is that because that's
your favorite color?
Lily: Yes. Pink here
and blue here.
Anna: Oh, we could do that,
a multi-color chair.
That could be funky.
Dick, voice-over:
You're a little way off
making color
choices just yet,
but your bargain chair is really
starting to take shape.
Anna: And obviously this is
the first time,
so my skills at upholstery will
improve, hopefully.
I'm enjoying it,
so I think I'll keep going.
I'll do some more projects
after this one for sure.
Dick, voice-over: By the time
you finish the chateau, Anna,
you'll be a dab hand.
Spending quality time
with our children
is one of the joys of
owning a chateau.
At our place in the
Pays de Loire,
when there are jobs to be done,
the whole family loves
mucking in.
Dick: Now, now, now,
how is this gonna work?
Arthur, can you pick up
that one
and walk over there?
Keep walking.
Keep walking.
No, no, go to your left.
Which side's your left?
That side.
Yes! Pull harder.
Dick, voice-over: It may not
always be the fastest way
to get things done...
Arthur: I can't see!
Dick: I need you to help me.
We're not finished yet.
Dick, voice-over: but it does
mean we all contribute
to our life here in France.
[Geese honking]
Man: What are we gonna do?
Dorothy: Oh, come with me.
Dick, voice-over: One job I
recently got Dorothy to do
was assembling the new
cupboards for our pantry.
Man: Yeah. Right.
Put it under there, see if we
can get it open.
Well done. Wow.
Dick, voice-over: And she had
an eager apprentice
in granddad Steve.
Steve: And we'll--
do you know what?
Dick, voice-over: Even if
the foreman of this crack
flat-pack team
was rather easy distracted...
Steve: Dorothy, right,
should be put this on?
Dick, voice-over: once she got
started,
she showed her granddad
the ropes.
Dorothy: You need a hammer.
Steve: You just take my hand,
so...
Gosh.
Done. Feel that.
Does that feel nice and tight?
Dick, voice-over: Clearly
a chip off the old block.
And to finish the job off,
Dorothy called
for the sacred Strawbridge
mallet.
Steve: Ah, look, perfect.
That's the special one.
Just tap it.
Good one.
OK. All right.
You hold on.
Right, do it again.
Keep going. Keep going.
Dick, voice-over: Ouch.
[Laughter]
Ah, well, you can't make
an omelet
without breaking some fingers.
Dick: That's my girl.
Took a bash at Bappy.
Steve: [Laughs]
Dick, voice-over: And a couple
of days later,
and with all the cupboards
built,
Dorothy left Steve and I to
start fixing them to the wall.
Dick: Now you've got to lift
it up.
I've got this side.
I can't see a thing
from where I am.
Steve: Got this on.
Dick: OK.
Dick, voice-over:
And a few hours later,
the pantry was finished.
Many hands, old and young,
make light work indeed.
Back in the Loire Valley,
Kate, Iain, and their family
are viewing 17th-century
Chateau de Rare.
While the kitchen may have
thrown Kate off,
the rest of the downstairs
impressed,
so now they're checking out the
8 en-suite bedrooms upstairs.
Iain: This is nice.
Kate: Yeah. It's a good size.
Iain: Yes.
Kate: Yeah, the original
floors again.
And lots of natural light
coming in.
Betran: So between two bedrooms,
you have a bathroom.
Iain: Yeah. Excellent.
Dick, voice-over: This chateau's
been run as a B&B
for the past 10 years,
so there's real business
potential here.
Kate: I like these thick walls.
Jade: Yeah.
You could turn it into like
a suite, like a bridal suite.
Betran: Do you want to go to see
the roof?
Iain: Yeah.
Betran: [Indistinct]
Dick, voice-over: The interiors
have impressed,
but it's important to see that
the bones of the building
are in good nick, too.
Kate: OK. The roof looks new.
Betran: It's a new one.
Kate: Yeah.
Iain: Yeah. No, really good.
Very happy with that.
And recent, within
the last couple of years
they've done this.
Betran: 5 years ago.
Iain: 5 years.
Yeah. Still looks very good.
Kate: Yeah, it's in really good
condition.
