Original subtitles

and, along with my wife Angel, and our two children...

I've got him. ..we're nearly five years

into restoring this once-abandoned chateau.

There's something quite majestic about it.

Feel like you're in the clouds.

It's been demanding...

..yet truly fulfilling.

It's made me feel a bit mushy and a bit emotional.

And with thousands of chateaux in France,

we're not the only Brits buying into the French fairy tale.

Oh, my goodness, it's amazing.

Angel and I are once again helping our fellow expats...

This is a big, old build.

..as they embark on a brand-new set of chateau adventures.

Oh! Oh!

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

You're Monsieur Dick!

It'll be a roller-coaster ride. Whoa!

SURFACE CRACKS SHE GASPS

No. No.

But no matter what...

I'm just going to try not to cry.

..these plucky Brits...

We're doing this with all the technological

accomplishment of the ancient Egyptians.

..are determined to transform once-unloved buildings...

..into the most spectacular homes...

That is amazing.

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

Today... I did it.

..we revisit some familiar faces...

If the worst comes to the worst and they don't turn up

on time on Saturday, I'll go and get mushroom heaters.

..as they battle to get everything finished

before the wedding party arrives.

We're still planting

and it's literally 20 minutes before the clients get here.

A would-be chateau owner checks out what's on the market...

Wow! This is absolutely unbelievable.

It's like a fairy tale castle.

..but he's a hard man to please.

I want it to be, like, bigger.

Like that, both ways.

And brand-new chateau owners...

Yes! Here we are.

..struggle to crack the lingo.

How's your French?

"Ne pas" is... Door?

That "menu" throws me. Yeah.

Across France, there are many chateau-owning Brits who have

built up businesses so they can afford to live in elegant

surroundings steeped in extraordinary history.

Like Edward from Stockport, his Kosovan wife, Anna,

and their four-year-old son, Charles, who live in the stunning

15th-century Chateau Lagorce that they run as a wedding venue.

We are part of their special day.

We make friends for life.

We love it.

One thing you can't control is weather.

I know. Or the wedding dress that doesn't fit, but let's not go there.

It's happened.

Located in Haux, just outside Bordeaux,

the 22-bedroom chateau was bought by Edward's family 16 years ago.

When we first met them last summer, they were in the midst

of the wedding season, which came with its set of challenges.

Normally, we are meant to have a surprise fireworks display at 11pm.

We have to make it happen, no matter what.

Ed usually looks after the buildings,

whilst Anna is chief wedding planner.

However, this summer, the couple are facing a new challenge.

We have a little one on the way,

so Anna's not going to be able to do all the weddings.

She's going to have to take more of a back seat

and I'm going to have to be doing a bit more of the coordination.

I'm going to find it really hard because I'm very picky.

It's hugely important that Anna can relax towards the birth...

..if you can relax towards a birth!

With 30 weddings already booked in,

Edward has big shoes to fill as the new chief wedding planner.

She's really much more attention to detail.

I'm hoping he's going to be able to...

..to do things my way.

"Control freak" kind of springs to mind. Yes.

The wedding season starts in only a month,

but they've had a cancellation and want to secure another booking.

Hello! Hi, guys, nice to meet you.

Their latest potential couple are Georgia and Adam,

so it's over to Ed to persuade them.

See you in a little bit, guys. Thank you.

Are you guys looking for a ceremony on site, rather than in a church?

Yes, ideally. Yes. OK.

So, normally, we'd have the ceremony set up in a semicircle.

Let's go down and have a look.

He started talking about the ceremony here, when normally

you talk about that down there, but that's personal choice.

With Anna watching closely,

the pressure's on Ed to sell the chateau as the perfect venue.

The pool's actually heated.

Oh, the kids will love that. Yeah.

So this is where the ceremony would be.

This is a private lake. I like how peaceful it is.

I think now it's possibly about the lake because you can fish there.

That's, like, something I go about briefly,

but that's not essential at a wedding.

I'm pretty sure he's talking about that.

You're a fairly large number, 150, yes? Yeah.

