I applaud Billy for being incredibly passionate about saving these old properties. They deserve it and couldn’t ask for a better person to rescue them.
@alienfarah This must be a misunderstanding I don’t think Billy would take on another project when clearly their is a buyer for this Chateau. I wish you the best of luck and hope everything works out.
Billy has mapped out his life and is very driven. Gwen supports this dream and the boys will have a wonderful life. This is one very successful family.
That's brilliant. Great thought. Could also avoid the possible "fighting about who gets to keep it/sell it" thing that seems to happen so often with chateau families. They could each be left a chateau and share the convent, or something like that.
@@guillermodelnoche fair enough! If you regard the matter as an emotional investment into ones family and can equipped the heirs with the necessary funding for maintaining a chateau I get your point. But with the continuous amount of work and money that is needed to simply maintain a chateau like this for many families who don't have a thriving business or big inheritance such as Gwendolyn I would always recommend investing your money elsewhere.
@@guillermodelnoche Once restored many chateau are able to be self-sufficient as a BnB or small pension or even a working hotel. If I were to inherit one myself, in good working, order that is what I would HAVE to do to maintain it as I do not have the funds.
I think Dan is putting a room and roof, I think once it is sealed up, and make it livable, for him and the boys, he can dwell there while he’s working on the rest of the Chateau 💁🏻♀️
So, Ryan, how do you feel about living in a mobile home and keeping an eye on this chateau? You mentioned that you would like to live somewhere with a bit of land around it. I think this would be perfect! You would have a place to live, and perhaps Dawnie could move to France to keep you company? I think Billy should go for it! Putting a new roof on the place, and covering the windows with plexiglass would stabilize it until further repairs could be made in the future.
WOW, I lived in Germany when I was in the Air Force and I was so saddened to see so many properties that were still damaged or abandoned. My dream had always been to rescue some of these places or help restore them. That is why I find these two channels fascinating. I really would love to visit one day to help and spend time working on these buildings.
@@jenniferwalker6456 Dan the gardener from @the Chateau Diaries. He has his own YT channel called @escape to rural France. His building literally has four walls and no roof.
It's six times bigger than Dan's, the stone work is better, but little else, the roof will cost around £100,000 to £300,000 on its own, and that needs to be done now, windows can be ply-boarded, it will be another one and a half million quid all together, the Convent will take another 5 years to finish at the present rate and the original chateau will require upgrades by then!?!
That would be a great addition. You could turn it into so many different things. If you bought this you could work on it at your leisure as you fix the convent. The convent is coming along quickly. If you were to make a few more apartments, then it could pay for itself. That way, you wouldn't have to stress about finances to much. If you were to advertise internationally, there are always businesses, people of means as well as stars that love that love to rent out a chateau for vacations and get togethers, not to mention weddings. The list could go on and on.
@Laura Don There are 3 sides to the convent. Two sides could be apartments, and the main building where the kitchen and chapel could be turned into a hotel or suites.
I think Billy also should mind his future health… when you are this engaged in saving buildings like he is, it can become too much stress for any person. Think twice Billy before starting yet another enormous project. Love from Sweden ❤
I have a feeling we have seen this chateau before on Michael's channel a few years ago. If it is the same one that he entered through an open door at the back, then this is a complete wreck inside. The one Michael showed us, had a beautiful entrance hall and staircase, but the floors were dangerous, with floorboards missing, walls stripped and damaged everywhere. The word "moneypit" comes to mind Billy. Please don't buy it just beacause it is cheap. Make sure you and Gwen have it surveyed and a plan worked out first. What would you do with it after restoration? I know you would do a brilliant job saving it, but not at the expense of Baismaignee or the convent. Stopping the vandals will also be a hard nut to crack, they have had 30 years to do their worst and I think your subscribers would be shocked at the true extent of what hides behind that facade. This would make the convent look like a breeze. If you do go ahead and buy it, we are looking at millions to repair it. 💰
Omg yes Billy I can see you owning this!! Prices are only gonna go up as the years go by, if you can get it for the price you want to pay grab it for your next project to come. The chateau is absolutely beautiful, you can save another old building, I can only imagine how you would bring it back to life!!❤️ love you guys together! Love your channel Ryan!!
OMG !😂❤❤ This is why I love you and Billy, Ryan. Neither of you are sane. You’ve been on the move everywhere ( and homeless in France) and Billy doing crazy project after project. I’m quite jealous of you both, so adventurous. I’m exhausted just renovating my 1700 square ft home in the states where there are multiple Stores and suppliers to replace my less than 50 year old place. I see why you are friends with Dan. What a Hoot! You all must have some great parties. I get tired just watching you. Love you and leave you😂. You make me laugh, what a joy to watch.
