Original subtitles

I'm Dick Strawbridge and, with my wife Angel and our two children...

LAUGHTER Don't crash!

..we're nearly five years into our French adventure,

restoring this once-abandoned chateau.

That one!

It's been a lot of hard work...

Oof! That's heavy!

..but a lot of fun, too.

Families!

Families! Families.

And, all over France, there are other intrepid British families

doing exactly the same.

I'm just randomly drilling holes in the wall at the moment.

Now Angel and I are once again lending a hand

to other expat chateau owners.

That's working for me. I love it!

We'll meet some new faces...

De-dee!

Oh!

..and some old friends.

And we'll reveal more about our own chateau life.

You're monsieur Dick!

There will be plenty of highs...

Yay!

..and lows...

We can't ruin the wedding meal by eating outside in the rain.

..but, however hard it gets...

Whoa!

..they're all battling to transform these abandoned buildings...

It's not the size of the wine press that matters,

it's what you do with it.

..into extraordinary homes and businesses...

Oh, this is wonderful!

..to live the dream as custodians of their very own castle.

Today...

..rain stops play for one plucky couple.

Hopefully, it's just going to blow through.

We can be fashionably late, as a bride should be.

I recruit the children to help in the garden.

We have to go all the way... All the way up to here.

But Arthur has other ideas.

Hey, hey!

I can't see!

This couple are hoping to finish their B&B suite,

if the livestock will allow.

Stop it! Pack it in!

No. No.

And things are reaching breaking point for this overworked pair.

I'm so fed up of this house.

This is the beautiful 24-room Chateau de la Ruche.

The lucky owners are Lincolnshire couple Tim and Rebecca,

and their two sons.

They've spent nearly two years

transforming this once-derelict building into a beautiful B&B.

Most people, when they arrive, are really excited

and love how it looks.

We both like showing people round,

because you get their reaction for the first time.

It just makes it all feel worthwhile, really.

Located just 50 miles from us

in the Pays de la Loire region in north-west France,

they've recently opened up their third bedroom suite.

We've got quite a few back-to-back bookings over the summer,

so we're going to have to get good at this.

With bookings now at an all-time high,

they've started renovating their kitchen to keep up with the demand.

I think it will be a battle that is ongoing for a long time.

And, with the help of Mrs Strawbridge...

This a bit of a jazzy colour, this one.

..Rebecca got some creative money-saving tips.

Well done. Well done, you!

It's definitely important to have a fully functioning kitchen.

It just makes preparing the meals for guests so much easier,

and much more efficient.

With a minimal budget to spend on the whole kitchen refurbishment,

to keep costs down...

Is that heavy?

It is quite heavy, yeah.

Thanks offering to carry it.

No worries!

..instead of buying new cabinets,

they've decided to just replace the old doors.

I found them online for £5 each, which was a bit of a bargain,

so I managed to buy all the doors we needed,

and ship them over to France for about two-thirds of the price

of one door that Rebecca was looking at originally.

However, Tim's thriftiness hasn't been a complete success.

They are gross.

Um, there's nothing to like about them.

You've ordered some lovely handles to go on them, haven't you? Yeah,

I have ordered some. It should... It should be fine. Cool.

And if it's not, we haven't spent loads of money on them.

They're just not my taste, so I'm hoping that with a coat of paint,

they're going to look a lot nicer, but we shall see.

Keep the faith, Rebecca.

It's amazing how things can look totally different

with a lick of paint.

Just ask Angel.

There's enough other really interesting things in the kitchen,

and these will just blend into the background.

Cool. I think that looks nice.

Yeah.

It should be all right.

I'll reserve judgment on the final door..

Yeah?

..until I've seen them all painted. Cool.

That sounds like a cautious thumbs-up to me.

These two may be counting the pennies,

but there's one thing in the kitchen that Rebecca won't compromise on.

Right.

Er, worktops. Yep.

For me, they need to be super clean, super hygienic.