So, it might work better to have your canapes down here. OK.

Oh, wow.

It's hard when someone else is taking over

and everyone does things their way.

It's almost a blanket of green. Yep.

Yeah, it's beautiful.

Maybe his way's not bad, but it's not completely my way.

When we got married, we had our portrait photos here.

So, if you wanted to do some portrait photos,

it's a perfect place to do them.

The tour was fantastic. The chateau is amazing.

It's beautiful. It's got so much space and we love it.

It's not final, but we're very, very,

very happy with what we've seen.

Let's see if Anna is just as impressed by Ed's tour-guiding skills.

I'm feeling a little bit nervous about the situation, but it is

getting slightly better, especially seeing a smile on the couple's face.

All they can do now is wait for a decision from the couple.

In the meantime, they need to turn their attention

to the first wedding of the season, in just a month's time.

The British are big investors in French property,

snapping up around a third of those sold to international buyers.

Hoping to join the growing band of expat chateau owners

is interior designer Adam from Warwickshire.

You're getting a lot more for your money out here,

the architecture is insane, the cuisine is really, really good,

I like the people.

Since renting out his UK home and moving in with his mother,

Adam's ready to use his savings

and a mortgage to fund up to £800,000 for the right place.

I'm wanting, from a chateau,

a home that I can decorate and make it look luxurious.

And I just want to be able to get everything out of storage

and make a lasagne in a nice kitchen.

And, don't get me wrong, I'm really relaxed at my mum's house.

I love it, it's so lovely, but I've put on weight

because obviously she's cooking lots for me, which is not great.

Adam has ambitious plans

and wants to find a chateau with space for his business ideas.

A design school, a yoga retreat, maybe, an artist's retreat -

any kind of inspirational creative space.

I'm going to live the French dream.

The first chateau Adam's viewing is La Boissiere,

just 33 miles south of our place.

His friend Lisa is helping him.

Oh, my goodness, Lisa. It's absolutely unbelievable.

They're meeting estate agent David. Good to meet you.

It's phenomenal, what a great building.

And welcome to the chateau.

Thank you very much. A step back in time.

Sympathetically restored by the current owners,

the 14th-century Chateau de la Boissiere has a stunning

circular staircase, leading to rooms with an abundance

of original features and five spacious bedrooms.

You have to imagine this going back to the 1200s...

OK. ..when this was just a watchtower.

At that particular point in time, France was quite fragmented,

so, to the north, we had the Bretons. Yeah.

To the south, we had the Anjous.

It was added to, over the next couple of hundred years,

to be in a proper, defensive position.

And is that a balcony at the top, up there?

That is a balcony and that overlooks the countryside.

Wow. And you can see for miles. OK, OK.

Set in 11 acres of land, the chateau is surrounded by a moat

and has several outbuildings that can be perfect for Adam's business ideas.

And, at just under £518,000, it's below budget.

This part here wasn't there until the 1850s.

OK, OK. So what used to be along here would be the ramparts,

and what was put up in its place was a traditional stone farmhouse. OK.

You can make as many bedrooms as you want,

going all the way to the very end.

Interesting. It's definitely got me thinking.

Definitely. Yeah, it's definitely got me thinking.

So far, so good.

Now for a peek inside.

Wow! This is absolutely unbelievable.

Fantastic staircase.

This is phenomenal.

It's like a fairy tale castle.

Coming up... Here we are.

..brand-new owners find that chateau life

might not be all it's cracked up to be.

A crack, there.

Let's cover it back up.

In a role reversal, pregnant Anna lets Ed take charge of the shopping.

Ed chose these.

I wouldn't have gone for them, but why not?

And laying electrical cables proves tricky over at my place.

Oh, Richard!

I've got a man in the water, here, one down!

The impressive 17th-century Chateau de Sauge,

with four acres of land, 11 outbuildings and 45 rooms

was recently snapped up for £279,000 by Donna and husband Paul.

The couple, who've spent the last decade living and working in Dubai,

are moving in today.

We fell in love with the architecture.

