Chateau DIY Season 10 Episode 3
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00:00France is home to thousands of chateaux, with many left derelict and unloved.
00:11But some courageous individuals are reviving these old buildings and bringing them back
00:23to life.
00:24It isn't always a smooth ride, when restoring historic castles, into fairytale homes, and
00:44thriving businesses, but those that have the ambition and drive,
00:53often get to enjoy the rewards, as they get to live out their dreams, as keepers of their
01:10very own French chateaux.
01:16Today, tensions flare for one couple, trying to complete their first suite.
01:25Is that straight?
01:26No, it's not, Terry.
01:27Oh, my word.
01:28Another pair are concerned about what lies beneath.
01:32All this is going to go boom.
01:34As they need to be chateau ready in time for their first wedding.
01:38That is a horrendous scenario.
01:40And another duo deal with the descent of an en suite at the start of their bathroom renovation.
01:48I'm worried it's going to swing like a conker into the window.
01:51No, no, no, no, no.
01:52Slowly.
01:53Set within the picturesque Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, in Western France, lies the magical
02:0719th century Chateau de la Boutiniere.
02:14Along with fairytale turrets, and surrounded by 52 acres of ancient woodland, it even has
02:23its own Victorian hunting lodge.
02:27Inside, there are 47 rooms, which are being lovingly restored by builder Zion and his wife,
02:35interior designer, Alison.
02:38Morning, ladies.
02:41This was our Chateau dream.
02:44And it took us 20 viewings of different Chateau before we found this one.
02:48And the minute we found it, we just knew this was going to be our forever home.
02:51This is, I think, every builder's dream.
02:55Somebody that, like, you know, to create things, to change things, to improve things.
03:00And this is the place.
03:02Located just over three hours from Paris, the couple purchased the Chateau in 2021 for
03:12£580,000.
03:16The last time we saw them, Alison and Zion had created a stunning bridal suite, complete
03:23with opulent bathroom and its very own steam room.
03:28It's relaxing, romantic.
03:30It is very romantic.
03:32And it's unique.
03:33Unique to us.
03:37Now the pressure is on, as there is a deadline looming.
03:41After two and a half years of living here, we have finally got our first wedding booked.
03:46And it's really exciting, but equally terrifying, because we've got to be ready on time.
03:51With just three months to go to the big day, the rear facade and steps, where the ceremony
03:58will take place, look neglected, drab and run down.
04:03The most important thing is to get rid of this graffiti.
04:06We've got graffiti on the shutters and we've also got it on the masonry of the walls.
04:10So we're not quite sure whether it's going to come off using a jet wash or whether we're
04:14going to have to spray it.
04:15It's a bit of an experiment, but we need to get on.
04:18Whey!
04:19That's what I wanted in here.
04:28It feels like, you know, you're trying to take something that has never been cleaned
04:31for probably more than ten years.
04:33It's bedded inside the stone.
04:39While Zion blasts away, Alison sets her sights on the central chateau door.
04:46This is probably one of the most important parts of the rear of the chateau, because where
04:50I'm standing now will be where the bride and groom hopefully will do their vows.
04:54And this door will be in close up.
04:57My job today is to sand it all down so that it goes as close to bare wood as I can get it.
05:02So it's really nice and smooth.
05:04And then when we paint it, it's going to look gorgeous.
05:07All masked up, and off, ready go!
05:22What's going with coming off the wall?
05:24The wall rendering.
05:25Oh, my goodness.
05:26Are we making a job for ourselves?
05:28No, it's just the same as the rest.
05:30Unfortunately, it looks like not just the graffiti's going to come off, but all the rendering as well,
05:34which isn't quite the idea.
05:36Zion doesn't seem at all concerned, but I am, because I know how these jobs one leads to another.
05:42And next thing you know, we'll be re-rendering the chateau before the wedding.
05:48Having started the mammoth clean-up job, there's no going back now.
05:53In my eyes, it looks better, because you don't see the graffiti.
05:58The rendering is bad anyway.
06:00So, okay, a few more holes, big deal.
06:02It's difficult to tell at this stage.
06:04Once it's dried and the render comes back up a lighter colour,
06:07then we'll be able to see whether the graffiti's actually gone.
