- 23 hours ago
Chateau DIY - Season 11 - Episode 08
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Short filmTranscript
00:01Across France, there are thousands of glorious chateaux.
00:06Many have been forgotten and abandoned.
00:11Okay!
00:12Now, they are being brought back to life by adventurous owners...
00:17I'm coming, Brian.
00:18You've got to be 50% mad and 50% brave.
00:22...who are taking on the ambitious challenge...
00:25This is going to take a while.
00:27..of restoring these timeless treasures...
00:30I think I'm going to have to make a big hole.
00:32I thought this would be a doddle. I've got no idea what I'm doing.
00:35..into incredible new homes...
00:38Wow! Goodness me!
00:41Impressed!
00:42..and thriving businesses.
00:442022, direct from the chateau.
00:47Oh, this is great!
00:48..there'll be triumphs...
00:50Woo-hoo! Look at that!
00:52..and setbacks.
00:53You never know when you drill a hole round here
00:56whether you're going to get something solid or not.
00:59But however tough the going gets...
01:01It's at times like this, I wish I knew what I was doing.
01:04..those who make the move...
01:07Woo!
01:07..get to live like kings and queens...
01:11..in their very own castle.
01:16Today, a courtyard makeover proves tough going.
01:21Working up all those calories...
01:24..so I can drink more wine.
01:27..these châtelains are desperate to close the door on a huge project.
01:32Well, this is going to take five minutes,
01:34and I think it's going to take about five hours.
01:37Yeah.
01:38The shadow's biting back.
01:39..and one pair's patience is pushed to the limits.
01:43I mean, we have been in this bathroom so long now
01:47that sometimes I will say to him,
01:49do we have to do this?
01:51MUSIC
01:57Set among the lush hills of Normandy in northern France
02:01is the 18th-century Chateau de la Lacelle.
02:08With 25 characterful rooms and 21 acres,
02:14the derelict property had stood empty for four decades
02:18before Middlesbrough couple Terry and Ashley
02:23decided to embark on a French chateau adventure.
02:28The way of life, the people,
02:29it's just so completely different.
02:32It's such a beautiful place to live.
02:33And, to be honest, like, the way of life,
02:36it's sort of forced upon you.
02:38In, like, a good way.
02:39No, in an absolutely good way.
02:41We can take time off.
02:42Like, things close on a weekend here.
02:44Family time is so important in France.
02:46For me, it's like stepping back probably into the 50s and 60s
02:49and the way that families lived
02:51and the way that they all work together.
02:54Are you that old?
02:55LAUGHTER
02:58Just an hour's drive from Le Mans,
03:02Terry and Ashley bought the Chateau for £250,000 in 2020
03:08and began transforming it into a high-end holiday let's business.
03:18Accompanying them are Terry's mum, Tracy,
03:2212-year-old nephew, Jonathan,
03:24and das Hund, Patrick.
03:30Last time we saw them,
03:32it was all hands on deck
03:34with the two-bedroom 401 guest suite.
03:40Where an intricate mosaic floor
03:43gave Ashley the bathroom blues.
03:46So, I think that's gone wrong
03:48because I'm not lining up.
03:51I'm going to have to take up
03:53all of the bigger square ones.
04:01Now, they have completed the floor
04:04and installed a new shower unit
04:06with a bespoke glass ceiling.
04:09But Terry's got one final trick up his sleeve.
04:15Today, I'm going to be in the bathroom
04:17creating some sort of four-panelling
04:19with some plasterboard,
04:22so that's going to be good.
04:23And you've roped me in to help you, Mum.
04:24Yep, so you're going to be with Mum
04:26and helping her putting the new curtains up
04:28in the blue bedroom.
04:30OK.
04:31Which will be a first for you.
04:33Don't mind the other stuff.
04:35I'm not good when it comes to the furnishings and stuff.
04:37No.
04:41Leaving Ashley to his woes,
04:44Terry cracks on with the decorative bathroom panels.
04:50I've never seen this actually done before.
04:52It was just an idea that I had,
04:54just mainly for cost-saving.
04:55If we're doing it in wood,
04:56it's going to be about €60 to €80 per piece
04:58where we can get a plasterboard,
05:0013mm thick,
05:01for about €9,
05:03and we can get three or four pieces
05:06out of one piece of plasterboard.
05:08And once it's all painted in,
05:10you'll never know if it's plasterboard, wood, whatever.