Dick, voice-over: Good news,
but will it be enough
to seal the deal for
Iain and Kate?
Iain: It's exceeded expectations
with regard to the actual
grandeur of the place.
The fact that it has a moat
there as well is an added bonus.
The chapel is just outstanding,
so very happy.
Kate: I'm probably not as in
love with it as Iain is.
It's very grand,
it's very beautiful.
I don't know.
It'd need a lot of work for it
to be homely for me.
So I'm not sure.
Iain: Yeah. You'll come round.
Kate: I'll come round.
Iain: You'll see the light.
Kate: Yeah, maybe not.
[Laughs]
Betran: Thank you so much
for your visit.
Iain: Lovely to meet you.
Thank you very much.
Kate: It's beautiful.
Thank you so much.
Iain: Thank you very much.
Dick, voice-over: With a
substantial amount
of money on the line,
it's vital Iain and Kate
are certain about this
huge decision.
The question is, can they agree
any of the 5 chateaus they've
seen is the place for them?
In southwest France,
Becky and Mark
are trying to find if
the courtyard drains
feed into their
newly-discovered well
ahead of returning to the
Middle East in a weeks' time.
So they've hired a digger
to clear the surrounding area...
Mark: Ahh, it's tight.
Oh, god, that's heavy.
Dick, voice-over: before
removing the heavy iron lid
covering the well.
Mark: Stop.
The digger today did
an amazing job,
but the size of the roots
that we had to dig up
are far bigger than we'd
imagined.
Dick, voice-over: Now they can
access it,
Mark's roped in his
father-in-law George
to help clean the well out.
Mark: OK, let's go and see how
deep this well really is.
So what we're trying to do
is find out the source
of the water that's in the well.
We'll be able to identify
how much of it, if any,
we can reuse as we develop
the outbuildings
around the chateau.
George: What's rather
interesting is the use
of the word "we," because
I think it's me,
and he'll be giving the orders,
as happens as usual.
Mark: Yeah. That's what project
management's all about.
Dick, voice-over: Poor George.
George: You've got pristine
green boots on.
Mark: Yeah, that's why I'm not
going in the hole.
Right. You ready?
George: It's going down,
it's going down.
Mark: It is. Well, exactly,
that why you need to go in,
because I'm a lot heavier
than you are, so.
George: At least you admit it.
Been sitting around in offices
all your life.
So says the desk jockey.
It's a bit smelly.
Mark: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I know where that's going.
Thank you.
Dick, voice-over:
On with clearing,
and all this rubble
is a first clue
as to why it's got so
clogged up.
George: Now, what I'd like to do
is to get some of this all
into the wheelbarrow.
Mark: OK.
George: Can you get it a little
bit closer, do you think?
Dick, voice-over: Once enough
silt has been cleared out,
they should be able to see
if any water is coming in.
George: * Mud, mud,
glorious mud *
Mark: One bucket.
Dick, voice-over: Even if
that may take a while,
one bucket at a time.
Mark: If you can fill it,
I'll empty it on the roses.
Mark: Oh, my poor roses.
George: Yes, but I'm already
dirty.
Mark: Ahh!
Dick, voice-over: A lot of graft
and stinky buckets of mud later,
George spots something.
George: That's clean water.
Mark: It is indeed.
George: Goodness gracious me,
we have found gold.
Mark: We've found the water.
There you go.
Dick, voice-over: They've found
where the water's coming in,
but they still need to
investigate more.
For now, though, George at least
has more pressing concerns.
George: I think I might need
a wash.
Mark: I think you might need
a hosedown.
So we haven't got a lot
of time left.
We've just under a week
before we leave,
probably have to get
a pump in
to suck out the remaining water
from the bottom.
So it's then going to be easier
and quicker
to dig out the mud.
You agree?
George: Yes. Well, as usual,
I'm left with the dregs.
Mark: Exactly.
Well, you know.
Dick, voice-over: I think I'll
leave you two
to sort out who does what.
Back in the Loire Valley,
after viewing 5 chateaus,
Iain and Kate have made
the decision to return
to the magnificent 18th-century
Chateau de Nouilles.