Where else could you buy a piece of history like this

for the money we've paid?

Situated 50 miles east of La Rochelle,

the chateau needs some major restoration work,

but Paul and Donna are determined to make it a B&B and events venue.

We're optimistic by nature. I think anyone that takes on a project

like this needs to be.

Our friends and family think we are totally crazy.

Don't they? But I think they always have.

Having given up their jobs, they need to be up and running

and generating an income in just six months' time.

Everything that we've worked for up to now is going in to

make this a success and that's why it can't fail.

It's not an option, failure.

Today, their hopes and plans become reality.

The chateau is theirs and there's no turning back.

You got the box of keys?

I've no idea which one fits.

With so many keys, finding the right one could be tricky.

Porte.

Porte principal? Principale?

No? That one?

Oh, that's progress.

Is it? Yes!

Here we are.

They've renovated a 400-year-old cottage in Scotland,

but nothing can quite prepare you for the full-blown

neglected chateau experience.

That's not so great, but...

Oh, yeah.

There's obviously been some damp issue.

One of many, I'm sure. Yeah.

SHE LAUGHS

Let's go and find all the other damp issues. Yeah.

That needs work.

Yeah.

Oh, cobwebs.

The electrics are...

Pretty bad.

Crack, there.

And here, as well.

Let's cover it back up.

They need to get at least two of the eight bedrooms

converted into en-suite rooms

and kick off their B&B business before their savings run out.

As well as the mammoth renovation project,

the pair have another challenge on their hands, and one almost as big.

How's your French?

Learning the language.

"No entry, door menu."

"Do not enter."

"Ne pas" is...

Door. Yeah.

Perfect.

The "menu" throws me. Yeah.

Hmm, take it from me, learning French is essential.

125 miles north, at our place,

we know all about starting a renovation from scratch.

Often one of the first hurdles for a chateau owner is getting

electricity to power the building.

I have now got one socket in the whole chateau,

but, whoa, whoa, whoa, we have electricity.

We may have had electricity, but the chateau did have issues.

Supposed to have 230 volts, we've got 196 volts,

that is absolutely abysmal.

As well as low voltage,

we didn't have enough power for the coach house,

which we converted into a home for Angel's mum and dad,

Jenny and Steve.

There is absolutely masses of work to be done.

We had the electricity company increase the power into the chateau,

then we'd have enough to share with the coach house.

Now, Jenny and Steve will have enough power to turn the kettle on,

turn some bits and pieces on.

We've got enough power to still be stingy, but to use it.

I might just go and put a fan on or something.

With our electrics up to strength,

the challenge was laying 40 metres of cable

around the edge of the moat to the coach house.

We've got an underground, very heavy cable,

that's going around to join them.

We get twice as much energy as we've ever had in the chateau,

Jenny and Steve get some, cos we spoil them,

and if we need more in the chateau, we'll just turn them off.

We could have taken the whole thing underground all the way,

but we don't know where our telephone lines are,

that's your internet and everything else,

nobody can tell us where it is, so we just stayed away from it.

I roped in worker Richard

to help clear undergrowth at the edge of the moat

to attach the new cable.

SPLASHING

Oh, Richard.

Just hold on a second, mate.

The tractor's coming with a rope.

Come on, Steve, get a move on.

I've got a man in the water, here, one down.

Back very slowly, very slowly.

Keep going, keep going, keep going.

International Rescue, another day for Thunderbirds.

He was wet anyway, so Richard finished the job

and we laid the cable right round the moat

and into the coach house, ready for me to start the internal wiring.

I need to get all the sockets on, so they can just start building.

So my job is to make sure that all the wires go to the right place.

They have little boxes on the end, ready to go.

And I think we're just about there.

Right. There we go.

Four months later,

and Jenny and Steve's new home had enough power so that lighting

and electrical mod cons can all be on at the same time.

Worth that extra effort, and an accidental dip for Richard.

Over 240 miles away at Chateau Lagorce,

Anna and Ed are busy making it look its best ready for their first

wedding of the season in just two days' time.

OK.

