Buying A Chateau In France 🏰 🇫🇷 - 10 Things we wish we knew before

In this video, we share the top 10 lessons we've learned from our renovation adventure. From securing finances to dealing with unexpected challenges, and finding the right tradespeople for the job, we cover it all! Whether you're dreaming of your own chateau in France or are just in love with renovation stories, this video is for you. 🛠️💡

What we cover in this video:

▪️ The Financial Journey: How challenging it is to secure a loan in France for such a unique project.
Choosing the Right Contractors: The importance of selecting experienced local tradespeople to avoid costly mistakes.

▪️ Design and Planning: Why hiring a landscape designer from the start could save you time and money.

▪️ Living on Site: Our personal experience living in the chateau during renovations and why alternative accommodations might be a better choice.

▪️ Practical Renovation Tips: Real-world advice on managing a renovation project of this magnitude.

💬 Have you ever considered buying and renovating a chateau in France? What are your biggest fears or questions about undertaking such a massive project? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

👍 If you enjoyed this video, please like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon to stay updated with our chateau adventures!

Thank you for watching, and we can’t wait to share more of our journey with you! 🌍❤️

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[FRASERMCGREGOR]

Hands down this has been your best video ever. It's so accomplished and well edited and full of tips and tricks. You've come such a long way. All your hard work is inspiring and it's really lovely to watch everything come together for you all.

[rileykeff]

My wife and I bought an old house about a year ago. One thing I find myself consistently talking about with her is that - when we renovate stuff ourselves, we need to trust one another that the other person isn’t knowingly making a mistake, they’re trying their best to have an excellent finished product.

[graemelewis]

Hands down my favourite Château renovation channel. My wife is a professional interior designer with 30 years experience, our taste is vastly different, hers is baroque, mine is minimalist and less clutter. Our house looks like the shoemaker shoe, it's basically an office LOL

[platoman]

I'm an old man now; entire non-work life spent traveling with close friends looking for exquisite furniture, mulling over masterpieces seen in museums, private mansions, kings' courts, etc. Now, 42 years later, I have my work of art and realize none of my family would have a piece of it in their home. Very well, sell it to marketers who can feed someone elses dreams., one piece at a time, giving to someone the joy I had for so many years. So that the comment is not solely about me, I do really love personally you, Anna and Philipp, for your dream, steady seeking, and present victory in an astonishingly lovely achievement. May it now turn around and bless you.

[elizabethpaints]

Wow, this was an eye opener! Your history of renovating your past homes reflects your great partnership working through the chateau challenges. However I had no clue there were problems with furniture and decor ideas, except of course for paint color. Now that we know the back story, the renovations you've done take on a whole new meaning. You are an amazing team!

[kellyprice]

Anna, as a mother and Grandmother, if it was not just the noise you stressed over with your children, it would be something else. Raising children is hard. Rest now as Teenagers can really throw you. Every parent tries their best. ❤

[sandramapstone]

I can tell you that the closest we ever came to DIVORCE was doing renovation projects together. After 30 years of being married we have learned to step back and think about what the other person is saying, and listening ... and hearing them!

[ruth]

I was actually struck by how many of these lessons are totally applicable even to people renovating a small and modest home! We’ve come to some of the exact same conclusions about the process we’re going through with our own little fixer-upper.

[sth.]

You've done an amazing job, including being willing to tackle a massive learning curve! If I could give a bit of marital advice, with 30 years married and going strong: Make time for a date night each week. No kids, no talk of work, projects, Youtube, schedules - just you two. Go out to a nice restaurant; find a new place together, whether that's a walk, hike, or new site of interest nearby. And never go to bed without talking through strife points and finding a resolution together. Remembering that you're on the same team, even in the stressful times, will be helped by these simple steps.

[dwagnerful]

You both have worked so hard getting the chateau livable. It's always easier to look back. I think so many of your renovations are really beautiful. The hard reality of owning an old home; trying to turn a profit, constant maintenance and repairs, never ending money pit, taxes, etc., can exhaust anyone and make you old early. Bed and breakfast and wedding venue are hard, hard, work. Pleasing the public, well that's another story. I sense you are coming to the end of this journey and looking forward to a new exciting chapter in your lives. If this is so, I wish you and your family the very best!

