Gay couple renovating a French castle

Where is this hot you speak of?

I started watching them, too. It looks like an interesting and rewarding project. It's not my business but I'd really like to know how they afford the renovation of that castle. Did they say what they are doing for a living? And who owns the castle? Both, or just one of them? Did they say?

Jesus, they look like twin brothers.

No, they really don't. Try to confirm your stereotypes elsewhere. Maybe they are of the same type, "the aging out twink", but they don't look very similar when you watch the videos.

They’re beautiful. Just my type.

[quote] Try to confirm your stereotypes elsewhere.

What the hell does that even mean?

[quote] "the aging out twink"

Huh?

And they DO look alike.

I usually can't stand these types of gays (i.e. the real estate/renovation queens), but this was a really enjoyable watch, they seem pretty well adjusted. Especially the guy who wants to be surrounded by animals in peace and quiet, that's always a good sign.

However, that real estate agent was clearly having them on by giving them 48 hours to make an offer or the place would be sold. But they fell in love with the place anyway, so whatever. I don't understand where he'll find the company for these parties, does he have friends in France? And will those people just drive over to rural France for a dinner party?

[quote]And they DO look alike.

Uh, no, they really, really don't, beyond both being white, having brown hair, blue eyes and flawless skin. You just think that because they're both guys.

R7 No, it's because they look alike.

[quote] You just think that because they're both guys

Who look alike.

^ Oops!

Voila!

I don't have the patience to sit through this entire vanity project, but they paid $1 million for the place and will need to sink big bucks into renovating it to their tastes.

I, too, would like to know where they're getting the cash for this. At least one of them probably comes from money.

"While Cathy adores a minuet, the Ballets Russes, and Crêpes Suzettes, our Patty likes to rock and roll, a hot dog makes her lose control. What a wild duet!"

It must be nice to come into money.

The feeling cums and goes.

Speaking of gay couples renovating and building, does anyone keep up with these two in Canada?

No one does. No one.

One of them mentioned their dead mother in the first video, so he probably got a decent inheritance.

R14 - yes, I was going to say - they are leaving something out. They saw a castle and 2 days later were on a plane to Paris? Last minute tickets are crazy - even if you use miles. That's a massive waste of money just right there.

There have been many programs (usually UK shows) about renovating French properties. For me, every single one looks like a physical, emotional and financial nightmare.

A 2.5 train ride from Paris is a LONG way if they're using the high-speed TGV trains. I hope they have the extra 1.25-1.5 million euros they're going to need to refurbish and FURNISH the place.

This just sounds so crazy - every one of these places on the TV shows hope to remodel them for holiday homes/airbnb/wedding events. Sorry - but there's just way too many of those places as it is and unless your places is really special, I don't think they're going to get the bookings they need.

In my mind, this is just a huge mistake - I really don't see an upside. Constant work - I guess one plus is that it was built in the 1860s, so you won't have centuries of problems to deal with. But it's still going to be SO. MUCH. WORK.

The couple at R17 are not attractive in the least.

These aging twinks are embarking on a whole world of hurt.

One of them is motivated by Mama's dreams. Wait'll they try and get even one toilet installed by the local plumber.

I love these videos where the people talk about how they're rolling up their sleeves and renovating places, when all they're really doing is hiring contractors to come and do the work for them.

R22, along with a couple of filmed moments showing them with a sledgehammer to make it look authentic.

R23 "Get me a pair of goggles and a hard hat so it looks like I'm doing all of this myself!"

I'm reminded of Paris-based American food writer David Leibovitz restoring an abandoned shop and making it an apartment in his book "L'Appart". A tiny project compared to what these two are planning. And it was month after month of compromises, incompetence, bureaucratic red tape, and overspending for Leibovitz before it finally got done. And he had a French native partner.

If no one has used a place and they haven't been able to sell it in 40 years, that's a sign.

Good luck getting contractors in these far-off villages. And they're not exactly going to be able to go to Home Depot to get supplies.