Whoops.

I'm Mr Clumsy.

OK.

Anna is six months pregnant and is supposed to be taking things

easier, but there's always new challenges to deal with.

I've had a message from the bride.

Mm-hm?

Because of the weather, she would like some mushroom heaters.

OK.

It's pretty cold, I mean, it's only 17, 18 degrees.

And to sit down and have dinner outside,

they can be there for three hours,

so the bride called us and she wants mushroom heaters.

We get these ones delivered on Saturday.

Six of these, delivered on Saturday? Yeah.

I think that would make more sense.

Normally, things like this are arranged at least one or two months

in advance and we are not even 40 hours before the wedding, so it's...

..it's tricky.

If the worst comes to worst and they don't turn up on time, on Saturday.

You're going to have to go out. I'll go and get mushroom heaters, but I can't stand mushroom heaters.

Well, neither can I, but, there's nothing I can do.

OK, so I've ordered these ones, 2,100 watts.

Worst case, if we can't get those, that means,

as the wedding is happening,

Edward's going to have to leave me on my own

and try and find whatever he can.

We're going to have to have cables going across the terrace, though.

Well, there's nothing I can do.

That's extra stress Anna doesn't need

when she's meant to be reducing her workload,

with Ed taking on more of her responsibilities.

An important step is a lesson for Ed in shopping for wedding essentials.

What colours are you needing?

Very wedding-y ones.

We need white, cream, we'll go for two of these, and then,

when we run out, you know where they are,

so you can always come and get some more.

You know what, I'm gonna take photos of that.

Excellent idea.

Ed's really trying to remember everything, so "A" star for effort.

I knew we were coming for ribbons.

I hadn't got a clue what they were for, it is such a small detail

and Anna's just so on top of all of those.

It is gonna be really hard, hence why I'm taking photos.

Quite a lot of knowledge she has there.

Look at that one here.

Yeah, they'd do for the buffets, cheeses and fruits.

Yeah? Yeah. OK.

I like it.

What else do you need now, then?

So the shopping trip is going a bit differently this time,

because Ed is checking everything I'm choosing.

This looks cute.

I think it's gonna break. Already, that's not wood, that's...no.

He's been more controlling.

He's been more me.

We also need wine glasses.

You like those?

I can just get two.

It's not what I wanted, but, yeah.

Looks like Anna's managing to let Ed take charge.

We got some of the things we needed.

Ed chose these.

They're different, I wouldn't have gone for them, but why not?

We have some couples that have come for a real good time,

and we've got them in stock, now.

I'm definitely trying to be more "easier Anna",

and "taking a step back Anna".

"Easy Anna" doesn't look very easy.

Keep trying, Ed.

Just over 200 miles north in Mayenne,

in our neck of the woods,

interior designer Adam and friend Lisa

are viewing Chateau de la Boissiere.

It's on the market at just under £518,000.

And the outbuildings seem to have the right potential

for Adam's interior design school idea.

Now they're ready to see if the inside of the chateau

can pass muster.

Wow, this is absolutely un...believable.

Fantastic staircase.

Slate stairs, all the way to the very top.

This is phe...nomenal.

It's like a fairy-tale castle.

Shall we go upstairs? Yeah.

After you.

This 14th-century chateau has the main reception room

on the first floor.

Wow, this is an amazing room.

Stunning.

Massive great big beams.

Massive fireplace.

Can just imagine a big hog roast on there, rolling round, rolling round?

And you can see down on to the moat.

I love how the moat goes all the way round, David. That's phenomenal.

I'm just gobsmacked by it. It's amazing, it's beautiful.

It's very fairy-tale.

Adam's looking pretty impressed so far.

Wow.

This is a really cute kitchen.

This wasn't a kitchen,

this would have been something completely separate,

this would have been a storage area. OK.

And indeed, just over here would have been the access to the toilet.

Nice. That's a really lovely touch, isn't it?

It all ended up in the moats back in the day.

Oh, OK, that's, quite gross.