It's a vey beautiful chateau...and Billy, you know that you really love it. You need to follow your heart - imagine seeing someone else owning it, and either doing nothing to it or wrecking it. As long as it really is sort of financially feasible, it's going to be hard to say no to...everyone wins...you get to live your purpose, France has another building rescued and this chateau is properly loved again. Love is always really all that matters in the end 💙💙💙
Awww, it is so sweet what a kind heart Billy has for these gorgeous old buildings. If he buys it now, fixes the roof, boards up all the windows and doors, then waits 5 years to start work on it his boys will be almost ready to help with the renovation! And one of them will have his own Chateau in the future, while his brother gets the other one.
If you can do the 150K, roof, windows, break proof shutters, mobile home, security, go for it Billy. A great project for when convent is up & running to its potential!
Ryan, live in the mobile home and start cleaning out the chateau. Cover the broken windows with plywood. It would be a beautiful home for one of the boys to inherit.
My heart just races when you are looking at these places. I too can see the possibilities and pleasure in saving them. I full heartily agree with the idea of a mobile home on the property which brings a presence of a caretaker to discourage any more destruction. Oh man what a decision
Billy, I'm onboard! I can definitely understand why you're interested. If it's feasible and you really want to do it, go for it! If anyone can do it you can! Thanks for sharing this Ryan 👍
What a beautiful building so much potential. I hope Billy buys the building. It can be worked on over time when not working on the Convent. Billy's intense desire to bring the building back to its former glory. It needs saving by Gwen and Billy. Ryan, you could be the caretaker, LOL!
As dear Sean would say - you leave him for 5 minutes unsupervised and there you go. XD My worries would be around amount of water those walls sucked in during decades of being exposed to elements coming from broken windows and probably damaged roof. That 's not easy to sort out and it's not just expensive and time consuming, it's very unhealthy as well. But it may be worth it. There is something hushed, tucked in, homey about this place that appeals to me a lot. It's like proper home, most castles are not. I can see the kids having a blast of safe playing around back entrance. Additional buildings seem alluring as well. Good luck whatever you and lovely Gwen decide, Billy! Good luck filming all the things, Ryan! Love you guys. XO
I agree with you both this is absolutely needing to be saved. I think your five-year plan is a good idea Billy do the roofs and do something about the windows to safeguard that the building and then give yourself five years before you work on it. If Gwendolyn exerts her charm, maybe you will find out what the price is.
Billy if you are able to buy this to save it, would you be able to get a team of builders/workaways who could basically do work experience on the Chateau? You could be providing work experience/ apprenticeship for people either just setting out in life, or taking a year out or even just a change of job. I’m sure you could find a team of builders, carpenters etc who would be sympathetic to the work you want to achieve and what a great opportunity for anyone to learn the building trade from a conservation and restoration perspective. Could certainly be worth looking into, might be something Ryan might help you with!
You cannot expect trainees to do work experience for more than a few weeks at a time, students cannot afford to work for long periods of time with no income! If you are buying and doing up old buildings you should not expect to have free labour to do it all for you.
@@janetpendlebury6808 in the States some building classes offer projects as on-site experience which the student must get somewhere. It is not a long term commitment and gains experience that can be used for later jobs and resumé building. It wouldn't be expecting free labor unless a volunteer offers to stay for several weeks or months. And most often the volunteers wish to be of help for whatever duration they stay.
Oh it’s so beautiful even with the neglect. Most of us can see that too. Hope you can make it happen, even if paced a little slower. 10 acres, huge outbuildings, and an amazing chateau- she needs you. I know you hear her begging to be yours - lol. Will say a prayer you can make it happen.
Billy ... good for you! They should sell it to you for half that price!! I hate they've allowed people to vandalize ... your passion won't let you turn away. Love your respect for saving beautiful old buildings.