If you've ever lived through a renovation - even a small one - you appreciate all of the details, planning, what can go wrong, etc.

This feels like one disaster after another that they are happily skipping towards. They say they understand know how much work it's going to be - I really REALLY don't think they do.

Plus the bureaucracy in France and the laws and - ugh, I'm getting sick just thinking of it. Life's too short for this - it's going to be years of torture, followed by constant maintenance. FOR. THE. REST. OF. YOUR. LIFE.

Good luck selling this if you change your mind.

Good for them for using contractors. They should stop faking doing it themselves.

Watching the second episode now and cracking up at the "we can't open a bank account without a phone number, and we can't get a phone number without having a bank account." Welcome to France, lads. Everything is so peaceful in rural France though, so it's totally worth it if that's the kind of vibe you're going for.

I noticed they both said "ça va biENNE" instead of "bien". Is this how French Canadians say it?

Loving all the cat content. That is one good boy, although they obviously wouldn't include footage of him being a bitch; angelic moments only!

This feels so "We're ready to be YouTube / social media stars" more than anything else. And their thinking - we can use the $$ from YouTube and social media to pay for the renovations.

They seem likable - honestly - and I have no problems with people starting YouTube channels - but it just seems obvious and forced.

Who are they going to interact with and socialize with 2.5 hours from Paris? Yes, there's some vague references to local relatives - but that doesn't mean you're going to be close with them.

And the one who just got his driver's license last year because he's always been a city boy? Oh man - I don't think country life is going to be what he thinks it will.

The utility bills are also going to be eye-popping. "But I want to live in a CASTLE!" is just a weird motivation.

[quote]This feels so "We're ready to be YouTube / social media stars" more than anything else. And their thinking - we can use the $$ from YouTube and social media to pay for the renovations.

I think that's inherent to many, if not all, of these renovations you see on YouTube. I doubt that money covers a lot, but every bit helps.

[quote]The utility bills are also going to be eye-popping.

I agree, heating alone is gonna be crazy.

[quote]"But I want to live in a CASTLE!" is just a weird motivation.

I do understand the appeal when you've grown up in a country without them and with Disney pushing them on you at the same time. I live next to a castle from 1528 and its adjoining castle park with its ancient trees, and the view is just spectacular. If I had the money, I'd buy one immediately.

R30 - but these castles and manors were built at time when a) the owners had great wealth and land, getting income from the people who worked on their land and b) when peasants and servants would work on your estate for next to nothing.

I don't see a view with this property. It's beautiful of course - but just so impractical.

Just maintaining the grounds is a lot of work. When a place took tens of workers to upkeep and maintain a building, there's no way 2 people could do the same - even with modern tools and conveniences.

And how do you decorate? Period is expensive and a long process - modern is easier but then people will say it's not period and not the fantasy they were looking for.

With all of these places, I would always recommend renting a chateau for a month and see what it's like. Are they even going to get high-speed internet out there?

I remember reading that the French are gobsmacked by these Americans (or Canadians in this case) who want to fix up these properties. The French know what a money sink it is.

The French for OnlyFans is "Uniquement Pour Les Fans."

Ont-ils “un” Uniquement Pour Les Fans?

[quote] Speaking of gay couples renovating and building, does anyone keep up with these two in Canada?

r16, I watched them for a while because they had an interesting project and they appear to be well-grounded Canadians. Especially these days I appreciate the Canadian way as a counter point to the US way. Tyler and Todd just seem to be very even-keeled and calming. They lost me for a while when they became aware of their improving subscriber numbers and really ramped up their clickbait episode titles. But I think they toned it down again.

r35: I got tired of the sick dog shit.

Good thing these gurlinas aren't on HGTV, those bitches are getting rid of all the gay shows.....

R32 - Most Americans know what a money pit it is.

But it's not typically North Americans who are doing this - it's a lot of Brits. There have been several UK TV series of people buying derelict French homes, villages, chateaus to renovate.