Don't worry, Adam, the chateau's been modernised over the last

30 years, so I'm sure there's some proper flushing loos, too.

I like it, it's got a great feel to it.

It gets better. OK.

Come on. Let's have a look. Can we go upstairs?

We can go upstairs.

I love this width of staircase.

OK, and what is now a bedroom.

Wow, great room.

Massive bedroom.

I'm not convinced yet it's going to be big enough.

I just don't know whether I want it to be like, bigger.

Like that, both ways.

And I wanted the bedrooms to be relatively en suite.

Traditionally, few fairy-tale chateaux came with en suites.

But I love it, I think it's phenomenal.

I'm not making a judgment just yet, I'm just verbalising.

Time to check the top of the chateau.

Wow, what an amazing view.

I can see now why it was a watchtower.

Un...believable.

The 14th-century tower and terrace, a stunning feature.

In an ideal world, Lisa, would you buy this?

I think I would. Lisa loves it.

I think it's fabulous, but I'm not in love with it.

If I'm honest, I'm not.

And it's a bit high.

It's a bit too high and I'm going in.

THEY LAUGH

I'm quite a tricky, picky person

and I know exactly what I do and don't like.

Architecture's not quite right for me,

and this isn't quite in the right location.

And I think I also feel a bit landlocked here as well, in a way.

I think I'd quite like to be, maybe, by the sea.

Still a lot to clean. Oh, God.

It pays to understand the location and architecture you're after

before you start looking.

Lisa, are you up for this? It could be a long one.

Coming up...

Donna and Paul enjoy the glamour of chateau life with a first meal.

Paul, do you want to find the couple of bits of cutlery we have?

You mean two forks and two knives?

Adam's second viewing starts off well.

I love the panelling.

But then hits a glitch.

It's a tiny, tiny kitchen, I don't like it at all. Oh, lord.

And the pressure's on Anna, when the florist gets the delivery wrong.

There's flowers missing.

I can't believe this.

50 miles from La Rochelle, brand-new chateau owners Donna

and Paul are visiting their local DIY store.

It's going to give them their first taste of ordering

materials in French, a language they are yet to master.

It's too early to be doing interiors.

It's at times like this, a little French can go a long way.

I was going to ask this guy to cut some of this material,

so we can use it for the windows.

Someone needs to cut it, then.

Can we cut?

So, deux length?

Two metres?

I hope Paul realises he's bought two metres.

That's for you. Merci, au revoir.

Now, the small matter of paying.

Non.

Can we get one? A card?

We don't have one, but we'd like one.

We shall take this and we shall read.

Don't worry, guys, you'll get the hang of it soon.

People have been very friendly and helpful.

Even if our French is limited,

we've managed to get, you know, what we went in for.

You just need to embrace it.

There's no point being scared about it, just embrace it

and they'll help when they can and, if not, we'll find a solution.

Back at Donna and Paul's, before starting on more renovations,

they need to prep a room for Donna's parents,

who are arriving from the UK in four days' time.

I just want to check the bed and that for my mum and dad,

just to make sure it's comfortable enough.

To me, it's sloping towards the wall by an inch, an inch and a half.

I think the bed's fine, it's probably the floor.

Oh! I can already tell your head is way below.

Yeah, it is.

You'll have all the blood running to your head!

They won't wake up!

You can really feel this is lower.

It's a lot lower than my feet.

No, that's not good.

Oh, yeah, that's tons better.

I think this is fine.

I'm excited about them being here. I've not seen them since March.

I want to share this with them, you know,

share this experience with them.

It's the end of the first day in their new home - time to eat,

if they can rustle up the essentials.

Paul, do you want to find the couple of bits of cutlery we have?

The two forks and two knives?

Yeah, I'll find them.

It's nice, this is our first meal, it's...

..it feels more like home, now.

And that is a cause for celebration.

CORK POPS

Well done, guys, you've made your first foray into chateau life.

Cheers, sweetheart.

Cheers, to Chateau de Sauge.

Chateau de Sauge.

Just under 120 miles south, near Bordeaux,

it's two days before Ed and Anna's first wedding of the season.