I wanted something that is kind of bulletproof.

I'm very glad that we found a within-budget solution.

Rebecca has splashed out £2,600 of their budget on hardwearing granite.

So Tim and live-in mate Dale are measuring up.

If we just lift it up, we should be able to just sit it... There we go.

Are we happy with the overhang and stuff like that? I think so.

So just literally go for that size? Yeah, that size.

Getting these measurements right is really important,

because the granite is expensive,

and I've been allowed it

because we've managed to find somewhere online

that does it cheaply if we measure it ourselves,

which is slightly stressful,

because obviously there's no leeway in granite at all,

so that's why we've brought some inexpensive worktop,

so we've actually got a physical template

to make sure that the measurements are exactly right,

so that when the piece of granite turns up,

we should just be able to slot it in. That's the theory.

So that's 60, and these are 62.

If you get this wrong...

To be honest, if we do get them wrong

and it's a bit of granite, it will be a world of pain.

Let's hope there aren't any hiccups.

90 miles south, and a world away from granite worktops,

is the 19th-century beauty, Chateau la Grande Maison.

Sitting in three acres of wooded grounds,

on the banks of the River Dive,

it's home to musicians Ben and Billie,

who've spent eight years renovating it

into a luxury guesthouse and events business.

Living in a chateau is definitely hard work.

It's not for the faint-hearted.

You have to have a big imagination and a lot of energy.

When times get tough, we just pinch ourselves

and remind ourselves that we're so privileged

to be in a place like this.

Located close to the Loire Valley,

the couple are preparing for the biggest event of the summer,

The wedding of Billie's brother, Pete.

As soon as my brother and his fiancee

asked if they could have the wedding here,

we didn't have to think twice, we said yes.

I mean, this place comes alive when people fill it

with love and laughter and music.

I couldn't be happier.

It's the most important day of their lives,

and to be asked to do it is an honour.

It's Saturday morning and, with the wedding in just two days' time,

preparations are under way.

Everyone feeling fit? Feeling strong?

As some of the guests have already arrived,

they've been roped in to help.

And that includes groom-to-be Pete,

who's been drafted in to help stock the bar.

Beers on the bottom, maybe? Yes.

Heartbeat of a wedding, isn't it, Pete, the bar? It is.

Some people say it's the church.

The church of the wedding...

Most important part of the day, isn't it?

Yes. Yeah, exactly.

With 60 guests,

and all the pressure on the chateau's electrics that entails,

Ben needs to make sure the fridges stay cold.

These electrics are seven feet off the ground,

which makes it a bit tricky to work on.

I don't know why they put it there, but they did, anyway.

As if things weren't busy enough,

Ben and Billie are hosting a pre-wedding barbecue this evening.

I woke up this morning and remembered, "Oh, yeah, house full of people. Oh, yeah, breakfast.

"Oh, yeah, massive list of jobs for the wedding weekend."

Plus 60 guests tonight. Lie-in? No. Not an option.

But we're really excited, cos everyone's gathering

and we're starting to see our family.

They're amazing, cos they've all just mucked in with all the jobs.

Be great to have this amount of staff all the time, wouldn't it?

It'd be easy! It would, it would.

With everyone pulling their weight,

even bride-to-be Sam has turned up to help.

And, with just four hours until the barbecue,

there's still plenty to do.

Well, I'm going to be OK for the evening,

I don't know about everyone else!

Lovely. Cheers!

Cheers.

Go on, then, you have a nice rest.

There you go. Oh, yeah. Enjoy!

So, with a well-stocked bar

and a house full of guests,

the barbecue can begin.

I think Ben's work has paid off.

Yes, the celebrations have begun. The weather has been beautiful.

I'm excited, are you excited? Really excited. Yeah?

Hopefully, everything's going to go according to plan on Monday.

Just a few days to go.

Cheers! Cheers!

But, with the wedding the day after tomorrow,

Ben and Billie can't afford to rest on their laurels,

as there's still masses to do for the big day.