05:24Where we can be creative with stuff like this,
05:27then we like to sort of challenge ourself
05:29and push the boundaries with it.
05:34Well, I'm happy that we've got all of the chamfer on now
05:36and it's looking all nice and clean.
05:38So, next stage is just to get it upstairs
05:40and get it stuck on.
05:48Is that all in place?
05:49Looks good.
05:50I'm pleased with that.
05:51It's perfect.
05:55Just doing things so simple,
05:57it gives a fantastic look
06:00and a fraction of the cost as well.
06:02So, it's a win-win.
06:06To complete the panels,
06:09Terry's made some rosette mouldings.
06:11which complement his design ideas
06:14in the rest of the suite.
06:17The 401 suite,
06:19we've used quite a lot of inspiration from the Titanic
06:22because they had a lot of Louis XV, Louis XVI,
06:25sort of Edwardian and Regency-style rooms.
06:28and we're using different sort of aspects from them,
06:31from the ceiling mouldings to the wall decorations
06:34and even the paint colours as well throughout each of the rooms.
06:40Well done.
06:41Yep, got it finished.
06:42All in place.
06:43Hey, well done.
06:45What do you think?
06:46Looks good.
06:47Well done.
06:47Yep.
06:48Final one in.
06:48Yep.
06:49And we've got the last of the rosettes on as well on the panel.
06:52Oh, well done.
06:53They're all finished as well,
06:54so we can get them painted in.
06:55Get everything done.
06:56Mm-hm.
06:57Happy days.
06:57It's another job done.
07:00But there's still the blue bedroom to complete,
07:03as well as grand plans for a new front door
07:07to welcome the suite's first guests.
07:17Perched on the banks of the River Lotte in south-west France
07:21stands the remarkable 14th-century Chateau de Céserac,
07:28built on medieval foundations.
07:31It boasts two wings, a private chapel,
07:37and a unique 1,000-year-old tower.
07:42After lying in ruin for 14 years,
07:45it's now being lovingly restored by British couple John and Carmen.
07:51I knew the minute I walked down the drive
07:53and saw the stone on the chapel that this was the place for us.
07:56Even though it was derelict and overgrown
07:59and hadn't been lived in for 15 years
08:01and had a fire, the place is amazing.
08:05All the hard work we have been doing is now paying off.
08:08Oh, no, no, no!
08:10We're going to drive to you!
08:12We're bringing this place back to life.
08:19Located just over a two-hour drive from Bordeaux,
08:23John and Carmen snapped up the place in 2022
08:26for just £175,000,
08:31with plans to turn the property into a beautiful home for themselves
08:35and a boutique hotel.
08:39Ah, it's on my foot!
08:40So far, they've created a luxury guest bathroom,
08:46transformed a smoke-damaged kitchen
08:49into a stunning medieval dining room
08:52and completed work on a beautiful guest bedroom.
08:59Now, they're moving on to their next challenge.
09:02Been here for years with this dirty, scruffy old courtyard
09:05and today we're going to do a total revamp
09:08and it's going to look amazing.
09:10I hope so.
09:11This is about first impressions, isn't it?
09:13We're eventually going to have paying guests here, hopefully,
09:16and having a lovely drive and a lovely courtyard
09:20will make all of the difference.
09:22Let's get raking!
09:26Having taken delivery of 20 tonnes of limestone, or calcaire,
09:31it now needs to be spread evenly.
09:36Oh!
09:39How thick does it need to be?
09:41Three to five centimetres is what we're looking for.
09:48This is hard work, isn't it?
09:50Yeah.
09:50Get the boys on this.
09:52Where are they?
09:52Yeah, I don't know where the boys are.
09:54Andrew, Steve!
09:57Answering the call of duty
09:59is son Andrew and his partner Steve.
10:04You see that?
10:05That's your pile over there.
10:10It's kind of like a cat in a little bit.
10:12Yeah!
10:15I love a bit of manual labour.
10:18Good, isn't it?
10:19Working off all those calories, so I can drink more wine.
10:30Yeah!
10:33I've got blisters already.
10:35But there's no respite, as another 20 tonnes of limestone has just arrived.
10:43Whoa!
10:45What do you think, half a load here and that...
10:47Yeah, and then drag it across.
10:49I want some over in that corner.
10:55That was fantastic, the way that guy just dumped the whole lot up the drive.
10:59It's saved us so much work.
11:03My concern is that we won't have enough in the courtyard.