🤣You two trying to do your shocked faces at the end - comedy genius, love it 😂😂😂 Do it Billy!! Fingers crossed you get it, looks like a brilliant next project 👍🏼✨
If Billy buys the Chateau, I’ll come and project mgr for u and help with the renovations! 😅 hats off to you both, I would love to be able to save these beautiful buildings xx
I agree Billy, if you can, buy it, just spend money on windows, roof and security. This is a magnificent building and an exciting future project. You could, once restored, sell it for a profit and recoup some of your money and put that towards another project thereafter. I am here for the long haul Billy so you have my vote. Regards from South Africa
They are waiting until you fall in love with it before they fly a price. I trust you and Gwen and any /every building you can save is Blessed; not only to be saved and cherished but to have golden-hearted laughter-filled builders enter their empty rooms. And we are so lucky to be able to see it via video. Thank you both for the tour. 💛
Well, there's your house, Ryan! You could move into the "outbuilding", or even redo a small part of the chateau as a house within a house, and live there as caretaker/part owner until Billy finishes the convent. Maybe you all could put together a syndicate to replace the roof and windows for now. I'm a dog trainer and all my dogs like to work for a living. If you lived there and trained a couple of Great Pyrenees and an Irish Wolfhound (or two), I'm pretty certain that would solve any vandalism issues. 😉Plus, they'd keep you warm on cold nights, like mine do. 😍
This is an impressive looking building, even in the delapidated state its in at the moment. I can see if Billy buys this it will eventually be transformed back into a stunning Chataeu. So its 'Crack on!' with the Convent Billy, you need to get some apartments finished, to lease out plus some big events to gain an income before attempting to renovate a new one. Well done Ryan 💕🇦🇺
I can’t think of anybody, more passionate or qualified to save this château. Yes, I believe it’s a little bonkers. But sometimes you just have to do stuff that you have to do. This is some thing that Billy and Gwen are very passionate about. For that, I really give them props. Somebody needs to be saving these beauties and not let them just fall into total disrepair and go off the face of the Earth. It’s history. And if there’s anybody that could do it properly, it’s Billy and his remarkable team. More power to you love!💜🤗🤟🏻😎🇺🇸
As someone who's always in the middle of a project....or five....I feel this video in my soul lol I get it now. I get how my family and friends must feel when I say I'm thinking of starting a new thing lolol
Hysterical- your faces at the end, you really are so funny & lovely to watch together 😂 Billy you’ve just got to, despite your ‘sensible head’ I can feel your excitement from here (England😄) I’d love to come and house sit it while helping to get a bit of work started, it really needs to be loved. Get some glass in the windows, the roof started and some pink rose bushes planted out the front, your next project- Sleeping Beauty’s chateau. Be a great place for crafts people &artisans to teach week long courses ✨🍄🌷
What a great chateau. So much rests on Billy's shoulders with all the building work. His energy levels are excellent, sometimes exhausting to just watch. I look forward to seeing what the outcome is outcome will be. On a completely selfish level, I really hope he takes it on. Good luck with whatever is decided. Love to you all from Australia
What an incredible building. I feel for you, Billy, faced with this decision. The convent is SO amazing & there is so much left to do, even though you & your wonderful team have already accomplished so much. Blessings to you from the USA.
IMHO only Billy and Gwendolyn can answer the question as to whether or not to purchase this property. Only they know what the financial, legal, mental and family effort this will impose on them. Whatever the outcome is I wish the family all the best it sounds like a gut-wrenching decision no matter the outcome.
I hope Billy & his family are able to get this chateau so it can be saved & restored. It's a shame many others aren't trying to save these places, they have a charm about them that new builds just don't have & will never have.
If you want it Billy go for it . I totally get the passion . I bought a derilict cottage in rural co. Mayo 🇮🇪, because I felt sorry for it .. 😁😁. no one wanted it. After 8 auctions it still hadn't sold . So I offered a low bid... It's become a bit of a drain on my time now im retired and the budget wasn't enough because of the rising costs of materials .I'm trying to use second hand fittings,fixtures and materials where possible .It'll never be worth what I'm spending on it , but it's getting there .. very slowly . Do not regret it at all .😁 I think it's the sort of thing you'd do Ryan. You don't like to see buildings slowly dying either . (Edited for correcting autocorrect .smartphone getting too smart!)
Ohhh Ryan you really have started something now !!!!! I must just say what an amazing building and such a shame all the scum bags have been vandalizing it for years. I think Billy should start a go fund me to buy this chateau and for the repairs to bring it back to its former glory. I am sure there would be a lot of people who would contribute to this epic project. Failing that start a Patreon page for all the repairs going forward it would be wonderful to watch all the video's that this would bring. Thanks for showing us all Ryan. Lots of love. Jill Birmingham. U.K. XXXXX
It hurts me to see such a beautiful building, which has so much beauty, and history sitting and decaying! I know you’re very busy person Billy, but I would watch you restore any project that you rehab. You truly want to bring these homes back and polish them and let them shine inside and out. Thank you for showing this beautiful château. I appreciate you and Gwen’s all your efforts that you put forth on your struggles to rehab what you do have and striving for more. Thank you Ryan, and Billy.
Oh Billy, this chateau needs you!!! It is heartbreaking to see these beautiful houses just left to decay and be vandalized. I completely understand your passion. If I ever won a lottery I would travel around buying and restoring chateaus and castles. On the side of reality, I also agree that it would take away from your dedication to your own chateau and the convent. Its a very big decision, but I have faith in you and Gwen to make the right one for yourself and your family.