Coming up...

I put the children to work.

No, no. Go to your left!

Pull harder.

This enthusiastic couple...

..get into the chateau renovation zone.

It's the detailed jobs that give you the most satisfaction.

Although, demolishing large walls is also pretty satisfying.

And Tim and Rebecca have a problem installing their new worktops.

No. No.

Actually, no.

Oh, I just want to cry.

This is the stunning medieval Chateau de Rosieres.

British writer Amy and French husband Marc moved in a year ago

and have big plans to turn this 13th-century gem

into a relaxation centre and holiday destination.

I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into the actual

retreat centre.

The luxury bed and breakfast is fabulous,

but my passion is starting on some of those projects.

Situated an hour and a half's drive from Lyon,

Amy and Marc have already started to restore the chateau

back to its former glory.

Oh!

Although the continuing renovation work during the winter

has somewhat tested Amy's resolve.

I'm not doing another winter like this.

We have come to some agreement after some very calm discussion,

that we...

..that will not live in a building site again!

Amy is very good at calm discussions!

Their latest project is the creation of a luxury guest bedroom suite.

Having already sanded the floor

and stripped the old tiles from the en-suite bathroom,

Amy's attention turns to making a cabinet for the double sink

they found in the barn.

That means upcycling some old and rather tired-looking doors.

I'm a tiny bit sceptical about these, actually,

seeing them in the light. Erm...

Cos they're incredibly eaten. But they're very pretty,

they're old and they'll give it a really rustic look in there.

Woohoo!

I'm going to sand them, do some wood filler.

I might treat the woodworm and then the fun bit will be trying

to bring them to life with a bit of colour.

It's the detailed jobs that give you the most satisfaction,

ones where you get to work in the tiniest little bit of a feature,

and really bring it back to life, bit, by bit, by bit.

I think that's what I get the most satisfaction from.

Although demolishing large walls is also pretty satisfying!

I agree.

But you've got to treat the woodworm first.

Before applying a much-needed woodworm treatment,

Amy needs to make sure that the doors are completely dust free.

Do you approve? What do you think?

Which she does, with a little help from friend Joey.

Are you coming to help? Come on, then.

SHE GIGGLES

He's nibbling my leg!

Get off!

Pack it in!

Over-amorous goose!

Stop it!

Is this what they call a wild goose chase?!

How's it going? It's going very well.

I like doing it one-legged!

Joey's not helping hugely.

But I've nearly done the woodworm treatment now.

SHE GIGGLES

Well done, Amy.

A little bird tells me you're doing a fantastic job!

At our place, we've tried hard over the years to make

the most of what we have at the chateau.

Fresh rhubarb!

Put it in for sourness. Here we go.

I like it.

But it's not just about growing your own fruit and veg.

Chooky-chookies! Hello, ladies.

We can't get enough of our wildlife.

And that includes our own geese.

Angel and I found the perfect home for them

in the 150-year-old piggery. Come in!

God, it's magical.

But, baby, I thought you wanted to live here when we argue?!

It is lovely, isn't it?

After a spot of DIY goose pen design...

This is a new take on breaking and entering.

We transformed it into a palace fit for the layers of golden eggs.

I like it.

Now our geese have a roof over their heads,

I want to give them freedom to run around.

This is really exciting.

And I've got two small helpers.

They can't wait to get out, because when they get out, you know

what they going to eat? What? The grass!

But with hungry animals hiding in the bushes...

I'm putting up an electric fence to protect the geese.

Now.

Now, now, now, how's this going to work? You keep walking.

Keep walking.

No, keep it like that.

Keep walking.

Oh, man!

It's quite a long way, keep going.

Dad? Yes?

That was quite long.

I need you to help me. We're not finished yet.

This is going to be the start.

There, how's that?

Arthur, can you pick up that one and walk over there?

What's this fence for, Arthur?

For them to eat our grass.