06:10They've made a small dent on removing the graffiti, but Alison and Zion might just have made even more work for themselves.
06:24Two hours south, to the stunning Haute-Vienne département, lies the majestic 19th century Château de la Gruyère.
06:38Set within 12 acres, the property boasts two grand towers and its own turret and came fully furnished,
06:51with 12 bedrooms, nine bathrooms and two grands salons.
06:58It's now home to Sharon, a retired district nurse, and husband Tim,
07:05who handily worked in construction before moving to France.
07:10You're going to do a dull boy?
07:14Okay?
07:15Yeah.
07:16Perfect.
07:17The couple from Oxfordshire bought the Château in 2022 for £500,000.
07:26Out of the four that we actually saw, this was the one that spoke to us, made us both very emotional,
07:31when we walked in, so Carla knew it had something special about it.
07:35And living where we live in this Château, it was very rural.
07:38Everything can happen tomorrow, and it is a quieter pace,
07:42and when you come back into the Château you think, wow, yeah, relax.
07:48Located two and a half hours north of Toulouse,
07:53the couple have already restyled eight rooms,
07:56and are about to make a bland guest bathroom feel more like their own.
08:02Today we're going to start removing the bathroom from the tower for the main bedroom.
08:07Get all the tiles out, get the bath out, get the toilet, get the vanity unit, strip it all back,
08:12and then we'll have a look at whether we're going to take the false ceiling down as well, which we may do.
08:18This is where Sharon comes into her own, because she loves destroying things.
08:21So she's going to be really good at this.
08:23I quite like to do the bit of demolition, because you get an instant result.
08:28Tim is a trained electrician and plumber.
08:31So that should sit in there like so.
08:36I'm disconnecting the electrics into the bedroom.
08:38In typical French style, there's lots of connector blocks all over the place,
08:42so you locate them, find out what goes where.
08:46I've got a full current going through.
08:49Although previously renovated, Sharon aims to give this bathroom a restyle.
08:56We've done two bathrooms so far, so this is our third one.
09:01There's nine in total, so we've still got a way to go.
09:05When I first arrived in France, I put my hand underneath a cupboard,
09:09and there were some live wires under there, and it gave me a nice little reminder
09:13that you need to make sure electrics are turned off,
09:16and you can never rely on anybody unless you do it yourself.
09:22Lefty Lucy, Lucy, lefty Lucy, righty tighty.
09:25In one sense, it was great buying the chateau fully furnished,
09:32but on the downside, it's something quite odd living in a house
09:37that you don't recognise anything, but you own it all.
09:40It was never, ever on my radar to live in France.
09:45We just decided we wanted to take care of retirement,
09:48but we were too young to do nothing.
09:52Right, how are you getting on?
09:55I've just got this last one, which I'm finding quite difficile.
09:59OK, well, let's, let's, OK, leave that for a minute,
10:01and let's get the toilet out, shall we?
10:03I'm going to give this to you.
10:05Happy days, happy days.
10:07I can hear it swishing around.
10:09This is fairly heavy, actually.
10:11Is it?
10:14There we go.
10:19Don't break the part, the mirror.
10:21Ooh.
10:22Ready?
10:24OK.
10:26Good job.
10:28Bit of heave-ho, yeah?
10:29I think it needs to go up.
10:31Up.
10:32Put it over here.
10:35Yep, somewhere just there is good.
10:38We'll strip that down when we get a chance.
10:40Strip it all down into smaller bits.
10:41Take it all, yeah.
10:42Manageable.
10:43Take it all apart.
10:44And we'll get it into bags,
10:45and then just chuck it out the window and on a rope, hopefully.
10:48They've made a good start in stripping the tower bathroom,
10:52but with a bath and floor-to-ceiling tiles to smash off,
10:56this suite is a long way from welcoming any guests.
11:03Coming up,
11:04Zeon sets about restoring 60 shutters
11:08in time for the chateau's first-ever wedding.
11:11The shutters looks dead.
11:13And Sharon and Tim let it all hang out.
11:17That is heavy.
11:18As they continue to strip a bathroom.