[mariagrasso]

I'm shocked to learn you had issues around the chateau's decor and style. It's what I love the most about your home, the effortless blend of modern and classic pieces with fresh color combinations. You honor the home's tradition and also acknowledge that we're living in 2023. The rooms take my breath away, AD worthy, but not stuffy or pretentious. Seems like you have found a style that perfectly reflects who you BOTH are, and perhaps is a metaphor for why your relationship works. Ah, the silver lining of conflicts and disagreements. Bravo!

[TheFiown]

I have rented a huge mansion since three years and invested a lot of money making it comfortable. I planted many trees and shrubs and flowers, built a few raised vegetable beds, cleared the land, renovated the third floor and the kitchen and set aside materials for most of the other rooms with moodboards and fabrics and paint ready to go. THEN the owner decides to sell despite telling me three years ago that I could stay here forever (well a good few years, long enough to make renovation viable). I will not see my trees grow tall and bear fruit or my flower beds spread out. Who knew that it would be so hard to let go of a dream ! The thing is that most houses for rent are horrible, nasty 'renovations' and bare gardens. Luckily I have your videos to watch and fill those voids with lovely images. xo

[katymichalski]

I think it was so, so smart for Phillip to become an electrician. This was beyond genius as he knows what is there now and can also look back to see what repairs were done. Especially learning that while under so much stress of being sick and getting the loan. Really very impressive
!!! "Capability Phillip"

[pattymoroney]

MARRIAGE ADVICE... At the age of 39 I decided to leave my 20 year marriage. ... BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE. My ex-husband was a builder and helper to me, but I didn't appreciate him. I now do renovations alone and it has been excruciating. Also, the dating scene is terrifying out here... like a horror film! PLEASE TAKE MY ADVICE...APPRECIATE YOUR LIFE TOGETHER!!! THE GRASS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE IS BURNT! I LOVE 💘 YOUR CHANNEL! YOUR FAMILY

[colleenlongardner]

And can I say that Anna's creative talent is just outstanding. Her super power.

[aekyth]

My first Youtubute comment ever.
I've been following you for almost 2 years and each of your videos is a pleasure to watch. Thank you for sharing this wonderful adventure with us. On a personal level, I feel very privileged. I look forward to every Sunday when I can meet up with you behind my computer.
I wish you all the best, you deserve it.
Greetings from Reims, France 👋

[PropheticCoachTheresa]

You guys will be at a million subscribers soon. You sure deserve it. Thanks for bringing the world so much joy in the last couple of years. Blessings! ♥

[ovillagebedandbreakfastino]

Thank you for this video. I renovated a Maison de Maitre in Languedoc during COVID. As a solo owner with no skill on how to repair things I hired a group of workers. I changed 19 old windows that could probably have been repaired now I watc that I watched your video. My new wooden windows look great but it was a stuggle to find the hardward that would make them look like the originals. I agree with you that buying dark brown furniture from Antique stores is not the only way to furnish a home. I get a lot of compliments for the style of my rooms and share spaces. I also sourced everything based on my taste. I chose the style instead of trying to make a decor with old furniture. I think people appreciate sleeping in a brand new bed, instead of putting their heads against an old velvet headboard that may have hidden bugs or dirt. I also found that creating the outdoor space was more complicated that creating the living spaces inside the house. I had to create a parking, a swimming pool, etc, ... and I am still learning about the plants, trees, flower etc... I wished my garden would look fuller than it is now. To conclude I want to say that I LOVE the style that you have created. It is really beautiful. You have great taste and both of you are very creative. Your castle deserved to have owners like you. It was waiting for you, and it is probably going through its most glorious era thanks to both of you.

[cherylmclaughlin]

As they say, looking back at everything you have done, is 20/20. i think you have done a fantastic job. The furniture you showed us, in the attic, would be beautiful if you strip it and paint it off white, the really nice green that you have chosen previously, and give Philipp a red chest of drawers! You both are so talented. Philipp has achieved electrical for sure and Anna, you are so artistically talented. As years go by, you can change the colors of the rooms, if you wish. If I was you, I would not find fault with anything. You both took on a huge project and it is so beautiful. Now you can write a book about your experiences and make sure you have a chapter about what we wish we had done. Your a very special one of a kind. Be proud.

[CzarinaHarris]

I think your apple trees somehow remember that their ancestors thrived there many years ago! Wonderful to see fruit so soon on your tree, congratulations!