It keeps them in, but it also is going to keep the foxes out,

that's important.

I want the children to help me with the second roll of fencing.

However, that becomes a bit of a challenge...

Hey, hey, I can't see!

Whoa!

Here we go, I've got another one to go out, come on.

No, no, go to your left.

Which side is your left? That side, yes.

Pull harder.

This is the edge of their cage, you see.

We have to go all the way.

All the way up to here.

The idea is, this whole area,

it should be kept nice short grass, because the geese will eat it.

So, cheaper eggs, grass cut.

And you can eat them at the end.

It just balances out.

Look at this.

Look, here's our geese.

They can't believe their luck.

Look, the geese are so happy. Look.

That's what we like.

Oh, look, they're eating the grass, Arthur.

And if it means I get free labour, I don't mind who cuts the grass!

Just 50 miles away at Chateau de la Ruche,

Tim and Rebecca's granite worktops have arrived.

They've spent a big portion of their budget on them,

so to save money, they've decided to install them themselves.

Which has caused a major problem during the fitting

of the first piece.

A crack. Mm, yeah.

That was a good afternoon's work.

I don't think it looks too bad.

Mmm.

Although incredibly durable, granite is made up of minerals pressed

together that can fracture along natural boundaries if not supported.

We have discovered that

if you drop the granite worktops on the floor, they break.

Because we broke one.

No, no. I broke one. Thank you!

I managed to let go of it at the wrong time and it fell over

and broke. The most amusing thing was that I kind of

wasn't shocked that it had happened.

It will be fine. Yeah.

Don't worry, chaps, it's all part of the character.

With a bit of careful filling, you won't even notice the break.

There are so many cracked and chipped things in this house.

As long it looks fine and is hygienic, I'm kind of happy.

Having broken the first piece of granite,

to avoid it happening again,

Tim and Rebecca have roped in mate Dale to help with the next section.

You're doing a brilliant job.

Could you open that? My finger's in there!

The plan this time is to carry the granite slab to the door

on a wooden frame that Tim has built.

Are we going to put it on the frame first, to move it?

No, I think we move it like that. Cos it's in its strong...

That's it at its strongest. I actually have anxiety about this.

Shall we just pop it on there and carry it round?

Yeah.

Let's get this next to it, then we'll carry it out

and lie it down onto it.

The idea is that the weight will be evenly distributed.

So we've just got to try and lift it.

Ready? Yep.

And go down.

So I think we just lie it down, now. Yep.

One, two, three.

Hang on, there's a big crack here. Only joking!

Not sure this is the right time for jokes, Dale.

I'm acting as ballast.

I don't know what the fuss was about, that was easy!

Leave it!

That's fine. Mind these stumps.

Should I go all the way round,

so then it's at the right angle to go in?

Ready?

Perfect. I'm impressed with the frame,

I think that's made a big difference.

It's still in one piece, which is nice.

Tim's plan has worked, so far.

I'm going to go and get the saw now.

This piece here, this kind of diamond-shaped piece is coming out.

Tim plans to cut out the hole for the hob,

which will be tricky, as this area is the weakest part of the granite.

We need to get it off these blue things?

Yes, because the blue things are holding the granite. OK.

Be careful, because... No, don't take that one out.

To do this, they want to remove all the wrapping.

Unfortunately, most of it is trapped between the worktop

and the wooden frame.

The plastic, do we need to get that out from underneath here?

Is the easiest way not to tip it up?

So if me and Dale tip it on one side.

Then push it towards the middle, then tip the other side up

and pull it out, yeah.

This is a risky idea.

Are you with us? Yeah. Are you sure? You don't look like you are.

So you're going to lift it up?

So we're going to slide it across a little bit. Yeah.

Tip it up, anything that's along that edge, just push down,

and we'll lay it back down again, slide it the other way, tip it up.

Easy does it, chaps.

SHE GASPS

No.

No. Actual no.

No.

So the plan hasn't worked.