11:07And I did say that to John, but he assures me that there'll be enough in the courtyard.
11:12So, fingers crossed, John will be right for once.
11:16But with 20 tonnes of gravel still to shift, steps to lay, and the tricky job of compacting it all
11:24with a roller,
11:25John and Carmen have a lot of hard labour ahead.
11:34Coming up, a jeet renovation is caught short.
11:38The measurements aren't quite right because the frame is bigger than the picture.
11:42Yeah.
11:43So, I've measured the picture, but not the frame.
11:46And confusion reigns for Ashley.
11:49Tracy, I don't understand what's happening here.
11:51I don't understand what I'm actually doing.
11:59In the stunning Occitanie region in southwest France is the 19th century Chateau de Piquon.
12:11Sitting in six and a half acres, it boasts 31 rooms, several outbuildings,
12:21and its own private lake.
12:25In 2024, it became home to intellectual property manager Jane,
12:30her husband Rory, a plumber and actor, and their entourage of furry friends.
12:37They do say that you look like your dogs.
12:40Is that what they say?
12:42I never really thought that one day I'll be living in a chateau.
12:47It wasn't on my checklist of things to do.
12:50I think it's the Goldilocks choice for us.
12:53It's not too big.
12:54It's not too small.
12:55It's got enough land.
12:57We felt it was within our skill set and our capacity and our budget, frankly,
13:03to be able to bring it back to its former glory.
13:07Just an hour and a half's drive from Toulouse,
13:11the couple bought the property for £470,000 and hoped to run it as a hospitality and events business.
13:21The last time we saw them.
13:24Three down, almost half way.
13:27Oh, it looks absolutely beautiful.
13:29They were renovating a suite in the Chateau Gite,
13:33comprised of a bedroom, dressing room and a secret bathroom,
13:38where Jane's DIY efforts fell short.
13:42Seems to be holding.
13:43Oh, OK.
13:49So it wasn't stuck.
13:53A month later, the suite's progressed.
13:57But they've now got just a few days to finish it,
14:01as Rory's sister is arriving for a trial stay before they open to the public.
14:07Today, I'm going to be working on framing a couple of pictures in situ,
14:14which will be interesting.
14:15And I will be climbing a ladder or scaffolding to put up the curtain rail
14:19so we can hang the curtains and the blinds.
14:22I think we'll be so happy to get this done,
14:25and then we'll want to shut the door and never, ever go back in there.
14:33I'll try not to destroy the brand-new chandelier.
14:36I think I got away with it.
14:43I'm going to be making two frames out of some mouldings.
14:46And first of all, I just need to spray the mouldings.
14:50It's like an antique gold colour.
15:00There we go.
15:03OK, so, nearly the moment of truth.
15:07Right.
15:14There.
15:15I've come out the way.
15:18What do you think?
15:20The curtains are absolutely beautiful.
15:21I think the colours work really well.
15:26I think the curtains are just a touch off the ground.
15:31For perfection, I think they should be a little bit lower.
15:34We can fall off that bridge when we come to it.
15:37Yeah.
15:39With the dressing room curtains up,
15:41for now at least,
15:43they move on to the artwork in the bedroom.
15:46Here you go, my lover.
15:51So, you can see there's like a white edge.
15:53Yeah.
15:54Well, come down, come down.
15:55See how far you come down.
15:56Now I can see white.
15:58All right.
16:00The measurements aren't quite right
16:02because the frame is bigger than the picture.
16:05Yes.
16:05So, I've measured the picture,
16:07but not the frame.
16:09OK.
16:09So, that's why it's wrong.
16:11Is this a boo-boo?
16:13It's a tiny boo-boo,
16:15but in my defence,
16:16I bought spares in case of boo-boos,
16:19so we're fine.
16:33I think it's upside down.
16:35Cheeky.
16:40I think it looks nice.
16:41I think it does look nice.
16:42And I think it looks great in this room.
16:43The colours are brilliant.
16:44And I think we've done a good job.
16:47Mm-hmm.
16:47Yeah, really happy with it.
16:48It looks really nice.
16:53Next, they'll need to get the bathroom painted
16:55and finished in time for the grand opening
16:59for Rory's sister.
17:06Down in south-west France...
17:09Well, I'm getting warm.
17:10..John and Carmen,
17:12along with son Andrew and his partner Steve,
17:15are busy refreshing their tired-looking courtyard.
17:22Do you know what, John?
17:24You were right.
17:25What?
17:25It's spot on.