Iain: So pretty.
Kate: Actually, this is probably
my favorite view of it.
Dick, voice-over: The chateau
isn't on the market yet,
which means they could save tens
of thousands of pounds on fees.
They already knew owner Francois
from holidaying in a gite here,
so they got a sneak preview.
Francois: You see
the dining room.
Iain: Wow. Nice.
This is so special, this room.
Just look at the level
of detailing there.
Dick, voice-over: And despite it
needing a lot of work,
they fell in love with
its character.
Kate: We pull into the driveway
here
and it does feel like home.
I can imagine myself being here
on a full-time basis.
Iain: I'm very comfortable with
this place
from a business perspective
because it has
revenue streams rolling in
already,
so it allows the permission
to then go on
and make the chateau grand
again.
Dick, voice-over: Today
they're having a second
viewing on their own
for a closer inspection
of what they could be taking on.
Iain: Love this room.
The heart of the home.
Dick, voice-over: It's important
that Iain and Kate
don't get carried away
and remember what
they're looking for--
somewhere that feels
like home
but with that all-important
business potential.
Kate: Love these doors.
They're beautiful.
Dick, voice-over: First up is
the grand salon.
Iain: It's such a beautiful
detailed room, isn't it?
Kate: Beautiful. Forgot how much
detail is in it.
Iain: It's preserved in time,
isn't it?
Kate: It is. It's like we've
walked back in time.
This floor needs a little
bit of love.
Should we go and have a look
upstairs?
Iain: Yeah, great.
I'd love the other floor.
Kate: The other rooms.
Dick, voice-over: Even though
they've been here before,
now they're on their own,
Iain and Kate
can have a really good
dig around.
Kate: Let's investigate.
Yes, this is it.
Love this room.
Look at the detail on the roof.
I'd forgotten how much
I love it.
Iain: And that fireplace.
Kate: I know, so amazing.
The wallpaper.
I'd forgotten all of
the details.
There is a lot to be done.
Like, there is, you know,
damage that needs to be fixed.
Iain: But don't you
think it'd just be like
a joy working in here?
But you're working in
an environment
that's actually just so nice
that you'd be like--
And once you do a job, you know,
whether it be restore that
or restore that, you'd just be--
Kate: Very satisfying.
Iain: Yeah, very satisfying.
Dick, voice-over: And the treats
don't end here with this room.
Iain: OK, there's something
in here as well.
Wow.
Kate: I love that. Yay. Perfect.
Iain: Excellent.
Kate: Yeah. Good toilet.
Dick, voice-over:
This secret bathroom
is one of 4 bathrooms
on this floor,
along with 8 bedrooms.
But there's a fair bit
of work to bring it
all up to B&B standard.
Kate: OK. This is the--
where the renovation
mainly needs to be done.
Iain: Nice, big space.
Kate: This is a big space
that he's already demolished.
Iain: Hmm.
Kate: But really, he's just
cleaned out,
and we can just start again,
can't you?
Beautiful and light, considering
there's no--
Iain: Great views,
double aspect to...
Kate: Yeah. This could be
a beautiful room.
Iain: toward the canal
and the park. Great.
Dick, voice-over: This room
definitely has potential.
And while it needs major work,
they seem to be up for
the challenge.
I wonder if the 6-year hunt
for their dream chateau
could soon be coming to an end.
Back in Normandy
and under pressure,
Philipp is still working
on the attic apartment
in a race to get the family in
before winter arrives.
The next major job he has
to do is laying the flooring,
starting with the girls'
13-meter square bedroom.
And Philipp being Philipp
has done his research
and come up with a novel
plan for the chateau's
new wood floors.
Philipp: We're using
a floor system
that involves these little
granules
to even out the old wonky floor,
and on top of these granules,
we put some flooring boards.
We bought 3 and a half
cubic meters of these,
and this should be enough
to even out
the whole floor of our
4-bedroom apartment.
Dick, voice-over: The granule
and board system
Philipp's chosen for
the floors
works out at twice the cost of
standard flooring.
Given their stretched budget,
I hope it's a decision
that pays off.