That surprised me, how easily that broke.

Mmm.

At least that's the back edge.

It's not, it's the whole thing.

Has the front gone, too? Oh, Jesus.

OK, just cut the hole out.

We can move it in two pieces and we'll fix that bit, too.

Cos we don't have a choice.

Oh, I just want to cry!

90 miles away, at Chateau la Grande Maison,

there'll soon be tears of a very different kind.

The big day has arrived.

Musicians and owners, Billie and Ben, are hosting

a wedding for Billie's younger brother Pete and fiancee Sam.

We're really excited. Yes, we're all in very good shape.

We've been keeping an eye on the weather for the last

sort of ten days. At the moment, we're due rain first thing,

and then it should clear by the time we're out of the church.

But you only need the weather forecast to be wrong

by a couple of hours and we could have a bit of a problem.

Yeah. But we'll have to wait and see. Everything's set up

to be outside, so we're just hoping that it's going to work.

It's a hard thing to make a call on, but... Yeah.

Yeah, hopefully, it'll be all right.

As final preparations are being put in place for the 60 wedding guests,

as predicted, it's started to rain.

Although plans to eat al fresco continue as bride Sam gets ready.

Anxious, but excited, I just kind of want to get it done now.

Erm... Yeah.

Oh, Mum, don't start!

Not even the rain can put a dampener on the bride's mood.

The three muses. Oh, beautiful.

It is gorgeous.

It's absolutely gorgeous.

However, as the champagne is uncorked...

..Outside, it's the heavens that have opened.

It's not going to ruin anything,

but it's slightly inconvenient that it's now raining.

Erm, hopefully it's just going to blow through

and we can be fashionably late, as a bride should be.

Luckily, the local church is just a five-minute walk from the chateau.

And as it continues to rain outside...

..the ceremony can begin.

I, Samantha Elizabeth Johnston, take you, Peter Joseph Godfrey.

With my body, I honour you. All that I am, I give to you.

Samantha, I give you this ring as a sign of our marriage.

Congratulations, Peter and Sam!

APPLAUSE

And the rain, which held off long enough

for a little confetti throwing...

..soon forces the wedding party back into the shelter of the church.

It's been more like April showers,

but, you know, we're in France, we do get rain sometimes.

With the alfresco wedding meal now in jeopardy,

all the wedding party can do is wait.

Coming up...

Amy gives free rein to her artistic tendencies...

I've never done anything like this before, I hope it looks good

and not like a five-year-old did it.

And tempers get a bit frayed for Tim and Rebecca...

As tempting as it would be to take a sledgehammer to it, we can't.

I'm so fed up of this house!

At Chateau de Rosieres in south-east France,

Amy and Marc are in the midst of renovating their first guest suite.

Amy's getting creative and, like Mrs Strawbridge at our place,

has decided to design her own tiles.

This is my grand mural idea for the back

of the shower in the fancy bedroom.

This is my rough idea of the design.

So, I'm currently doing a full-scale version of it

and then I'll trace it and put it onto the tiles and then paint them.

The problem is that the tiles, paints

and the firing are extremely expensive.

I mean, each pot of paint is worth about £12.

So, I have to make sure it's right before I do it.

I've never done anything like this before,

I hope it looks good and not like a five-year-old did it.

As the paint changes colour in extreme heat,

Amy is keen to avoid any expensive catastrophes...

I'm just setting the programme now.

..by testing out a tile in a kiln bought especially for the job.

I have worked out all my colours.

I've painted each one of my paints one layer, two layers, one layer,

two layers, so I can see how many layers I need to make it opaque.

I really hope it changes colour, but I hope that it's the right colours.

I hope the colours don't all bleed into each other.

And I hope the tile doesn't melt.

I hope it doesn't melt, too.

While Amy perfects her peacock painting skills,

work continues in the guest bathroom,

where Marc is installing plasterboard.