17:26This?
17:27Yeah.
17:27Too much.
17:28And Carmen's quantity concerns were unfounded.
17:33Of course I wish I was right.
17:34LAUGHTER
17:39But I'm glad that he's right and I'm wrong.
17:42For once.
17:43LAUGHTER
17:47Oh, I'd forgotten.
17:49In front of the doors, we're putting slabs.
17:56Is that one, two, three?
17:57Good.
17:59We're coming.
18:00You better be ready.
18:02Just putting in some flagstone.
18:04Just take the dirt off your shoes as you go in.
18:06Just make a bit of a step as you climb up into the house.
18:09It's heavy, isn't it?
18:10Yeah.
18:11Just makes it nice and tidy as well.
18:13Go through this way a bit.
18:18Oh, nice.
18:19Nice.
18:24Very nice.
18:25But with three more doors leading out to the courtyard,
18:28their work isn't over.
18:31Oh, two more to do then.
18:35Teamwork is awesome.
18:37It makes such a difference when we get people to help us
18:39because, obviously, we're doing it twice as quick.
18:41It's just the two of us, so to us, it's fab to have the family down.
18:45They're young anyway.
18:45They can put their back into it.
18:47Yeah.
18:48Just like that.
18:49Lovely-dubbler.
18:51These little finishing touches do wonders.
18:55Yeah.
18:56There we go.
18:57Awesome.
18:59Steps done.
19:00All aboard.
19:01We'll have some weight.
19:02There's one last team effort to level as much of the limestone gravel as they can.
19:08I don't want to fall off.
19:12We're nearly ready for the roller now.
19:15I'm over the moon.
19:16It's amazing.
19:17It's a really good job.
19:18The amount of coke hair we've shifted today is incredible.
19:21Tomorrow we'll roll it and just compact it all and get it smooth and looking good.
19:25And I think it'll look really lovely then.
19:27Easy job then.
19:28But for John and Carmen, learning to drive a roller may not go as smoothly as they hope.
19:45Over at Chateau de la Laisselle, Ashley's out of his DIY comfort zone, attempting to help Tracy hang some handmade
19:54curtains in the new suite's blue bedroom.
19:58What are we doing with these?
20:00All I need to do is get these hooks in.
20:02Yep.
20:03We'll pull the tape through and then we'll go and get them up.
20:10And just keep hold of them and then I'll pull this in.
20:13Keep hold of them?
20:14Yeah.
20:16Go ahead.
20:19Tracy, I don't understand what's happening here.
20:21I don't understand what I'm actually doing.
20:23So where it's all gathered there, pull it down to there.
20:28I'm trying, but mine just keeps disappearing.
20:32So we won't gather, but not too much.
20:35They need to adjust the curtains to fit and hang in even pleats by pulling on the header tape strings.
20:44You didn't tie a very good knot.
20:46I didn't tie him in the end.
20:47No wonder they weren't gathering.
20:50Lordy, lordy, lordy.
20:56I hope you're better at hanging them.
20:59We'll soon find out.
21:00Yes.
21:08Just the hooks in them...
21:09Yes.
21:10...holes?
21:10Yes.
21:11And you're trusting me to do this?
21:12Yeah.
21:15Yeah.
21:22So I think I've got them all in.
21:24It's actually your first one.
21:29Et voilà.
21:36We need to fix the sides on.
21:38Well, this was really just to make sure that the size and everything was OK, so they're good.
21:43Happy days.
21:47But further work on the guest suite will have to wait, because there's a chateau-sized job for Terry and
21:55Ashley to tackle next.
22:01We're finally getting the first of our two front doors fitted.
22:05Yeah, so this has been a job on the list since we've got here, really.
22:10So our carpenter has made us an exact replica of the original front door.
22:16Yep.
22:16So hopefully we won't have the winds blowing through the chateau and the tower anymore.
22:26Lean it down and we'll take it out.
22:35So the next job that we're on with is just getting all of these tiles out on this first drawer,
22:40just so we can actually drop the frame down and we've got, like, a flush finish.
22:46It's just a difficult job now of trying to get these up and not breaking any of the other ones.
22:57That's better, isn't it?
22:58Yeah.
23:02God, these are so tough.
23:04They are difficult.
23:06Unbelievably difficult and tough as well.
23:08As you can see, how thick the tile is alone.
23:11And then the adhesive that they've used is just pure concrete, really.
23:20Well, this is going to take five minutes and I think it's going to take about five hours.