11:21Just go really steady.
11:31Surrounded by the lush woodland and riverways of Normandy
11:35in northern France,
11:37lies the imposing 18th-century Chateau de la Lasselle.
11:45Set within 21 acres,
11:47the property comprises of 25 rooms
11:51and a magnificent central staircase leading up inside a stunning tower.
11:57It had lain in a dilapidated state for decades before Middlesbrough couple Terry and fiance Ashley bought it in 2021 for 250,000 pounds.
12:13It's all going well.
12:15Nice quick lunch.
12:17Get back to it.
12:19It is also home to Terry's mum, Tracy, and his nephew, Jonathan.
12:23It was the Goldilocks, wasn't it?
12:25It ticked every single box.
12:27We had a list of requirements that our home in France had to be.
12:31And there was no compromise on a single thing with what we wanted.
12:35Yeah.
12:36I think when we saw the spiral staircase in the tower, that was just the...
12:39Yeah.
12:40Sold it.
12:41Yeah.
12:42That was a deal breaker with it, so...
12:44Located just over 100 miles west of Paris,
12:49the Chateau had lain empty for 40 years
12:53and most of the rooms were uninhabitable,
12:56forcing them to live in caravans on site.
12:59It was difficult at first because you've given up everything that you've had,
13:02so you had a nice house and cars and...
13:05and everything to living in a caravan and showering in a shed and...
13:12It made every step after that monumental, didn't it?
13:15Yeah.
13:16Like, when we got water to the Chateau and when we got power
13:19and every little thing was...
13:21A huge step forward.
13:23It's not for everyone, but...
13:26It's definitely for us.
13:27Definitely.
13:29When we were last here,
13:32they were battling to complete their first guest suite.
13:37Oh, my God.
13:38It is bad, isn't it?
13:39Yeah.
13:41Now, with Tracey's help,
13:43they have almost finished what they are calling the 400 suite
13:47and are expecting visitors from America.
13:51So, the 400 suite, we've had to do absolutely everything.
13:53It's been a complete rebuild from the electrics, the plumbing,
13:56the walls, the floors, the ceilings, everything's completely new in there
14:00or restored for what was already there.
14:02Yeah.
14:04But there's still a few finishing touches to complete.
14:10So, before the guests come, I've got a real pulse to the chair
14:13to get that into the 400 bedroom, so they've got somewhere to sit.
14:16And I've got some pictures to do.
14:18A few nice tapestries just to put in the frames that we've done.
14:20Yeah.
14:21And I'm just the hired help today.
14:22I'll just be kind and stuff about.
14:24You can make the cups of tea.
14:25Yeah.
14:26So, this is one of two Louis XV chairs we managed to pick up from a brock hunt.
14:34We've got them for absolute bargain.
14:36So, the plan is to completely strip them.
14:38Then we can look at the woodwork, see if there's any repairs to do with the woodwork.
14:42Give the wood a nice wax and then we can look at re-covering it.
14:46When I was back in the UK, I used to do quite a lot of upholstery,
14:51picking up chairs that were destined for the skip, really,
14:55and then just bringing them back to life.
14:57With the original horse hair and the padded hessian,
15:00we'll be putting that back in.
15:02So, I'm going to try and take this off as careful as I can.
15:09We're just using a completely natural beeswax
15:11and it's just soaking up into the wood.
15:13And this one, in particular, has got a nice sort of rose gold tint to it.
15:22It's beautiful, just getting that sheen on it.
15:26Terry has started to bring a little bit of history back to life.
15:31But there is still a chair to cover and framed tapestries to hang
15:36before their first guests arrive.
15:43170 miles south at Alison and Zeon's, the race is on to clean up the rear of their chateau
15:55in time for their first wedding ceremony.
15:58Zeon and I have very different working styles.
16:01I have a very strict timetable as to how we're going to achieve this
16:04and when we're going to finish.
16:06Zeon's very much more relaxed.
16:07Why do I have to worry all the time? Let's get on with it.
16:12Let's see what I mean.
16:16Not an easy job for an old man, you know.
16:18Having already jet-washed some of the masonry and sanded a door...
16:23Oh, she's working.
16:26She's working.
