A look back over the past 7 months of our journey restoring a 250 year old building in France. Join The Convents Patreon For Exclusive Content: / jointherenovationandhe...
Unbelievable what you have done in seven months and you didn’t even include all the work you’ve done in the offices. So proud of you and your family for bringing this beautiful building back to life!
I ditto this sentiment. Don’t even know you all, except through your site! Respect and admire you all very much! ( I can still paint!Hee Hee.. am I obnoxious yet??!!)
or all the amazing discoveries in the gardens and and and not to mention the other fireplace ... awesome video, awesome accomplishments, awesome journey, thank you for bringing all of us along with you, love from Atlanta Georgia USA
Applaud yr efforts. Hope like one of the comments below, they aren't building a freeway nearby. But I'm sure you have a sturdy building that can handle that noise. Can't wait to see how place looks in the end. Enjoy Paris. Perhaps some if the Nuns might stay if you turn it into a B&B.
I'm 71 years old. I have been renovating a small bathroom for 11 years. Yes that's what I said. I have bought every tool trying to brake down the concrete walls. The have wire mesh attached to them. THANKS TO YOU GUYS I SAW I HAD THE WRONG TOOLS. I went shopping today and took down more wall in 15 minutes then I use to take down in a full day. Love your videos. KNOW that you are helping others in the projects. UPDATE. IT'S DONE. Thanks for all the comments positive and feedback on how I must be an airhead to take 11 years on a bathroom. Just an old lady doing it herself.UPDATE: IT'S FINISHED AND I LOVE IT. ALL BY MYSELF.
As a French person, I hereby grant you honorary French citizenship and the status of Knight of Honor's Legion for services rendered to France's cultural patrimony. You are one of us now, these are our values. You have given blood, sweat and tears for France's history and it's preservation. I hope that your efforts are forever rewarded by every French, whether government or member of our public. Respect.
France has so many old historical buildings, it's great to see a French person appreciating someone coming to France and going through all this effort to revitalise such buildings. Without people doing this, those buildings would fade away into complete dilapidation I'm from Ireland and many of our old castles were sadly left to get into states of disrepair. We still have plenty of restored ones, but it's always sad driving past random little castle ruins which are all over the country. Such wasted potential
@@Dom-fw7nz agreed 100% there's a lot of amazing buildings in Ireland for sure would defn have been great if they had maintained them as it could have really helped us out a lot with what is going on atm also
It is so comforting to see that someone has outdone us in this respect. My wife and I bought a 4-story, 25 room abbey in the centre of Germany when I was already in my 60s. It was nearly a ruins and we have spent the better part of almost 20 years rebuilding and restoring it. Aside from roof work and replacing 47 windows we have done almost all of the work ourselves. My wife is a pastry artist and I am a retired cell biologist, so we had much to learn. We have been living in the building throughout this work and are finally to the point where we can begin to relax and enjoy it. I just discovered your channel and am thrilled to be able to witness your Herculean efforts on a building or buildings much larger than ours. Thanks for sharing your amazing efforts.
Damn, seeing the cupboards getting removed only to reveal that beautiful massive fireplace they were hiding nearly brought a tear to my eye. Fantastic work and thank you for sharing.
To you all who have put the time, effort and finances to preserving old buildings - thank you. My approximately 95 year old family home was sold recently and while it was not in great shape, with work, it would have lasted. It withstood earthquakes, cyclones, on particular Bola in 1988 & Gabrielle this year, floods and my family. But it was demolished. To drive past & see it in ruins was awful.
The buildings themselves never looked all that run down to me. Tons of overgrown weeds & flora, but nothing compromising the structures. Well done all that you & your team have accomplished so far. I have not been able to find a video where you installed all of those cobblestones.
@@LaLeahyLife no, Billy from the start said that he wanted the pavement replaced with cobbles, as he calls them. To that end, he bought over a ton or tonne of brand new pink and grey cobbles. The ones that are now closest to the buildings. Obviously they have been installed and I have not seen an episode when they were installed.