23:24Yeah.
23:25The shadow's biting back.
23:28You'll have to get a move on as there is still a lot to do upstairs
23:32before the grand opening of the 401 suite.
23:39Still to come.
23:41Rory's taking a gamble in the bathroom.
23:45Well, my cunning plan is to make a cut here and here
23:51so you can wiggle it like one of those toy wooden snakes.
23:55And Carmen's on a crash course.
23:58Well, certainly all right.
23:59Just careful.
24:00Just go gently with it.
24:01It's a big thing and it can do a lot of damage.
24:10Back in southwest France, Jane and Rory are working around the clock
24:16to get a suite in their gite complete.
24:20In just a few days' time, Rory's sister will be arriving for a stay
24:25and will be their very first guest.
24:32We're going to do some extra bits and pieces in the bathroom today.
24:37Bit of painting.
24:38I've got a little bit of skirting to finish off in there.
24:41It'll be nice to, by the end of today, feel like that room is almost finished.
24:54I'll try this one on for size.
24:59Hey!
25:00Ooh!
25:03Oh, it goes under.
25:05Well, I know it'd go under mostly, but it doesn't quite go in all the way.
25:10The boxing that I did for the pipework for the tap
25:13is a few millimetres longer than I want it to be for the skirting.
25:17And that's probably because the floor's a bit uneven.
25:22OK.
25:22That tile is the culprit.
25:25I'll go and get my multi-tool and just trim a bit off this, I think.
25:29Hmm.
25:38Yes.
25:39Pretty much, yeah.
25:40That's brilliant.
25:42But the uneven floor is causing the skirting to sit a little too high.
25:49Well, my cunning plan is to make a cut here and here and here and here and here
25:59and turn that, a small section, into a concertina
26:02and then I'll be able to bend it down and then straighten it back out again.
26:06In which case, all we'll have to do is add some filler to the cuts.
26:10OK.
26:11Smooth them out and then the whole skirting will just bend down and into place.
26:15It's an unorthodox solution, but Rory's keeping the faith.
26:20I'm just going to make three cuts, two from the top and one from the bottom.
26:34Well, I'll go and try it.
26:37Right.
26:42So that's in there.
26:44And now if I...
26:46I think I need another cut to get it further down.
26:49I'll try two more cuts so you can wiggle it like one of those toy wooden snakes.
26:57He does really take a pride in joints being well finished.
27:06I mean, we have been in this bathroom so long now
27:09that sometimes I will say to him, do we have to do this?
27:15I've never thought of myself as a perfectionist,
27:17but I find myself increasingly thinking if I can do it exactly right
27:22and it doesn't take hours and hours,
27:25then I think it's worth trying at least.
27:32It's a proper concertina now.
27:35Oh, yeah, well done.
27:43So I've put all the spaces in now,
27:45so all I've got to do is put some filler in along the cracks.
27:48Then once that's dried, pull the spaces out,
27:52finish filling it up, and then it's ready to be painted.
27:54With Rory's madcap solution a success
27:59and the bathroom nearly ready,
28:02they still need to tidy and dress the whole suite
28:05before Rory's sister arrives.
28:14Just 90 miles north,
28:16with all the limestone down in the courtyard,
28:20John and Carmen now need to compact it.
28:24Can't wait to have a go on this roller job.
28:28They've hired a roller for the day
28:30and Carmen is going to be learning on the job.
28:34Of course I haven't driven a roller before.
28:38I'm very nervous about Carmen on the roller.
28:40It's a big thing and it can do a lot of damage.
28:42OK.
28:43Where's the brake?
28:44There is no brake.
28:45What do you mean there's no brake?
28:46There's no brake.
28:47How can it be there a brake?
28:48It'll slow itself down.
28:49How do I stop it?
28:50Right.
28:51Key on.
28:52Yeah.
28:53OK.
28:53And now you can start it.
28:56OK.
28:56I'm a bit worried if there's no brake.
28:58Right.
28:58This will drive us forward.
29:01Right.
29:01How do I start?
29:03Well, you just put it back into neutral.
29:05Or back.
29:07Or reverse.
29:08So to drive it, I just push it forward.
29:10To reverse, I just push it back.
29:12Well, certainly you're all right.
29:13Just careful.
29:14Just go gently with it.
29:17And there's the haul.
29:19Eee.
29:22Woo!
29:24Crash course complete.
29:26Oh, the steering's a bit odd.