16:27Zeon gets to work on the shutters, all 60 of them.
16:35This shutters looks dead.
16:39They need some TLC.
16:42Whoa!
16:45You need to stick it on.
16:50Cleaning the rear facade is one thing, but the garden is quite another.
16:59It's a disgrace.
17:00You couldn't have a wedding as it looks now.
17:03When we first started researching the history of this chateau,
17:06I saw online a photograph that had a very distinctive pattern here
17:11in the rear of the chateau which had grass in it
17:13and everything else was like a driveway around it.
17:16And if you look closely,
17:18you can still see the granite outline of that grass.
17:21And then I'm going to put a shrub here in each corner,
17:25one that I can perhaps decorate for the weddings.
17:28So it'll really create a nice, almost a topiary garden,
17:32but on a fairly basic level.
17:35As time is of the essence,
17:37handyman Adrian has been called in.
17:40Outside the granite set, I want to take the grass off.
17:43You want it scraped off?
17:44Yeah, I want it scraped off.
17:45So if you could follow the line.
17:46OK, we just have to watch we don't touch the granite thing
17:49and not damage it.
17:50OK, no problem at all.
17:56There's nothing I like more than having all this work going on.
17:59It's a real bug,
18:00and it makes me feel like we're actually getting somewhere.
18:03Alison, is this deep enough?
18:12Yeah, that's fine.
18:13No deeper than that, though.
18:15Why not?
18:21I think that we've got enough time
18:23and we can do just enough
18:25to make a complete difference to the way it looks
18:27and to make it be somewhere these brides want to come to.
18:31But there's also the unpredictable weather to contend with.
18:37The rain's coming in,
18:38and once the rain's set,
18:39we're going to have to stop playing
18:41because this digger will make too many tracks in the mud.
18:46We will keep going.
18:47We'll get it done.
18:48Everything will be fine, you know.
18:51Just...
18:53It'll all be fine.
18:54What could possibly go wrong?
18:56With a wedding deadline looming,
18:5959 shutters to paint,
19:01and a garden to complete,
19:03Alison and Zion
19:05well and truly have their work cut out.
19:13Just over 100 miles away,
19:15in Haute Vienne,
19:16at Sharon and Tim's...
19:19Just be aggressive with it.
19:21They're continuing to rip apart their tower bathroom.
19:25So if you get that underneath there,
19:27hit the end of this.
19:30But floor-to-ceiling tiles
19:32means the bath is still stuck fast.
19:36There you go.
19:37There you go.
19:38There you go.
19:42See what I was saying?
19:43Don't be shy.
19:44I can see downstairs.
19:46What room's that?
19:47The salon?
19:48No, that's the office.
19:51Oh, of course.
19:52We're in the tower.
19:53We're in the tower.
19:54There we go.
19:58They have parties, don't they,
19:59where you can go and smash things up?
20:04It is quite satisfying, isn't it?
20:07Give me a heart attack then.
20:15Oh, I've got two sections.
20:16Do you want to take the big bit
20:17and I'll take the small bit?
20:22I could take the big bit.
20:23You sure?
20:24Yeah.
20:26Man or mouse?
20:28You good?
20:30Smashing out a bathroom is one thing,
20:32but carrying the bulky parts
20:34down the chateau's grand staircase
20:36is quite another.
20:39Tim is a man with a plan.
20:48Rope it up.
20:49Get a couple of extra loops in.
20:50Just lower it out of the window.
20:52We're all good.
20:56Ready to go.
21:02Please don't let it bang against the windows.
21:04Because you'll smash the window of the salon.
21:08There you go then.
21:09If I let it go, can you catch it?
21:12Careful.
21:15Slowly.
21:20Oh, you're a dream.
21:24Dream team.
21:25Yeah.
21:26Yeah.
21:27That's good.
21:28That saved the floors and damaging walls on the way down.
21:32We've got to put a toilet through now.
21:35Oh, yes.
21:36Look at that.
21:38Perfect.
21:39All good.
21:40All good.
21:41I'm a little bit nervous about this one
21:42because I think the toilet is very heavy and contained
21:46and I'm worried it's going to swing like a conker into the window.