@@MSDG62 He said he was going to replace the asphalt and the bricks with cobbles, but that has not happened yet. The cobbles shown in the video were already there and uncovered, hence the large tree root being removed.
@@AyeshaKhan-si1tz I saw 250 years old, so yes. However as with most buildings I'm sure many parts have been added/renovated over the years. Considering it went through the French Revolution and both World Wars it wouldn't be surprising if parts had been rebuilt.
This is so great. I wish we had affordable structures like this in the U.S. that were this old. Most "old" buildings were torn down to make way for new. It's sad
I am hoping that the half a million cost to buy it is actually agreed to be used for restoration first, and then the state only gets to keep what is left over after the building passes inspection. The state does not like buildings to sit vacant...it would be in their interest for someone to fix it up and spend $$ on materials and local workers, even if the state ends up not making any $ on the sale, it will beautify the city. So I'm hoping they convinced them to put into escrow what estimsted renovation will cost and the state only keeps what may be left over at the end.
Old is gold! Obviously the nuns did take care of the place and required a good clean up and restoration! And very good to see young people like you restoring it!
Thanks for the look back to the early days of the convent. I have watched since the beginning of your channel but had forgotten how overgrown it once was. What a beauty it is now and you have only gotten started on the transformation! 🇨🇦
Some time ago I watched this and apologies for not leaving a comment. In 2019 I purchased a grade 2 listed building in north east England. Took the risk of my life and never done anything like it before. 2023 and still on with it as it tells me it’s story. I’ve found that these buildings tell their own story as you show them the love care and attention. What I love about your journey is the reclamation of the items you discover and the care your taking. You appear very genuine and decent people and I wish you the best of luck. Life’s for living and your certainly doing just that! Take care Lee
Before I came to live permanently in France, over 20 years ago, I worked with nuns from the same order. The worked specifically with end of life. They were lovely. It didn't matter who you might be they looked after you with love and compassion. You are looking after this abandoned convent with the same love and compassion. Keep it up, you're all doing a great job.
Just wanted to know, did all of the order die already? Such a shame that such good work wasnt able to reach future generations. My aunt was a nun and she's passed on but I still miss her. This video reminda me of her convent. .
Honestly this place once restored can easily become like apartments or something new, or just a place to live. Not sure wha tit was before but whatever.
rofl "You are looking after this abandoned convent with the same love and compassion" no i belive they are putting in a bit more effort then praying to god he do some yard work
Such potential this holds. A school? Art gallery? Museum? Maybe all of those. Perfect area for flowers and greenery, a garden…the structure deserves to be brought back to life..and I see great reward in all of your guys futures. JUST WOW ..such vision and efficient filming ♥️👍🏻
I came back to watch this one and all I can say is WOW😮! If you ever feel like progress is 🐌 slow, just watch this and see how far you've come! INCREDIBLE 🎉🤩🏆🥇✨️
It would be EXTREMELY interesting, when you’ve totally completed this renovation, to have you find and bring some of the previous occupants and have their take/reaction to your WONDERFUL work on this Project!!!
We own a 8 bedroom 4000 sq ft center hall colonial built in the 1750s in NYS that was neglected for years. It's a huge challenge but very rewarding. Unfortunately after almost 2 years here we put it back on the market. Having a hard time selling mostly due because it's "too much house" for most people and the majority of people think it's "just too much work". These videos reaffirm that all the hard work will be worth it. Thank you for sharing.
As a French people who live near this place I congrats you for this beautiful project! You gave a new life to this abandoned place and that’s very good for our country 😉. Well done and congratulations 👏 😊
As a French I notice the peculiar desperate need for attention and to be noticed and to be surrounded by other phony superficial acquaintances. Typical
@@luizraijaz7987 what a strange comment. This is very interesting to watch. Aren't you happy that one of countries historic buildings is being restored?
@@cowsarsc hah, not at all. And the French language is unbearable, you reach a point where you want to cover your ears till the airport. Europe is mainly an old mummy full of different archaic pieces. It is too weak.