Absolutely Beautiful. I would hear the seller out, find out what the final price would be, but only if you are prepared to fix the roof and secure the windows straight off. I would also imagine that you would need to have someone or some way of being a "presence" there, so that future vandalism would not be an issue. Gorgeous building.
Hope you can make it work! That chateau needs you Billy! With a new roof and windows it can wait five years till you’re ready to take on a new project.
The two of you are great fun! Stunning chateau! Hope your future project materialize- I want content from Billy and Ryan for quite a number of years!😉😆
Very generous of Billy to give you this exclusive potential plan. It is scary and exciting at the same time. It is always good to have a 5 year plan and if he can dream it, he can do it. Thanks Ryan🙏❤️
Billy you got guts and I admire you so much. I wish you all the luck. Ryan, your job is to keep your friend from diving too deep in a money pit and drown.
What a beautiful chateau! I’d love to see Billy and Gwen buy this and restore it. How will you keep up three projects though? Will Michael ever take on the remaining projects of the Chateau? Perhaps hiring someone, Rick or Sean, to oversee your vision for the Convent?
Hi Ryan, if anyone can rescue that Chateau, then Billy could! How sad that it’s in such a sad state, the vandals that do these things are mindless, thick and sad, sad people and I’m being polite! What I really think of them I can’t write, loved the shocked faces at the end but Billy has to work on his 😮 loved the video much love xxxxxxxxxxxx😘❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I hear you Billy! Saving those beautiful buildings would be right up my alley as well and if I was a lot younger i would be tempted to purchase this! I admire your desire to want to save history.
Maybe in addition to buying this Château, Billy could push for ordinances or laws to force owners of these homes to maintain the roofs at a minimum and face repossession or a lien if they do not and the municipality has to maintain them. I am usually against government regulations like that bit for the sake of historical buildings I feel it is necessary. I say thay with a major cringe. Thanks for the exclusive Ryan!
@@suzyq555 Both. 😁 Sadly, their biggest taxes are from the "federal" level and are what they use to support all their social support structures like health care so that would have to be rethought. One of the major downfalls of socialist leaning countries.
Billy's mouth is saying no, I've got enough going on already. But his heart is saying go for it. And in his mind I'm thinking it's already a done deal if the pricing is in line. Sean's not planning on retiring anytime soon is he?? LOL
I liken your fervor for saving historic buildings to those who can't help themselves when they see abandoned or abused animals. You have the heart of a rescuer.
Could do two days a week at the Convent, two days a week at the new château, and one day a week back at home doing stuff around the property and show us what Michael is up to with the basement kitchen project.
Shame on the company that owns this château that they have left it to decay. Let someone live there free just to have a presence so it’s not vandalized. 😡 WTH! There are probably hundreds of places like this. It’s a loss of history. 😢 Buy it Billy! Love you guys❤
You two always laugh together! It's wonderful to have friends who know the good and bad in each other and loves each other "warts" and all! Thank you for taking your time and sharing with us. 🇺🇸
Billy, have you considered starting your own construction company? I have several thoughts on old homes. I’m in the Deep South of the U.S.,and we love old homes AND saving them. I think if you buy it, turn it around and sell it too prospective buyers. You should make a handsome profit. If I lived there, and had the income, I’d buy it in a minute. I look forward too watching what you do next.
Billy needs to become more of a project manager and have a site manager for each individual project. He's gifted for this but there is the issue of money.
You can do it, Billy! I know you want it - go ahead! What is one more Chateaux?? You have all the tools and the know how so what more could you possibly need. Friends, you have many talented friends too. Crack on !
It's not the purchase price that really matters and a huge chateau is not always a good thing. Wonderful to see the passion but the reality of cost just to maintain it until you're ready to start the work.
Billy, I hope the figure you said you'd pay is a bargain, because the owner might be listening! It is a magnificent chateau, and deserves someone like you to restore it. Hey Ryan instead of buying a house, wouldn't you like to be the caretaker? Set up a minihome in one of the rooms? Walk around with a big stick and a flashlight?
I agree. Ryan could be a sweat equity partner for a percentage of the value. He could eventually have an apartment in one of outbuildings but remain as a caretaker. Stay in an onsite van until then saving all your earnings.
Billy go for it Gwen is talking to the owner. It may be a cheap purchase but you have a lifetime to renovate it. Your Boys will grow up helping you. I think you are setting a good example to the boys. Glad to see you being a care taker to these magnificent Chateau's, Convent and gardens in beautiful rural France. I look forward to all your future projects. .Ryan you do good interviews and video coverage and most of all a great friend.