With guests arriving tomorrow, Ed is off on a shopping

trip for barrels to use as supports for a bar,

while Anna's decided to try and fix a broken toilet seat

in one of the guest rooms.

I'm going to struggle.

Six months pregnant, Anna is meant to be

taking it easy and she's no DIYer.

I'm having more respect for Ed, I thought this would be much easier.

This is really hard.

One done.

I thought I would like DIY, but I hate it now.

Oh!

Ed? Yeah?

I was trying to help you with the toilet seat,

but part of the attachment,

it just went down the toilet. Oh!

Oh, OK. Is it...? Oh!

Gosh. Well, just don't flush the toilet. OK.

Ed's finally back, after a three-hour shopping trip,

with barrels, ready to assemble the bar.

My God, it's heavy!

How's that toilet seat going?

I did it! I never felt so proud!

I think that might be quite a positive spin you're giving there, Anna!

Oh, my God!

I might just get a whole new one and start again.

Why? I didn't throw anything.

Ah!

OK, so that's meant to be like that.

Toilet fixed, but there's no time to rest,

the wedding flowers have arrived.

Super, super.

Mother-in-law Barbara is helping out,

but, a stickler for detail, Anna has spotted a problem.

I didn't order this.

I love the colour, but that's not what we ordered.

I ordered red and I never ordered those with the white bits.

Because I ordered 36 like this.

I can't believe this.

There's flowers missing.

We're going to have to go back out now to get some other flowers,

because, otherwise, we can't do the window ledges.

We're going to have to send my mother-in-law to the garden centre.

They're going to be four or five times the price.

I thought the toilet seat was hard, but this is more annoying,

cos the thing that is my favourite part,

I can't get right, because they got it wrong.

With the bride and groom arriving tomorrow

and expecting the chateau to be ready for their outdoor reception,

let's hope Anna and Ed can get the replacement plants in time.

Over 300 miles north, interior designer Adam and friend

Lisa are continuing their search for the perfect chateau to buy.

They've travelled to Normandy to see their second property,

this impressive 19th century petit chateau.

Estate agent Jill will show them round.

Jill? Hi. I'm Adam, nice to meet you. Hi, Adam.

Nice to meet you, this is Lisa. And you. Hi, Lisa, how are you?

This looks amazing! I know.

Set in just four acres, it has eight bedrooms arranged over two

floors and several outbuildings, with business potential for Adam

to develop into a design school, or a yoga retreat.

Looking at it online, it looks better in the flesh.

The photographs were good, but you don't get the scale. No.

I'm dying to get in. Yeah? Come on, then. Thank you.

At just over £500,000, it's well within Adam's £800,000 budget.

But, as Adam admits, he's quite picky

and it takes a lot to impress him.

Wow! Such a lovely wide hallway.

I love these double doors either side.

So, this floor would potentially be original? I would have thought so.

Yeah, it's beautiful. Yeah, yeah. And I love black and white.

OK, let's have a look through here.

I love the panelling.

This is fantastic, Jill, the whole of it is panelled with fabric, the whole room.

It is. That's unusual, isn't it? It's unusual.

I just like all the woodwork, all the original doors.

I love the symmetry of the rooms.

They're not enormous, but because of the high ceilings, they feel very glamorous.

Yeah. Do you like it, Lisa? Fantastic, what we've seen so far.

I like the symmetry.

This is going remarkably well, so far,

and, across the hall, the dining room is equally impressive.

Look at that wood burner. Yeah, that's fantastic.

That heats most of the downstairs. It's enormous.

It really does throw out the heat.

Can I actually see the kitchen, how it is, now, please? Of course you can. May I?

Is it through this here? This way.

It's tiny, Jill. It's tiny, tiny kitchen.

I don't like it at all.

Oh, Lord! Yeah. Urgh!

So I think you need to live in a place like this,

before you decide what changes you want to make.

I think I've decided already.

I think I know what I want to do, Jill.

Cos I get it, I just get the space. It's what I do, is space planning.