I'm going to put a little piece of insulation behind the toilet,

just for the soundproofing, so that when we flush the toilet,

you can't hear it on the other side.

The toilet drain is right against the plasterboard,

so I need to cut a little space.

Amy!

Marc soon realises that manoeuvring plasterboard

is easier with two people.

Amy?

What do you need my help with? I think you deserved it a bit.

I'm going to pull it from the top

and I need you to put a little spacer underneath in this corner.

Yep.

C'est tout? You're a brave soul.

It could have gone horribly wrong.

It didn't.

The finishing will be to grout the wall

and I need to put some bands to join

the plasterboards and cover the screws.

Fully agree, Marc -

you have to tape the joints before you plaster.

Amy's test tile is ready to come out of the kiln,

after eight hours firing and 12 hours cooling.

It's all nice and cool

and it's looking good!

Marc, come and see.

Oh, that's nice.

Ah, that's even better.

Oh, look, it matches the hydrangeas.

I'm really pleased with the colours, the way they've popped out.

I'm really happy that I obviously don't need an overglaze for it,

so it's all lovely and shiny without that,

cos that would have been a whole other level of, firstly,

technical ability that I don't have.

I'm just going to draw the drawing onto the tiles

and then crack on and paint it.

Great. How long do you think it will take me?

Couple of hours.

Couple of days!

Well done, Amy -

it's always best to test things out first.

Just over 300 miles north,

Rebecca's dream kitchen is causing her nightmares.

As tempting as it would be to take a sledgehammer to it, we can't.

The granite worktops, which are the biggest cost of the entire

kitchen budget, are at risk of not being installed at all.

I'm so fed up of this house!

The first job is to work out how they can support the cracked

area, to stop damaging it any further.

We need to put something along the front there, to support it.

We'll fix it, we always do,

and it'll be fine.

It just takes longer.

It'll be fine.

And it looks like Tim may have found a solution,

by simply reusing an old shelf bracket to support

the broken front edge of the new worktop.

The only flex you've got is that way,

but that's not going to matter when it's screwed in.

Hopefully, this should solve the problem.

My confidence is not high today,

so I'm pretty sure something is going to go catastrophically wrong.

I think the worst has happened, I think we're plain sailing.

Can I have a dog cuddle to make me feel better?

The big test will be putting the worktop into place.

That's it. Are you all right?

Here's hoping they don't do any more damage.

It needs to go that way a tiny bit.

Ready? On three. One, two, three.

Fingers crossed it fits.

Perfect!

I think it looks good.

In an ideal world, it wouldn't have another crack in it,

but, all things considered, I think it's all right.

Well done, matey.

Here's to the rest of the kitchen renovations going more smoothly.

Back in western France,

after a torrential downpour, newlyweds Pete and Sam

and the wedding party have made it back to the chateau's

orangery for the reception,

but hosts Ben and Billie are still uncertain about the likelihood

of having the wedding breakfast in the marquee outside.

I think we're going to get a few volunteers, dry the places,

dry off the seats.

I reckon, in an hour, it will stop raining.

Let's hope so!

It's now 1 o'clock and the meal is due to be served at 2.30.

We're going to put the sides on, because it's still...

..letting out.

We're hoping as soon as we put the sides on, the sun will come out.

It'll take a bit more than soggy French weather

to dampen the spirits of this lot.

Nice and close. One, two, three.

CHEERING

It's great. I feel like I'm wearing two hats, today,

because I'm kind of part guest and part host.

So this half of me has a glass of wine, this half is business only.

2.30 has arrived and, with the rain holding off,

Ben makes an executive decision.

We're going to take all the sides off, I think it's going to be fine.

Let's hope so.

There's a bit of grey sky around, bit of blue sky. Give it a go.

So, with the rain finally stopping, the sun begins to smile,

as the guests take their seats for the wedding celebrations.

Massive thanks to Billie and Ben, cos this is their place,

they've hosted us.

We obviously got mates rates!

A bouquet of flowers.