21:49Are you there, my love?
21:51I'm here.
21:53I think...
21:54I think you should put a hard hat on.
21:56Oh, Lord.
21:57That is heavy.
21:58Crikey.
21:59Sharon, don't stand underneath it.
22:00I'm not.
22:01I'm on the patio.
22:03That is bloody heavy.
22:05The average porcelain toilet base weighs over four stone.
22:10Good to go.
22:11Yeah, just go really steady.
22:13I worry about that metal...
22:15It's just that it's trying to lift my feet off the ground.
22:18Is it?
22:19Yeah.
22:25There you go.
22:28If you need me, I'll come down.
22:30Stop being so needy.
22:31I don't need you.
22:33It's only a toilet.
22:41What's all the fuss about?
22:44The bathroom is hardly recognisable.
22:48I've got half the tiles off.
22:50They're small ones, so it's quite a slow process.
22:54Yeah.
22:55Around the curvature of the tower.
22:57We'll get there.
22:58We'll get there.
22:59It's all good.
23:00We've got tomorrow.
23:01And the day after.
23:02And the day after.
23:03And the day after.
23:04Yeah, it's fine.
23:06It's been a successful day of stripping and smashing, and Sharon and Tim's latest bathroom
23:12renovation is most definitely underway.
23:16Still to come.
23:17No, I wouldn't do that.
23:18I wouldn't do that.
23:19I wouldn't do that.
23:20As they restore their crumbling steps.
23:21Probably going all the way down to Australia.
23:22And a nasty surprise for Sharon and Tim.
23:23Oh!
23:24During a bathroom renovation.
23:25Yeah, that's a nest of something.
23:26In Normandy.
23:27At Terry and Ashley's.
23:28It's the final push to finish a suite of rooms before their first guests arrive from America.
23:30The chair's almost started.
24:01I've got all of the padding back on, all of the fabric barring the last arm really.
24:07And then I've just got the last of the braiding upper on, just to trim around just so it hides all the staples and gives it a nice finish really.
24:15But seeing it now, it's just a completely different chair compared to what it was when I first started.
24:22So, get this arm done, and then get the rest started.
24:29Put it on there first, right to the edge, and then we can stretch it off that way to fit that way.
24:33Yeah.
24:34Alright.
24:36Meanwhile, Ashley and Terry's mum, Tracy, have to secure the wall hangings into frames.
24:42Terry's got these lovely tapestries while we were out shopping one day, but sadly the frames were damaged, and we found better frames.
24:49Terry likes these better, doesn't he?
24:50So, better to use these and have something that he's happy with in there.
24:54Yeah.
25:00My job isn't normally the final detail and finishing touches, but with the weather being the way that it's been,
25:05I'm inside helping finish this off, and it's important we all get this done before our first guest arrives.
25:10So, this isn't the only one we've got to finish off with, is it?
25:13No.
25:14There's hallway, salon.
25:17Luckily, there's none in the bathroom, so...
25:20We're okay.
25:22Terry's, am I putting the little tacks in to hold this in place?
25:25In the back?
25:26Yeah.
25:27So, if you put the...
25:28Oh, that's a bit thick for it.
25:30It's alright.
25:33Is that alright?
25:34Yes, boss.
25:35Are you okay?
25:36Yes, boss.
25:37I'm not doing it.
25:40I'm not doing it.
25:41You won't shout at you, Tris.
25:49Terry is the artistic brains behind all the renovations at the Chateau.
25:54Getting this first guest suite sorted, it's a massive achievement.
25:59We never thought we would be at this stage, to be honest, because there's been so much work going on elsewhere.
26:05Erm, so finally getting this part done, it is...it is a real bonus.
26:12I'm just doing...just rubbing it on this.
26:14Yeah.
26:16So, Karen's gonna be our first ever guest in the completed 400 suite.
26:21She's not been here for a year, so she'll see the...the big changes that we've made in this place.
26:29It's so important for us that we get all this right for Karen, and with her being our first guest, because she's been a part of our journey from the very beginning, really.
26:37So, we just want to make it special for her, just so it's a nice, enjoyable experience, really, staying in the Chateau.