29:30Carmen gets down to business.
29:34I'm coming for you.
29:36Woo-hoo!
29:36So far, so good.
29:39She's doing all right.
29:40But she's going towards the house at the moment.
29:51Faster.
29:53Yeah, don't go too fast.
29:58That was a bit scary.
29:59What are you doing?
30:01Crazy woman.
30:02Instead of into neutral, I went into reverse.
30:04Yes.
30:05That's good, though.
30:06It's definitely compacting it.
30:07Yeah, yeah, yeah.
30:07Awesome.
30:08Shall I carry on, or do you want to go?
30:09I'll have a go.
30:10I haven't had a go yet.
30:11All right, then.
30:13That was great.
30:14I loved it.
30:15It's a bit scary, though, when you get to the edge,
30:17when you know you've got to stop.
30:33Look what he's done.
30:34He's gone into it.
30:37You moaned about my drive, and you went into it twice.
30:41I mean, he's taken it too far.
30:45But John is undeterred, and with the roller ring complete,
30:50all is forgiven.
30:53Great job.
30:54Great job.
30:55Look at that.
30:55What a difference it makes.
30:57Unbelievable.
30:58Now the couple need to add planting and furniture,
31:02ready for a celebratory courtyard tea party tomorrow.
31:17In Normandy, in northern France,
31:20Terry and Ashley have enlisted the help of master joiner Paddy
31:24to put a frame in for the new Chateau d'Or.
31:28Are you ready?
31:30Yeah.
31:31Drop that in.
31:34It's a little bit more off there.
31:37And then it'll be able to come in.
31:39It's just...
31:39What's it like there?
31:41The margins.
31:42I can't see.
31:42No, it's not lining up.
31:48We've got to try and get this new frame
31:49sat as close to these coins as we can.
31:52Of course, over the years,
31:54the coins have all shifted and moved.
31:56And it only takes literally two or three millimetres
32:00for it not to work.
32:02The coins, or cornerstones,
32:05are proving problematic.
32:08But Terry is not going to be beaten.
32:12I can take a bit off there.
32:13It's catching that tile,
32:15and it's catching there.
32:17If I take a bit off that bit...
32:18OK.
32:20That might be it, Terry.
32:25Is that central-ish?
32:28Yeah, there...
32:28There you go.
32:30Yay!
32:32Let's put the level on that for us.
32:37Perfect.
32:39Look at that.
32:40It fits.
32:41It's brilliant.
32:42It's good.
32:45They secure the frame with quick-drying cement.
32:53Right.
32:54We just leave that for five minutes,
32:56get that to go off,
32:58and then we can pack it,
32:59bring the frame in through.
33:02Jab done.
33:03And then the door will fit.
33:04Fantastic.
33:07Well, this is the original Chateau d'Or,
33:10and it is about 200 years old.
33:12And it's beautiful,
33:13the workmanship and the craftsmanship
33:15that's actually got into it.
33:16It's just a little bit beyond repair.
33:18We can't restore it,
33:19so it's a case of now
33:20having Paddy replicate them as close as he can,
33:23which he's done an amazing job of.
33:28This has to be made to fit the old ironwork,
33:31to fit a 200-year-old lock.
33:34Everything has to be made custom,
33:36so it all has to be done by hand.
33:42Right, if you drop your side-down tail.
33:46Right, if we come this way.
33:53Do you want to do the bottom hinge, Ash?
33:55Yeah.
33:56Right, fingers?
33:56Yeah.
34:03In keeping with the period of the Chateau,
34:06Terry's even managed to source
34:08a pair of Louis Cane-style rimlocks from Paris.
34:15No, I like that.
34:16It definitely wants some oil in there, though.
34:17Yeah, yeah, yeah.
34:19These came with no keys,
34:20so Terry had to fabricate a key,
34:22and he's done that.
34:27Finally, they add a bespoke double-glazed window.
34:32Not heavy at all.
34:34Is that all right?
34:35Yeah, perfect.
34:38We have a beautiful door.
34:40Yeah.
34:42No drafts, no gaps,
34:43and it's double-glazed.
34:44Yeah, it's fantastic.
34:47So...
34:48We're happy.
34:49Yeah.
34:49On to the next one.
34:50The front door is complete,
34:53but they still have a lot of work to do upstairs
34:56in the 401 suite
34:58before their first guests arrive.
35:05Coming up...
35:06John and Carmen race to the finish line.