Philipp: I've seen people
doing this online for hours.
Dick, voice-over: The first step
is to lay down a simple membrane
to stop any of the granules
making an escape.
Philipp: Step one accomplished.
It looks OK.
It looks OK.
Ready to go with the granules.
Dick, voice-over: The trick here
is to make sure
they're completely even before
laying the floor on top.
Philipp: Looks level to me.
So now we need to do the same
on the other side.
Dick, voice-over: And a little
while later,
the floor's ready for
the next stage.
Philipp: I think we're done with
the preparation of that room,
so we are ready to get
the floorboards in.
Dick, voice-over: The boards
and clay granules
help insulate the sound.
And with two children
running amuck,
that's good news for the
eventual guests
in the suites below.
Philipp: Ahh, now we need
a second one.
I think that looks like
success.
Dick, voice-over: So far so
good, but it's slow going.
Philipp: I will try to get on
and finish this tonight,
even if it's gonna be
a late one.
Dick, voice-over: Given
how far behind schedule
you are, Philipp,
I doubt it'll be your last one.
Still, a couple of hours later,
this is one job that can be
ticked off the list.
Philipp: I think that's it.
Nothing's squeaking.
It's flat.
Ahh!
And for the first time,
I can walk on a floor
that's not dirty,
that's not dusty,
that's not wonky.
I'm really pleased with it.
Don't want to think about
all the other square
meters I still have to do,
which is certainly more than
a week of work, but.
And if it all goes as smooth
as this room,
I'm really happy.
Dick, voice-over: Whilst the
family apartment isn't finished
and they're not in when they
wanted to be,
Anna and Philipp have certainly
had a busy
first 5 months as chateau
owners.
Anna: Oh, my goodness.
Dick, voice-over:
From picking up the keys...
Anna: OK, there's a lot to do.
Dick, voice-over: to starting
to plumb the place.
Philipp: Give me a high-five.
Anna: Well done.
Dick, voice-over: And despite
the setbacks they've faced...
Philipp: It used to be a beam
and now it's dust.
Dick, voice-over: Anna and
Philipp remain positive.
Philipp: Nice!
Anna: We're happy, aren't we?
We love it here.
We have definitely no regrets
about our new...
Philipp: Absolutely not.
Anna: Like, we've learned
a lot of new skills
and it's taken us a lot of time
to figure things out,
but I feel like we're--
once we get going, we're gonna
speed up,
and I think we'll be fine.
Well, I'm staying positive
anyway.
Dick, voice-over: But with
no end in sight
for their family apartment,
they're feeling the strain
as the deadline to open as
a B&B looms ever closer.
Philipp: There is a pressure,
obviously.
Anna: It's a little scary
to think about
how much is left to do.
Dick, voice-over:
Good luck, you two.
It's always tough at
the beginning,
but I'm sure it'll get
easier.
In the Loire Valley,
Iain and Kate are viewing
Chateau de Nouilles
for the second time.
They've been looking for
their forever home
and somewhere to run
as a business for 6 years.
And although this place
needs a lot of work,
that doesn't seem to have
fazed them.
Kate: All right.
Dick, voice-over: The place
isn't yet on the market,
so it's time to sit down
with owner Francois.
Francois: Hello, hello.
Hey. Good to see you again.
Iain: Well, thank you very much
for your hospitality
and letting us look through
your beautiful chateau.
Kate: We can see us growing
old here,
and our family growing
with us. Heh heh.
Iain: It's just a wonderful
place, and all credit to you.
Francois: You like it.
Kate: We love it.
Francois: [Laughs]
Iain: It--it's lovely.
It's lovely, and we've seen
a lot of chateaux.
Um, and some big, some small,
but nothing quite with
as much heart as this place.
And, look, on the basis of
that, Francois,
we would like to put
an offer in for the chateau
to buy it, because it's
so beautiful
and it just feels so authentic
and right for us.
So I hope we can come to
a deal
that works for you
and works for us as well
over the next little while.
Francois: Thank you very much
for being so frank and direct.
Kate: Yeah.
Iain: Thank you very much,
Francois, for your time
and also for your hospitality.