OK. And I walk in and I just know exactly how my vision is.

Great. Yeah.

What would you do with this, then?

I know this bit's added on. Yeah.

Part of me in my head is just thinking take it down altogether.

Oh, no! Knocking this down?

Do you not think that's a good idea? Not at all.

Great big skip on the drive and get this kitchen out.

Oh, God! Get it gone.

I mean, it's functional, but, if you had a choice,

I wouldn't want to be in here. No, I understand.

Saying that, Jill, I don't really cook. OK. So...

..so I might not really need it anyway.

OK, come on, let's have a look at the bedrooms.

Upstairs, there are plenty of bedrooms that could be

perfect for B&B guests.

That's if they meet Adam's exacting standards.

So what do you think of this?

This is a really good-sized room, beautiful floor,

height of ceiling fantastic, windows amazing.

Fireplace good, size of the room, good.

And the decor?

My gut feeling is that it almost needs to be de-modernised in places.

Yeah. Really, in a way, I would like en-suite bathrooms.

I think the bedroom's probably big enough to put in a shower room and toilet.

Could be done easily. Yeah.

I'd have to really think about it, but there's something,

there's enough space to fit one in. To do something? Yeah.

There's enough space to fit something in.

But, the bare bones are there, which is good.

If you don't love it, don't buy it.

It's phenomenal.

I want it maybe to be a bit more "chateau-y".

To be a bit more "le grand chateau".

Maybe. I don't know.

I want to keep looking and don't know whether to just go up a size.

So, next, I'm thinking, potentially...

The palace? The Palace of Versailles.

But, that aside, I'm thinking maybe

the Pyrenees for the skiing.

I'm weighing up ski/beach.

I'm going to drive you mental over it...

..if possible.

That's already happened.

Well, two down and Adam hasn't found his perfect chateau.

So, he's visiting the Pyrenees to see if he can strike lucky.

Coming up...

Bonjour.

..Donna and Paul give her parents a warm welcome...

This is your list of jobs. Oh!

..and Ed and Anna face a race against time,

before the bride and groom arrive.

We're still planting

and it's literally 20 minutes before the clients get here.

50 miles inland from La Rochelle, new chateau owners

Donna and Paul are just beginning to settle in.

Oh, it's a lovely view from here.

Today, Donna's parents are flying in from England and they may

decide to move in permanently, so their room needs to be ready.

I think that's fine, isn't it?

Other than the poor wallpaper

and the jaunty floors and the leaning bed. Could be a lot worse!

Until the renovations are done, the facilities are rather basic -

like their bathroom up the hall.

What height's your mum?

I couldn't put it any higher. Not that short.

Well, it'll do as a temporary measure, won't it?

Temporary?

There's so much still to sort out and Paul and Donna

are getting their 'to do' list for the entire project down on paper.

Wallpaper.

What a list!

It's essential to capture absolutely everything.

Weatherproof.

Yeah, and secure.

Secure.

Donna's hoping to get her parents involved in

the renovations as much as possible.

Given that there's going to be four of us working on this,

at any time, any of us can see what's needed doing

and can pick up a job, or, hopefully, cross off a job.

I get it, but isn't this list going to scare Mum and Dad?

Five hours later, after their long journey from Hartlepool,

Donna's parents arrive at the chateau.

Bonjour! Bonjour.

They've stuffed you in the back, have they, Dad? Yes.

You've got him in the back like a sardine.

Hiya. Hiya, Dad.

Aw! Urgh!

Are you all right? Tired. Bit worn out. Yeah.

Come and see if you can remember what it looked like.

Paul and Donna don't waste any time before sharing their chores.

What's this? What you're going to do?

No, this is your list of jobs! Oh!

Each day, you have to pick a job.

Do we get a badge as well, if we do that? You can have a badge, if you want.

Go on, then, there's more than one room. Keep on walking.

And wait till they see the full extent of the work.

This is the one with the fabulous fireplace.

It looks like something that should be in a kitchen.

I don't know why it's upstairs.

Isn't it lovely? Look at those beams.

