Renovation program tonight, Sunday 5th June.

[vette]

Just a heads up folks.

There is a program on C4 tonight, Sunday 5th June, at 7pm UK time.

It follows Dick Strawbridge as he and his wife renovate their Chateau in the Mayenne.

We visited Dick this morning for a chat and it sounds like it’s going to be an interesting 4 part show.

Probably remind me of what we went through with our place for a few years too.

[Théière]

Yes interesting program, look forward to seeing the others.  Dick worked on Scrapheap with a friend of ours Dave, on the first series. Have to say what a place!

[Chancer]

I am waiting with baited breath for ALBF's comments, he will so be kicking his-self if he didnt see it.

Whilst I did not buy a château I saw many things which reminded me of my first months and it brought back a lot of memories, on that basis alone its quite a true depiction albeit through a very narrow lens.

£20K budget to renovate a château [:P]

I reckon the pair who pulled up the flue liner will have taken him for that much, my neighbour was robbed for €3.5K for an external one on a bungalow, and they made such a cock up of the three 90° bends that his poele now stands some 50cm from the wall, its a narrow lounge and with the sofa the other side its in the middle of the room [:(]

Looks like Mr Strawbridge has made some bad life choices since I last saw him on the TV, his father in law looks much younger and fitter than he does.

[alittlebitfrench]

Chancer wrote...

"I am waiting with baited breath for ALBF's comments, he will so be kicking his-self if he didnt see it"

I could not watch it as I don't have UK telly in Paris but I read about them in the Telegraph.

I think 280,000 euros is an absolute steal for such a place and even if you spend an extra 200 k renovating it I think you would get your money back. Maybe ??

The trouble is, what do you renovate it into. If it is tourist accommodation then they are doomed. Even renovating it into a place to live is not logical captain. Just in terms of heating.

These types of places invariably come with a 'maison gardian/amis' and barns and what not. Personally I would renovate one of those and turn it into a nice house overlooking the Chateaux. I would then keep the Chateaux as a hobby and just bring it back to life. I certainly would not start putting in extensive plumbing and electricity for all rooms. I don't really see the point.

Nevertheless, I would take on a project like that. But without kids.

[Chancer]

Try and Watch the program if you can.

Seemingly, that is if you actually believe the rubbish the fantasies that they trot out in TV land, deadlines, working all night before the deadline etc etc etc then the walled garden had been sold for was it €50K? (I could not hear properly) to a buyer who was going to build 2 properties there, pretty much what you were saying, instead they spent an extra €50K to buy it with the château, I Wonder if they will resell it or exploit that part? It is the only viable bit.

ALBF, they are going to renovate a 160 year old 45 room château with £20K [:D]

[YCCMB]

Well, if you check out their website, (spoiler alert) it's all done and dusted.

[PaulT]

Yes, these TV programmes - night working to meet deadlines ... how true is it or is it for dramatic effect. Did like the making of the holes through the walls with a hammer and chisel after the super dooper drilling machine (£1,500) gave up, obviously needs to talk to some people who did some work in Hatton Garden- why not use a good SDS drill to chisel through, the holes shown would enable a person to pass through. And a £20k budget with the heating costing £19 and it did show plasterers at work. The sudden discovery of electric and water and of course you spread the furniture out when it arrives even though you have work to do on the rooms.

Wondering how much they got from the TV production company and whether the true cost and how well it has been restored is going to be told.

[alittlebitfrench]

How do you arrive at a budget of 20,000 euros. That is 450 euros per room. I think 200,000 euros plus is more realistic. Well unless you are using Brit the Builder and kitting it out with a not so nice cheap B&Q bathroom I suppose. Would a Cook & Lewis bathroom suite suit a 18th century Loire chateaux ????

Trouble is these types of programs as well as the place in the sun just inspire people to go and do the same. I am guessing the owners have money but others who don't might think this is a realistic project.

However, I do think you could actually renovate a Chateaux like this without paying a bean.

I have come up with a very cunning idea...

[Chancer]

It can only be a good thing if it regenerates interest in buying in France.

And it has to be said, there are chateaus and there are chateaus, that is one to die for!

I know someone that bought an eqally stunning château but in very good condition for the price of a one bed apartment in London.

They are money pits though, I have no regrets in keeping my dreams realistic.

I am looking forward to the next 2 épisodes which is praise indeed from me.