I've got a new sister-in-law, Sam.

She's absolutely wonderful.

It was an absolute honour to host the wedding for my brother.

It was really, really special, really personal and very emotional.

It was a really special, special occasion.

Here we go. We're best friends, come on.

The venue is stunning. Well, what is there not to like about the venue?

Yeah. It's just absolutely amazing.

It's all beautiful and it's just made the day,

so a huge thanks to Billie and Ben for everything they've done,

because it's just fantastic.

Congratulations - Mother Nature threw you a few curve balls,

but that was a good job well done.

Ben and Billie have had a busy six months.

Let's just take the Dacron off and put this back on. OK.

With a little help from Angel...

Lovely. ..and myself...

This is a big old build.

..they turned an old storeroom into a wonderful

library for book club events.

Next on the to-do list for this busy pair is restoring their boathouse.

With people already showing interest in their book club events and with

a busy upcoming year,

it's clear chateau life suits Ben and Billie.

Oh, my goodness!

After eight years, we've come so far.

We work hard, but we're all here together. Mm.

That's really, really special and

it just gets better and better, doesn't it? Yeah.

Coming up, it's decision time for Amy and Marc...

It's quite critical that we get this bit right. Amy?

I can't watch you. I'm not watching.

..and Rebecca gets her dream kitchen.

I'm so, so pleased with how it's turned out.

It's been a bit of a journey, but we've got there in the end

and it's kind of better than I imagined it would be.

In south-east France,

work on Amy and Marc's guest suite is almost complete.

Boot-i-ful. Boot-i-ful.

The final job is the installation of specially-produced

hand-painted fabric panels,

designed to capture the exotic places

Amy and Marc have visited together.

The last panel is the one that goes over the bathroom door

and so it's done in two pieces.

And the idea is to make the bathroom door look like a secret door.

I'll just put it here. Careful, careful, careful, Marc. It's...

As it's quite a fiddly job...

Ca va, Amy.

..Amy calls on neighbours Didier and Sonia to give a helping hand.

Can you see exactly where the one...?

It's only the bamboo that's important.

The problem is trying to marry up the small piece with the big piece.

The next thing we have to do is cut the door section out,

so it's quite critical that we get this bit right.

Because if we cut it and then change our minds...

With the fabric finally lined up,

it's time to cut out the hole for the bathroom door.

Amy? I can't watch you.

I'm not watching.

It's not straight, Marc. It's on the wonk. I know.

No, no, the other way.

Leaving the boys to get things back on the straight and narrow,

Amy checks on her painted tiles for the shower

that have been firing in the kiln.

They're only the second lot I've done.

Each tile has taken me between one and a half and three hours to paint.

So, if they don't go well, it's a bit sad for me.

This has been such...a long process.

It took me a week just to transfer the pattern onto the new tiles.

Yeah, that's there.

EXCITEDLY: Ho-ho-ho.

Here's the peacock's foot.

He looks all right.

The idea is that it looks like sort of a stained-glass window.

Could you help me by putting these around?

Especially round that side. Beautiful.

They are, aren't they? They're not bad. Boot-i-ful.

That's before firing and that's after.

I was a bit concerned when I first did it

that they looked really kind of wimpy, the colours.

But they're really nice.

I would love to have had these up on the wall in the shower today.

But I know I can do it, I know it's going to look great

and I just have to be a bit patient.

They do say patience is a virtue.

But while waiting to complete the bathroom mural,

Amy and Marc have time to finish off the guest bedroom.

When Marc finds birds that have been hit by a car, or hit a window,

he gets them stuffed.

Six months ago, this room was dated, dark and dingy.

Now, it's been brought to life

with beautiful hand-painted fabric panels...

..a delicate lace bed canopy

and lovely antique furniture,

transforming it into a luxury tropical oasis ready for guests.

Oh, it's just so lovely.

I just feel like sitting in here forever and staring at it.