35:10Try not to spill any,
35:11because we haven't got time to clear up.
35:13..while Jane and Rory nervously await a VIP.
35:17She's seen the Chateau at its worst.
35:19Yeah.
35:19And so now she's coming,
35:21she'll start to see it looking a bit better
35:23than it was last time.
35:24I think so.
35:25Ha-ha-ha.
35:26Ha-ha.
35:32Back in south-west France,
35:34with their courtyard renovation complete...
35:38What a glorious day!
35:40Wow.
35:41Not a cloud in the sky, is there?
35:43Great day for a tea party.
35:45..John and Carmen are preparing to celebrate.
35:48Wait, do you want the table?
35:50You go round.
35:51We've got some friends coming over this afternoon
35:53for tea and cake.
35:55Afternoon tea and cake.
35:56Yeah, French and English friends,
35:57and we need to make this really look good.
35:58Yeah, we do, because I haven't seen it yet,
36:00so I hope they're going to be pleasantly surprised.
36:06Try not to spill any,
36:07because we haven't got time to clear up, so...
36:09This pot's lovely, isn't it?
36:10Yeah.
36:11It's a nice antique pot, that.
36:13Yeah.
36:15Oh, I'll water this,
36:16if you go and do a bit more raking.
36:18Yeah, no problem.
36:22Oh, yeah, it's looking a million dollars now.
36:24Yes, well, it's just a million euros, really.
36:28Getting a bit nervous now,
36:29last-minute nerves.
36:37Well done.
36:38Yes.
36:44Just a few days ago,
36:46John and Carmen's tired-looking courtyard
36:49was overgrown with weeds
36:51and in desperate need of some TLC.
36:59Now, it has been transformed
37:03into a bright, clean space
37:05that offers all guests
37:07a chance to relax
37:09in beautiful tranquillity.
37:12The 60 tonnes of crisp new limestone
37:16adds a smart, fresh touch,
37:19while flagstone steps
37:21mark each doorway
37:24and decorative planting
37:25brings a pop of colour
37:27to welcome every visitor.
37:31It's just brought it alive, hasn't it?
37:33It has.
37:34I mean, it did take a lot of work.
37:35I'm not going to say that it didn't.
37:36There was a lot of shoveling going on.
37:38There was.
37:39But it has made a huge difference
37:41and it just looks much nicer
37:43and neater and tidier now.
37:49Bonjour!
37:51Bonjour!
37:51What a beautiful day!
37:54Here to celebrate
37:55John and Carmen's achievement
37:57are a few local friends.
38:00Come this way.
38:03New courtyard.
38:05Wow!
38:06This was just dirt.
38:09All along.
38:11The courtyard for me
38:12was very clean,
38:14very clear
38:15and goes very well
38:17with the castle.
38:18It's perfect.
38:19Should we have some tea?
38:20Yes, please.
38:21If you'd like to sit down,
38:22we'll bring the cakes out.
38:23Yeah.
38:24Je trouve que l'espace
38:25est bien attribué,
38:28qui est très vaste.
38:30On se sent bien,
38:31on se sent pas oppressé.
38:33Et c'est vraiment,
38:34ça apporte un plus
38:35au château.
38:37I'm going to go
38:38for one of these.
38:39I should let
38:40everyone else choose,
38:41really.
38:41No,
38:42you're the queen
38:42of the castle.
38:43You go first.
38:44The courtyard
38:45brought the whole place
38:46back to life
38:48and it looks like
38:49the house is loved again.
38:52It makes it worse,
38:53doesn't it,
38:53when you get friends around
38:54and they see it
38:55and they like it
38:56and it just looks great now.
38:58I really feel now
39:00we're moving on
39:01with the renovation.
39:02It just feels like
39:03we're actually
39:03getting somewhere
39:04and that we're
39:06one step closer
39:06to actually,
39:07you know,
39:08finishing the château
39:09and opening up
39:09for people to come
39:10and stay.
39:11You don't hang about.
39:13Should have seen
39:13what we did yesterday.
39:14John and Carmen
39:16are well on their way
39:17but with plenty of spaces
39:19still to transform,
39:21there's a long road ahead.
39:30Over at Chateau de Piquon,
39:36work has been non-stop
39:38in the Gitte's new suite.
39:40Hopefully that's okay.
39:42We were working
39:43quite late last night
39:44but we didn't get it all done
39:45and my sister's nearly here.
39:48So we're desperate
39:49to get it done
39:49before she arrives.