26:44It's gonna be good to see a reaction when she comes and sees the 400 suite.
26:47I'll give it a quick clean-off, just to get all the little bits of fluff off it, and then we can get it up in the bedroom.
26:59They're almost there with the completion of their first suite.
27:04Then, it's just a matter of finding out what the guests think.
27:08200 miles south, at Chateau de la Boutiniere, Alison and Zion are preparing to host their first ever wedding in three months' time.
27:27It's really, really bad, isn't it?
27:29Yeah. No, I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't do that.
27:31But the steps that wedding couples will walk up to take their vows are unsafe.
27:39The landing is really badly broken, and water's pouring into the basement below, and now is an opportunity to put concrete down and to resurface it.
27:49I really want to save the mosaic pattern.
27:52There is a little bit of a challenge, because it's something I've never done before, lifting up a 150-year-old mosaic and trying to put it back on.
28:01Right, go for it.
28:04Oh, my word.
28:09Look at this. Look how hollow is this.
28:12I can lose this, didn't they?
28:16It's a bigger problem than they thought.
28:20Probably going all the way down to Australia.
28:25Alison's priority is saving every morsel of the mosaic.
28:29I feel like an archaeologist coming in after the dig.
28:34Anything I can see that's been dropped in this hole or comes off as we pick these up, I'm going to save and then use them to patch it all back up again afterwards.
28:42I have to be very careful with this.
28:48Well done. That's great.
28:54This is the decorative bit. This is the bit from 1872 that we're putting back together again.
28:59And I want to restore what's here and make it beautiful again.
29:05So instead of 400 pieces, I've only got four to worry about.
29:09Yeah.
29:11You are so close.
29:12Oh, thank you.
29:14Very good.
29:15But the celebrations are short-lived.
29:18Bloody hell.
29:20The whole thing underneath is hollow.
29:23Yeah.
29:24I'll tell you what is going to happen.
29:25What?
29:26All this is going to go boom.
29:28This?
29:29Yeah.
29:30Everything is hollow down to the bottom of these sets and it could just go boom at any time.
29:36That is a horrendous scenario.
29:39Potentially faced with a huge engineering project, Alison and Zion will have to dig deep to get the Chateau wedding ready in time.
29:49Two hours away at Chateau de la Gruyere.
29:59All right, let's go and have a look.
30:01Sharon and Tim have been forced to put their bathroom project on hold as noises have been heard coming from the ceiling.
30:10Today we're going to halt on the removal of the tiling because we really need to look at getting the ceiling down so we can understand what's going on before.
30:19We're going behind the ceiling and we have no idea what we're going to come across, but Sharon is fearless.
30:25So, hence why she's doing it and I'm not.
30:29Maybe because it's of my skill set, which is very small, so I can hammer things and I can take things out.
30:35You enjoy knocking things about.
30:36Yeah, I don't mind.
30:37I want to be involved.
30:38I want to do things.
30:39So, if I can, Tim will allow me to crack on and get it done.
30:42Yeah.
30:43And I'm always slightly concerned that the whole thing is going to come down and I don't think this hat would save me particularly.
30:56Oh, tray heavy.
30:57I don't want to go through the window.
30:58Look, okay.
30:59Have I got it?
31:00Yep.
31:01Is that a bat?
31:02No, it's not, is it?
31:03It's some sort of nest because you can see the hole there.
31:17See how damp it all is? Yeah.
31:21The reason we're taking this down is for that reason as well.
31:23So we can see what's going on.
31:25Because there is something living up there.
31:27Maybe there's a commune or something that's living there,
31:30and maybe that's urine, or it's from the bath above.
31:34All this insulation is what the rodents love.
31:37So, you know, there's no telling what could be above this,
31:39and this is the tower.
31:41I loathe mice, I loathe rats,
31:43I basically loathe anything with four legs that moves quicker than me.
31:52Can you pull it a bit?
31:54Well, now I'm very nervous.
31:57I'm hoping I've given them enough time to get out.
32:02Don't keep peeling the insulation away, because you want to...
32:05That's it, that's it.
32:06OK.
32:08It seems odd, doesn't it?
32:10As a nurse, I can cope with anything.