@@luizraijaz7987 Hé bien pourquoi ne pas avoir couvert vos oreilles, cher Luizraijaz ? Vous savez, lorsqu'il s'agit d'une nécessité, il ne faut pas avoir peur du ridicule. Une chose que vous semblez, en plus, parfaitement supporter 🙂
I love your time lapse/sped up videos. It is so easy to forget what the convent looked like when you purchased it. The change is remarkable. Thank you.
Self help is the best help. The person renovating this house is a talented workman . I hope the people living in that house in years to come will remember the sweat and blood put in to restore it to its present glory. Well done I'm giving u a thumbs up for your hard work and dedication. Wishing you all the best in life.
Taking back that huge hearth from those cabinets is genius and as it should be. Watching you remove the coverings that others have put up on top of many of the properties amenities is so interesting. It begs the question "who on earth would anyone cover these things up to begin with?" The old ornate installations are better more attractive and more interesting than anything brand new that one could come up with. Progress isn't a look ways progress
I'm so impressed with all of you, and I had no idea what you had done. I started watching when you put the pine tree in the court yard. Thank you for saving that gem.
Seeing it all again as a whole, instead of on daily vlogs, puts it into perspective. It’s a huge project with so much potential, and it’s such a joy to watch it unfold❤
I don’t know why but this made me cry. All the work you’ve put in to restore what was built with pride, blood, sweat and tears. God bless you all in your journey
I have watched every video as you have renovated the convent, the slow, but daily progress. Seeing in a compilation like this really made me realize how quickly this is happening. You didn't even show the kitchen. You have such good people working with you. I think maybe that is your best talent, Billy, finding the right people. This project is so well managed. Hats off! 🧡
Here I sit in Penticton B.C Canada waiting for your Dailies, hope you both are feeling better Ryan and yourself. Look how far away your dailies are being watched. I enjoy all you get into have a great Sunday .Crack On Billy.
Let me preface my comment to reveal I am a religious Christian who is very moved you have committed to this herculean task. An undertaking of this magnitude is inspiring. I can hardly imagine the collective toil and eventual joy of the original nuns and others who created the immense buildings on this property. You surely must have asked yourselves more than once, what have we gotten ourselves into? I feel that God brought you there to restore a holy place that housed deeply religious women, the nuns. I also think that your concentrated efforts will manifest in a successful renovation, as time and effort will determine the final outcome. I also think Angels will be there with you, invisibly and silently supporting your renovation. In Jesus name God bless you.
Hello from Vermont, USA. I'm not entirely sure how I stumbled upon this channel but now I am totally binge-watching The convent. It just makes me want to pack my bags and come there just to help with the Landscaping. I've been a landscaper for many many years until I got pregnant with my daughter which slowed everything down. And just watching these videos... it's a landscapers dream! ❤ I am absolutely thrilled that these old buildings are being restored and loved and taken care of. It really warms my heart. I'm so excited to see how the greenhouse will come about And in the future, if you are looking for tenants who will live there in trade for maintaining the landscaping, please put me on top of your list....HA HA 😊 Cheers. God bless and good luck with all your endeavors❤
It’s amazing when you put out a video recapping all the work you’ve all done to bring this building back to life. Enjoying every minute of it here from Ashland, Kentucky
Few people ever quite grasp just how epic a job this type of lose the will to live yet simultaneously rewarding overgrowth clearing is. It feels neverending. I've undertaken similar exercises in my own garden although never on the same scale as this. You start out incredibly enthusiastic only to find about halfway through you start to ask yourself: "Why the hell did I ever start?", before just deciding determinedly to crack on. Well done to the whole team at making a go of this and with luck, the Convent stands to eventually make a great investment and business proposition to support both it and the Chateau. Truly epic!
If I had the money & lived in that area I would have loved to take on this project. I nearly found a place but saw it too late & it was already under contract where I live built in 1890 victorian house that needed tons of work but was absolutely beautiful & was priced insanely low. One day I hope to find the perfect place to have years of fixing up. Until then I subbed to this so I can watch the journey, cheers.