We will speak soon.
Francois: You bet.
Iain: Thank you very much.
All the very best. Thank you.
Francois: My kiss. [Laughs]
Dick, voice-over:
I'm very happy to report
that a few weeks later,
Kate and Iain agreed
a price with Francois
and signed on the dotted line.
Kate: Everyone that we know will
be in shock
that we finally made
a decision
because it has been going on
for so long.
It's just one of those dreams
that never comes true.
But we're determined to make it
come true.
Iain: I have no worry that this
will be successful here.
Dick, voice-over: Iain and Kate
are currently back in Australia
preparing to make the full-time
move to France in the spring.
I wish them all the very best.
In southwest France,
Mark is keen to finish cleaning
out the well
before he and Becky return
to the Middle East
in a couple of days' time.
He plans to use
an electric pump
to clear out the standing water
and silt.
He should then be able
to understand
how the water fills it.
Mark: So just by lifting this,
you can now hear the motor
is operating.
You can actually see
the water levels dropping.
What I am seeing is there is
what appears to be water
coming in from the wall.
It's just a small stream
right down in the corner.
Dick, voice-over: Good to see,
but there's still a lot of silt
to remove.
Becky, though, has other
things on her mind.
Becky: Have you found
the gold yet?
Mark: Nope, no gold.
Becky: Still not.
Becky: Oh, OK.
Dick, voice-over: Oh, well, at
least Mark
seems to be enjoying himself.
Mark: Getting into the bottom
of a well
and trying to clear out
the mud
is just a nice break
from the day job.
Um...
So it's, you know,
that's--that's part of the joys
of owning a chateau--you're
doing something different.
Dick, voice-over:
It's different all right.
Let's just hope all this
hard work pays off in the end.
Mark: I do think that's gonna be
about as much as we can do,
if I am indeed standing
on the bottom. So.
Dick, voice-over:
After hours of pumping,
and with plenty of silt
yet to clear,
Mark's about to call it
a day,
once he's got Grandpa George's
input.
Mark: What you started out
with me is not finished,
but we are now at a point
where confirmed the bottom, so.
George: OK. Well done.
It's very good.
Yeah. Nice to see you got
muddy as well.
For me, I think the biggest
concern
is getting something
on top of it,
the fear of somebody
falling down.
Dick, voice-over:
Sounds wise, George.
Although Mark is already
thinking ahead.
Mark: So you've got
about 2,000 liters of
water capacity in there.
And if we--if we lined it and
then allowed it fill fuller,
we could get to about
3,000 liters.
George: So what's the plan?
Mark: If we could put a liner
into this,
we should be able to then have
water come into this,
but also effectively try and
retain most of it,
and then we could start to use
it to pump water into the--
well, initially into the garden,
and then for the gite
as a reliable water source.
George: Nice to see you working,
actually.
For a change.
Mark: [Chuckles]
Ha ha ha.
George: I've been watering
the garden practically daily
for the last little while,
and I'm very conscious of
the water meter.
Dick, voice-over:
Quite right, George.
But I'm afraid for the moment,
using the well water
is some way off.
It's been a busy first chateau
summer
for Mark and Becky's
whole family.
Along with discovering
the well,
they've given their courtyard
a facelift...
George: Oh, that's a bummer.
Um, that's not meant to happen.
Becky: Now that looks lovely.
Dick, voice-over:
and successfully
hosted a drinks party
for the whole village.
Becky: Fete des Voisines at the
beginning of the holidays,
it was lovely to have
the gates open
and see all the villagers
coming in.
And I think we won them over.
Dick, voice-over:
And with their place
in the local community now
cemented,
the family can look forward
to joining Grandpa George
and moving here full time
next year.
Becky: I'm very sad
to be leaving.
I really am. There's lots of
things I want to do.
Mark: It already feels
like home
and, you know, we've
barely lived in this
house for two months.
It's no longer just
a holiday home, it is home.
Dick, voice-over: Well, at least
George will be here
to look after the place
in the meantime.
And once you do make
the move,
I'm sure it'll be all
you ever wanted.
I know it was for us.