32:12Blood, vomit, faeces, but I don't like this.
32:23That falls down, or a load of baby mice come for me.
32:26I think I'll faint.
32:28What's all that?
32:30It looks like quite big faeces.
32:33Oh, dear, that's not good.
32:35Oh!
32:37Yeah, that's a nest of something.
32:39There you go.
32:51Oh, look out, look out!
32:52Oh, you...
32:53..freaking half-wit.
32:56Oh.
32:57As if the thought of rodents running around wasn't bad enough...
33:02Crikey.
33:03The joists are rotten.
33:04Yep.
33:05So we're going to have to trim some new ones in,
33:07and support that floor for the bathroom above.
33:11Yep.
33:12It's always something else.
33:14One, two, three, go!
33:18Oof!
33:21Absolutely disgusting.
33:27It's not all it's cracked up to be, is it?
33:29It's, you know, you unearth one thing,
33:31and there's four other problems behind it.
33:34It's not straightforward.
33:35Whatever's been living in here has not had good hygiene.
33:40Could be...
33:41We might get a little bit of peace at night's now.
33:44Go!
33:44Anything run out of it?
33:47No.
33:47Everything all right?
33:48Good job?
33:49Yep.
33:49Nice one.
33:51I get all the mucky jobs.
33:52I'm a bit like the gopher.
33:54He's the gaffer.
33:55Can we try and speed it up a little bit?
33:58Well, I'm still the boss.
33:59I think I'm going to have to sack my cat
34:09because it's obviously not doing a good job.
34:13We knew we wanted to take the ceiling down in the tower,
34:17but as most things in the chateau,
34:19you never know what you're going to find.
34:21And we found a few nests.
34:24That's been a good day's work to get that out.
34:27It's given us more work,
34:28but we have now got a clear way forward.
34:32Sharon and Tim are relieved
34:35that any rodent guests have moved on,
34:38but finding rotten joists
34:40means there's a lot more work ahead.
34:43Still to come...
34:48Oh, my word.
34:49Alison and Zion worry their crumbling steps...
34:53It's a nightmare.
34:54..won't be ready for their first wedding.
34:57I need to discover what's all this sitting on.
34:59..and can Terry and Ashley finish their first ever suite...
35:03It's been a bit of a headache, but...
35:05To see the final result, it's worth every second.
35:08..before guests arrive.
35:10Ah!
35:10Ah!
35:13In Western France, at Alison and Zion's,
35:21their clean-up plans have backfired
35:23as they've unearthed a huge problem with the rear steps.
35:29Oh, my word.
35:31This looks like a giant sinkhole.
35:35It turns out that not only are the steps hollow,
35:38there's a giant hole we can see there,
35:40but actually this is just collapsing in on itself.
35:44Yeah, it's a floating landing, where is this?
35:47Literally a floating landing.
35:50It's a nightmare.
35:52No, it's not.
35:53Don't think about it like that.
35:57After 35 years in the building trade,
36:01Zion isn't phased by much.
36:03I need to discover what's all this sitting on.
36:07When I find out, then I have to make a decision.
36:12This is so typical of work on a chateau.
36:15Suddenly you uncover something that changes the entire dynamic
36:18of what you were trying to achieve.
36:20Look, I'm sure there is a wall here.
36:23Yeah, that's good.
36:28The discovery of a supporting wall
36:31means Zion can fill the void beneath
36:34and secure it with concrete.
36:40Aha!
36:47Got more stones.
36:50It's gone, it's gone.
36:51Don't, don't, stand, stand.
36:57Such glamour.
37:00You have to believe it'll be okay.
37:02It'll be okay.
37:08One bucket, 20 more to go.
37:10Oh.
37:12Very good, it's going exactly how I want it to go.
37:15It's not seeping through the back,
37:17so this concrete slab is going to be solid.
37:21After five loads of cement,
37:26the pair are finally getting somewhere.
37:30This is the last half mix that we're going to put in today.
37:33I feel sorry for people that retire and do nothing, you know?
37:40Seriously.
37:41I thought I'd be mixing cocktails, not cement.
37:43I think we were doing amazing.