This bathroom may still be waiting for its peacock mural,

but this once outdated room is now a bright,

beautifully painted en-suite,

with reclaimed marble sink

and upcycled rustic cabinet doors

found in their very own barn.

I'm really pleased with this marble top.

It was never something I would have chosen.

But it just goes so well, it's so bright.

This whole area is just delightful.

You've had an amazing nine months.

As well as the suite,

you started your massive eco-friendly sewage system...

The sewage system was really impressive.

That was a huge learning curve.

..and even discovered and restored a medieval fireplace.

We need to finish the bathroom and then next year,

we'd like to open it up for luxury weekends.

Marc and Amy plan to open a yoga retreat

in the not-too-distant future.

They've plenty more ideas for this wonderful house.

We've got the yoga barn.

We want to do a meditation platform up in the forest.

We need to do the cafe in the coach house.

We are now going to sleep for a week.

AMY LAUGHS

Better get that sleep now,

as before the arrival of their first holiday guests,

there's another, much more important arrival on the way.

We worked and worked and worked through the winter

and then I fell pregnant and so that's been completely terrifying.

We've gone from relying on each other,

to him having to do everything.

Congratulations. But don't forget to keep smiling.

300 miles away, at Tim and Rebecca's,

the new kitchen is complete.

All that's left to do now is a few finishing touches.

I think the kitchen is as close to done as it's going to get.

There's probably a few little bits and pieces.

I'm sure Rebecca will find some bits and pieces that need doing.

Like, we've got some extra lights and stuff to put up,

but that involves making a big mess upstairs and taking floors up,

so I'm saving that for when I've really got nothing else to do.

Rebecca, meanwhile,

is putting to good use those personalised tea-towels...

..and is already reaping the benefits

of their much bigger kitchen.

It's amazing for the business because it just means that

everyone's now out of here, so I can get on and cook without

people being in my face the whole time and us juggling the renovations

of the kitchen with trying to feed everyone in the chambre d'hotes.

And it's much easier to keep clean, it's just much more organised,

everything works.

It's made a huge difference.

When they moved in two years ago,

the kitchen was spread over two adjacent rooms.

Now, on just a shoestring budget,

it's been transformed into a stylish and elegant one

that will service their guest suites brilliantly.

By doing all the work themselves,

they've saved a fortune.

I am so, so pleased with how it's turned out.

It's been a bit of a journey, but we've got there in the end

and it's kind of better than I imagined it would be.

It is as per the first drawing we did of the kitchen...

Yeah. ..a month after we arrived here. Mm.

So, it is a plan that has come to fruition. Yep.

It's all good? Yes.

New kitchen. Cheers.

Very nice.

I think it looks very nice. Yeah.

And with some resin, they've even managed to do a great job

of fixing up the cracks on the granite worktops.

I think the granite looks lovely.

It finishes it off, really. It does, yes.

And it is part of the story and a part of the journey of the kitchen.

In the last seven months,

Tim and Rebecca have made huge strides forward.

From struggling financially and fearing a return to the UK...

It's survival mode.

We're kind of eking things out to get us through till next spring.

..to being booked up all summer.

Hello!

They've also added a family guest suite,

which will help increase their income.

We're definitely happy that we've managed to

do the work on the house and the business is working.

So, yeah, the plan is working.

They've done a great job and are working on renovating more rooms

and have even bigger projects in mind.

We're turning one of our outbuildings into a gite.

There won't be any granite worktops. No, there won't. Yeah.

Next week, a whole new bunch of intrepid chateau owners get to work.

Oh!

There are some curious findings for one chateau owner.

Why are there giant mushrooms?

At our place, I save a few pennies...

Cheap as chips.

..to light up Angela's workroom.

That's it done, isn't it? Yep.

Another couple make the most of the gorgeous French weather.

Here's the pool, here's the solar farm, here's the sun.

Wow, it's so hot. That's too hot.

And one busy pair have a SMASHING time.

Oh. Oh.

Uh-oh.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media