39:54Well, I've certainly
39:55packed it well.
40:00Yeah, there we go.
40:03My sister was with us
40:04the day we moved in.
40:05She helped us move in
40:06so she's seen
40:06the château at its worst
40:08and so now she's coming,
40:10she'll start to see it
40:11looking a bit better
40:12than it was last time.
40:13I think so.
40:21Three months ago,
40:23the first floor
40:24of this sheet
40:25was a collection
40:26of abandoned
40:27and unloved rooms.
40:33Now,
40:34Rory and Jane
40:35have lovingly created
40:37a stunning guest suite
40:40with a bright,
40:42luxurious bedroom
40:43and spacious
40:45dressing room
40:46next door
40:46complete with
40:48a château-style
40:49chandelier
40:50and opulent
40:52wall mural.
40:53It's really nice
40:54to achieve something
40:55after months
40:57of hard work.
40:59I can hardly believe it.
41:00I'll be wandering around
41:01later today
41:02and Rory will wonder
41:03where I am
41:03and I'll just be in there.
41:05I'll know exactly
41:05where you are.
41:06You'll just be in there
41:07having a stand
41:07and a stare.
41:09Having a look.
41:10But the piece de resistance
41:13is the secret bathroom
41:15next door.
41:17Once a dingy space
41:19with dark wood
41:20panelling,
41:23it has been transformed
41:26into a calm,
41:28elegant oasis
41:30with stunning
41:31restored woodwork
41:32and beautiful
41:34blue tones
41:35throughout.
41:37I mean,
41:38the bathroom
41:38has been
41:39a gigantic task,
41:41hasn't it?
41:42It was just
41:42so much more work
41:43than we ever imagined
41:44it would be.
41:46We had to redo
41:47the floor,
41:47redo the walls,
41:48redo the ceiling underneath.
41:49Just everything
41:50has taken so much effort
41:52and to be here now,
41:54it's just,
41:55I just want to sit down,
41:56have a cocktail
41:57and just look at it
41:59and enjoy it
41:59for a while.
42:01Last but not least,
42:03Rory has cleverly
42:04restored the jeep's
42:05broken staircase
42:08in time
42:09for their first visitor.
42:13Here to see
42:14the newly transformed suite
42:16is Rory's sister,
42:19Vanessa.
42:22Dun, dun, dun!
42:25Wow.
42:26That hurts.
42:27This looks amazing.
42:29Different from when
42:30you first saw it?
42:32Oh, God, yeah.
42:33Look at the wall.
42:34That's brilliant.
42:38It just feels
42:39like a different space.
42:43Oh, wow.
42:45This is just gorgeous.
42:50I love the colours.
42:51I love how you picked out
42:52the colours in the room
42:54to match with it.
42:55It looks really,
42:57really good.
43:05This is beautiful.
43:07I can't believe
43:09it's the same bathroom.
43:10That bathtub.
43:12Oh, I want to get in it now.
43:15Well, we'll give you some privacy,
43:16shall we?
43:18I am really proud of the pair of them,
43:21especially my little brother.
43:22I didn't think he could have this in him.
43:25I can't wait to use the suite tonight.
43:29It's amazing.
43:30They've finished it just for me,
43:31and I get to have a lovely long hot soak in the bath.
43:37I think my sister absolutely loved it.
43:39I could tell by her face that she,
43:41there was genuine awe looking around.
43:44And so we're really pleased.
43:45Yes, she was definitely impressed.
43:48Completing the jeet suite
43:49shows what we can do,
43:52shows the style we're going for.
43:54And then from there,
43:56we've just got to do more of the same
43:58or more to the same standard.
44:00Having worked wonders upstairs,
44:03Jane and Rory now need to renovate
44:05the ground floor
44:06in time to welcome paying guests
44:09to their jeet this summer.
44:14Next time,
44:16one couple's renovation job
44:18hits the buffers.
44:19Oh, the mirror just moved.
44:21Oh, wow.
44:22You're not supposed to do that.
44:23This pair take on
44:24a mammoth chateau entrance project.
44:27We've dreamt about the terrace
44:29for a good few years.
44:31And things between Terry and Tracy
44:33are far from picture perfect.
44:36Whichever way you put it up,
44:37Terry, I don't like you.
44:38You can put it here.
44:40That's better.
44:40That way.
45:11You can put it here.
45:14You can put it here.
45:14You can put it here.
45:14You can put it here.
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