37:44I think if we'll carry on like this, we'll be going on holiday before the wedding.
37:55No?
37:56In your dreams.
37:57be going on holiday before the wedding no in your dreams a crumbling crisis has
38:06been averted but the steps still need securing and there's an ancient mosaic
38:12to rebuild 170 miles north at chateau de la la salle Terry and Ashley are expecting their
38:28first guests just hooks on the little islet on the back ash I pulled it off the wall this is why I'm
38:40not allowed to touch the delicate things the 400 suite will be the first guest accommodation open
38:52for business and Terry wants everything looking perfect no I'm not touching it still swing off
39:00the pictures to put it in properly next time Terry oh we've got the wrong pit you put the
39:10wrong pictures in the wrong frames shut up Terry I don't see you have to think I wanted that nice
39:15picture there you can see this here oh well this is what happens when you don't supervise yeah
39:20you leave it grab this working with amateurs
39:24just hold it I said just hold it just hold it right is that straight no it's not Terry which
39:43where does it it needs to go that way that way yeah now we've gone too far there bit more
39:4812 months ago the 400 suite was just a collection of dilapidated unloved rooms
40:04now they have created a grand entrance hallway with an impressive ceiling design
40:14and a treasure trove of furniture from local brocante the hallway it's brilliant because it's just a nice
40:23like inviting room isn't it and we had three entrances into that too then we've blocked off now
40:29such a welcoming environment you want to go in and you want to see more a drab neglected space has
40:37been painstakingly transformed into a grand Edwardian salon painted a heritage green and edged in gold
40:46Terry also created elegant ceiling moldings to finish off the whole room
40:55the salon probably might it's my favorite room it's a proper gentleman's room it's so cozy with
41:02having the fire in there now and just being able to see the log burner go on and sit in there and
41:06relax it's it's beautiful creating an ensuite gave them the biggest problems now it's a pristine
41:18vision with unique hand-painted tiles and a striking central chandelier bathroom would
41:26been a challenge because that is a complete rebuild every single piece of that is brand new yeah I
41:32remember obviously when we were taking the floor up how bad that was and then we took walls down yeah
41:38and then we put walls back up it's been a bit of a headache but to see the final result it's worth
41:44every every second finally the plain and dreary bedroom was lacking any sense of style now it's
41:54been given a right royal makeover with an abundance of lavish lovingly created moldings decorating the walls
42:03and ceiling a grand canopy over the bed was handmade by Tracy and Terry's re-upholstered chair takes
42:15pride of place we've been able to restore picture frames and create our own moldings as well for the
42:23bedroom which is fantastic isn't it looks amazing creating our own like Louis the 15th style bedroom
42:29from scratch really to see it finally finished now it's just it is amazing and it's perfect timing as
42:42their first guest Karen has finally arrived with husband Sam and friend Ray and cannot wait to be shown
42:51around wow I was just at Versailles and I think they've out done Versailles so we've got this done just in time you're pulling up the drive and we're putting the last bits in I saw it when you couldn't even see some of the structures watching ceilings fall and floors nearly collapse and so I've watched it really come back to life
43:19oh this is nice chandelier is perfect and I think we'll settle in nicely that's incredible guys this room it was wood and it was terrible looking and you couldn't envision that it was going to come back to what it is to see it come to life is just very rewarding and I'm proud for them it's an honor to be here
43:45and you know to have supported them along the way and so it's just it's fun it's fun to be the first person and you know quite the honor
43:57I think Karen was impressed she it was just mind-blown to see her first obviously we've spent so much time and effort there's over 700 tiny little crosses that we've had to paint and she's she's noticed every aspect of it this has all been in your head and I think to see it come to life I think you've done an amazing job well done yeah it's brilliant it's good that's finally finished so we can get with the next one come on then
44:24it's a huge achievement for Terry and Ashley with the 400 suite officially declared open now it's on to suite 401
44:36next time an amateur inventor prepares for takeoff this is as far as I'll get to having my own private jet one new family get their teeth into life in France
44:52just when you think you're about to finish yes chateau bites back and a DIY trailer
44:59left hand down narrowly avoids disaster this wooden bit is getting caught on your tire
45:09you