Ah, yes, splendid.

The views are beautiful.

Look at that tree, there.

The house is impressive,

but I'm not sure they're going to be quite so impressed

with the bathroom facilities.

So this shower, we didn't want to go to the expense of putting

a whole new screen in, cos this is all going to come out.

Yeah. So, between us, we came up with kind of

a net hook and a bit of tablecloth. Yeah?

It doesn't give you full coverage, but it stops the spray

of water all over the floor.

Yeah, could be worse. Yeah, it could be worse?

Stick my feet in the basin.

Yes.

That sounds like a tick, it's a pass!

This is your room.

Oh, yes.

You get a carpeted room. Oh!

Wow, that's nice.

Is that OK? Oh, yes.

You've got the sunshine coming through the window.

Yeah.

We've been looking forward to it, haven't we? Yeah, we have.

And it'll be nice to be back with our daughter,

we've always got on well, it will be great being with them.

Yeah.

Now they're here, it's becoming more and more real.

It's great.

Families should be together as much as possible.

To Chateau de Sauge! And new guests.

And to us. And to yous. And cheers.

It's good to see a happy family reunion

and I hope it stays that way,

as these four have a lot of hard work ahead of them.

Back at Anna and Edward's, it's the day before the first

wedding of the season and things aren't going to plan.

The wedding couple desperately want to have an outdoor ceremony

and reception, but tomorrow's weather forecast is bad.

To make matters worse, the florist has delivered the wrong

coloured geraniums to dress the courtyard.

We still need to go out and get some deep red ones,

instead of peachy, orangey ones and pink ones that they sent.

So that's still not done.

Ed's mum has gone to pick up more plants, because the bride

and groom are due to arrive soon.

I've got the bar to do, so it should be a quick job.

Let's see.

Ed's building a bar with a front made out of old wine cases.

There we go.

In between the two barrels, we're going to hide any wine,

glasses, bins that we have behind the bar

and then just put a simple oak top on top.

OK, so we've got all these already in here.

He'll fix them onto a large piece of plywood,

which will front the bar between the barrels.

Let's see how it's looking.

Et voila.

Come and have a look.

So, will it meet Anna's standards?

It's looking really nice.

If I can get everything tidied up before the bride

and groom arrive, I'll be really happy.

Ed's mum is back from the garden centre, with plants to replace

those that Anna wasn't happy with.

Thank God for that.

The first thing they're going to see is this courtyard

and this has to look right.

There we go.

The pressure's on to get the courtyard decorated

ahead of the bride and groom's imminent arrival.

We are still planting

and it's literally 20 minutes before the clients get here.

Final push, and they're done.

Just in the nick of time -

here's the bridal couple, ahead of their big day tomorrow.

Nice to see you. Ah, you too.

And that is, another guest.

Bride and groom Vicky and Gordon and their families are soon settled in.

We knew from the beginning that we wanted to do something abroad,

so we were looking at Italy, then we were looking at France.

We did a ton of research, you did a short list,

that was very detailed, which included this place,

and then I think by the time we came over we and met Ed and Anna

and we came to see this place for the first time,

it was a no-brainer, wasn't it?

It was amazing, I mean, we booked it before we'd even actually seen the venue.

For the couple to have the outdoor wedding they want,

the weather has to be right -

extra stress for Anna and Ed.

So there's a 40%, it says, chance of rain at 2pm,

which is the time where we're meant to have the ceremony.

It adds on extra pressure, even though we try to protect the tables,

we could still get everything wet and that would be a catastrophe.

Let's hope that sun comes out.

Next time, relentless DIY

becomes a sore point for new owners Donna and Paul...

My hands are sore, they have been for the last five weeks.

Everything's sore.

Yeah, I found muscles that I didn't know existed.

Oh, my God.

..clouds gather over the start of Anna and Ed's wedding season...

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

and it quite clearly will be in the rain

and look at that massive wave coming behind.

It's not this, it's worse than this.

..and Adam may finally have found his dream chateau.

It's understated charm, but then it has this amazing presence about it.

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