[PaulT]

Sorry, but are a number of Americans posting? If not, it is accepted that a program is a computer program but a television show is a programme.

[andyh4]

ALBF wrote:

How do you arrive at a budget of 20,000 euros.

Unquote

Easy.

20k is when the money (supposedly) runs out.

"We have a total budget of 300k", so if the property cost 280k that leaves 20k.

And like you, my credibility is stretched quite a lot.

[Kong]

Credulity?

[andyh4]

that too.

I sear my English is getting worse.

[vette]

I'm sure it will cost them more.

Then again, they both have work. They both write books, Dick has TV work and Angel has her Vintage Patisserie company, the one featured Dragons Den.

Having taken virtually the same path as the two of them I know what's involved. We bought a smaller dilapidated 800 year old Chateau.

My costs to date are around £60K, but, other than new rendering and two Fosses, we have done all of the work ourselves. Rewiring, plumbing, you name it. Well worth it in the end though.

Oh, it's taken us 10 years too, but, we feel that we have saved our beautiful home for the future and we now take great pleasure in hosting paying guests, all of whom to date simply love the place.

Would I do it again? Not a chance.

[Chancer]

Chapeau!

[Blodwyn]

Erm, if we're being picky, I always thought the plural of chateau was chateaux.

If they are short of cash for the renovation, why have a flash wedding for 200 guests? These programmes always have an artificial deadline!

[Chancer]

My English is failing me, so much that I get accused of being an American!

My eyesight is also failing me, my brain tells my fingers what keys to press but the eyes dont see the mistakes, often letters in the wrong sequence (fingers going too fast) and often this fecking computer that slyly adds a capital letter to words like Worth, Under  etc but only when I am typing the next word.

When I read my posting later I was shocked to see chateaus, might have been an erreur de frappe, the X is just Under the S but I thin it was my Franglais brain wanting to say Châteaux the way it is spoken in English.

I dont think that criticising peoples spelling adds to a forum.

[Patf]

Chancer - it wasn't your mistake. I took it that you were congratulating Vette on the renovation so wrote "chapeau" ! - singular - which is correct .

Then Blodwyn comes in and corrects you, mistakenly thinking you're referring to a chateau or more than one , chateaux.

So it's Blodwyn's mistake, not yours.

[Patf]

Chancer - it wasn't your mistake. I took it that you were congratulating Vette on the renovation so wrote "chapeau" ! - singular - which is correct .

Then Blodwyn comes in and corrects you, mistakenly thinking you're referring to a chateau or more than one , chateaux.

So it's Blodwyn's mistake, not yours.

ps I add "imo" - always hedge my bets.

[andyh4]

For all the criticism - and my post might be seen as such even if it was not the intention - making a programme that runs

moderately wealthy couple buy French wreck

they spend a fortune doing it up

Nothing goes wrong

They now have a lovely house

does not make for interesting entertainment - although the Property Channel might disagree.

[Chancer]

PatF

I had indeed written "chateaus" twice in an earlier posting, I was ashamed even though nobody picked me up on it.

 

Re the program(me) [;-)]

When I saw the bodge that he did on the front step I thought to myself, nothing like starting out the way you wish to go on, I could see no end of non compliances with French normes happening but then I made enough myself in my ignorance.

However if the final episode shows him carrying his wife over the threshold it should make compelling viewing [:D]

Lets hope they had a camera set up in the cave!

[vette]

Well, having been round to their place last week, I can at least confirm that they are both fit and active. So, the floor must have held up!

They still have lots of work to do though.

I'm looking forward to tonight's episode, although Dick did say that the last one is the best.

We shall see.

[Chancer]

Thanks for the reminder, do you know what time its on? I can scan through the channels.

 

The drive up to the front door of that place looks stunning and one that I could never tire of, of course the drone camera makes the most of it but having had lots of stately homes as customers in the past I know that with the right layout and perspective the arrival at a place can be spectacular.

 

Is that the case with Château Dick? If so then its the icing on the cake.

[YCCMB]

7pm uk time channel 4

[idun]

now confused, looked at their web site and they are advertising weddings.....

husband has been watching the program and I was just wondering where the place was.

We had friends in France from the Pays de la Loire, and they insisted they were bretons, even looked like bretons, but some bretons from further north whom we all knew insisted that the Pays de la Loire was not in Brittany........ came up all too often really.