@@KoDeMondo Had I gotten that Victorian House it would have been $90,000 & I could have entirely paid it off interest free after selling my house I lived in at the time & still have another $162,000 for any possible reno work. Now the rough goal would have been 100k into it max. But lets just round up past the max & say in it for 200k. I could have sold that house in about 2 years time of slow paced reno work rent free with no mortgage, then sold it for roughly 1 million bucks. So low profit estimate of 800, in 2 years of work. Speaking of, how much real estate do you own?
just rewatching this video while waiting for your next upload. its amazing how far you have come to bringing it back to life, a hard but worthy task in the end. such an amazing lifetime adventure
The convent was a brilliant purchase, Billy!!! Such a beautiful venue. And you and your family and team are so lovingly breathing life back into her!!! 🥰❤️🎶🌹🇨🇦🇫🇷
This is amazing what you and Gwen have done Billy and everyone on the team, the aerial video brought a tear to my eyes, stunning...can't wait for next chapters...now CRACK ON...!
Not only is it beautiful, it's a very cool project. Such an iconic building with so much history. You also got to be pretty bold to take on such a big project. This is definitely not for the faint of heart.
Thank you for the video. I was very surprised by the condition of the walls and windows of these abandoned premises. The walls look like they were recently laid down. The new brick houses are much worse, usually there are many gaps between the bricks (you can see the street through them). The windows are all intact and again look neat, clean and as if only painted. I have never seen such a thing. Very interesting
As a French person, we would almost think that was kinda of an expensive price for something with so much work to do on it, mostly in the north-west of France. But we are very happy to see you guys restoring our old buildings, thanks so much! xxx
The building looks in good condition, it doesn't require repointing by the looks of things. The courtyard had been taken over by nature but looks great now it has been cleared and replenished. Huge building great price!
This was the first of your videos that I saw. I was enthralled. I have now gone back and watched all the ones before (in the convent series), and I will continue to all the ones after. Then, I'll likely watch the chateau ones... I love what you're doing, and I love even more that you're sharing it all with us!
I am astonished at how much you have achieved in seven months. How thrilling to keep finding surprises hidden away behind plasterboard and cupboards as the house gives up its secrets, I wish you continued success and joy of your home.
Amazing, you have and absolute gem of a building there with so many secrets still to discover. I love that you and your team appreciate what you have and hats off to you all considering how much you've done in 7 months.
I congratulate you on your determination and courage because it took a lot to achieve this restoration work. I thank you for having chosen France and one of its buildings and above all for having restored its beauty. Thank you for this wonderful work!
Wow, I had forgotten the state the property was in when you first started. Amazing progress in little over half a year. I love watching you put this place back together. And I've taken to saying Crack On here and there. Which is unusual for a woman from Indiana.
Riveting to watch this magnificent mini-documentary of your historic building. The history, the work, filming and music are incredible. Really love seeing the hidden features revealed.
Brings warmth to the heart to see such a magnificent property being loved and renovated. Not the easy route in knocking it down to build faults... This keping history alive . All the best for your new adventures in your wonderful home👌❤️
I know right, i have ivy on my house but i don't want to rip it up untill im able to paint because the paint is peeling up(i did rip up spots where it was going around the basement window), i have ivy in hanging pots though that are easy to take care of and its not reclaiming my house.
@@Imbatmn57 I remember going into a house when I worked for the council. This family had an ivy plant, it grew up the wall. In through the corner of the rotten bay window. Along they’re ceiling around the fire breast. When I said what’s that. They said it looks so pretty, so we kept it there.
@@northitsera8600 old mortar joints yes. I thought that, because I couldn’t see how it would do it. Unless you have deep raked cement joints in your brickwork. Where the vines could possibly run along those joints and expand with time 👍👍
We only have a *glimmering* of exactly _how much_ back breaking blood, sweat and tears, have gone into your mind blowing progress here Billy. *Admiration* on Full Throttle ! Thank you to "you and yours" for not only restoring this beautiful piece of history but for spending the time and sharing it with us. You *ROCK*
I just watched your video on receiving keys for the convent. Iam moved to tears by what you are doing. What an awesome thing this is. I would love to do the same thing some day. If you are ever looking for help please reach out.