Not sure how all of that worked out for them with Brexit. I understand the appeal - relatively quick and easy to get to France, much better weather, better food, etc.

But some of these buys - not even chateaus - just buying a derelict farm house or stables in the French countryside - are just head-scratchers. Yes it's cheap - but you're going to pay with a lot of pain, misery and frustration - as well as double to triple your reno budget.

Italy is doing the same thing - selling these remote places for 1 euro.

I would lose my mind in these tiny villages where things are only open for select hours, shopping is 45+ minutes away, all the locals know each other and are related to each other.

You're an outsider - always will be. You'll be a topic of fascination and interest - as well as TONS of gossip - in these small villages. Why would you put yourself through all this?

Honestly it sounds like a mental disorder.

[quote] Good luck getting contractors in these far-off villages

There's a reason the Strawbridges brought their own British contractor(s) - they're challenging to find in France and Italy.

The castle is really beautiful, and yes they are too, just my type - but they do look a bit alike, especially at first glance. The differences between them become more obvious after a couple of minutes watching

That place is going to be an absolute shitload of work though, let alone the ongoing maintenance. I share R19/ R26/ R29/ R30's reservations about owning and fixing up something on this scale. I would far prefer the place that they looked at briefly in the first episode that was already done, it looked smaller too. Something this size I'd only want to take on as a communal project.

Far prefer my opulent ornateness in a far more compact premade package thats more manageable and needs less work

The cat is cool though

The driving lesson in the third episode is extremely cute, but why did they flip the video to make it look like they're using a left-hand car when those aren't a thing in either Canada of France?

Pivoting to the groundskeeper's cottage is a smart move, but I'm not loving that "bathroom in the middle of two bedrooms" plan. Doesn't that necessarily mean both bedrooms can't be occupied at the same time when you have guests over? It's awkward, having to share a bathroom like that.

Preview for the next episode is making me nervous, please don't walk around in an open field in the middle of a storm like that! City boys...

Jack n’ Jill bathroom in a chateau?

Sure, Jan.

R39 - true - but the husband also looked to be very handy and knowledgeable about construction.

That show was on for so many seasons - they had to have had more money tucked away somewhere. And their show was massive advertising for their venue - I think it was on for like 7 or 8 years?

Their chateau is also not far into France - looks like 40 mins south of Cherbourg, with tons of ferries to the UK. Easy for them to go home or get some supplies - everything is easier when you're that close to your home country.

r42 That bathroom wouldn't be in the castle, but in the cottage next to the castle. They've changed plans and decided to renovate that place first, so they have somewhere to stay over winter.

[quote]I would far prefer the place that they looked at briefly in the first episode that was already done, it looked smaller too.

It was only done from the outside, structurally it was a nightmare. Beams everywhere you look propping the place up, who wants that in their castle?

Side comment - I have reservations about a couple who met when they were 20 and are together still 15 years later.

It's a long shot for any relationship to start that young and continue, particularly gay men.

Almost sounds like they're bored with their relationship and life and need an adventure.

If they're still together in 10 years, I would be gobsmacked.

Does anyone know what that room behind their intended bedroom is? He said they're planning to board up those doors and put their bed there. But what's inside that space? I think they just skipped it on their walkthrough?

r46 Georgie the chaton wasn't enough to salvage their relationship, so they got themselves a château?

I wouldn't see too much in buying a castle for relationship reasons. If you both have careers, no kids, life can become safe and boring. Buying the castle is like a hobby you can have together. Other couples travel together. Better than getting bored together.

R48 - hobby? Honey - they're moving to another country and rebuilding a chateau with no experience in the middle of nowhere. That's not a shared hobby.

There is a British-Spanish couple on YT I like to watch. They started on HGTV "Saving the Manor" for one season, and then did their own thing on YT. They are quite low-key, have great chemistry together and interesting properties.

r50 They have a kid now, apparently. I wonder if that's in this French Canadian couple's future as well.

[quite]Most Americans know what a money pit it is.

Most Americans *think* they know what a money pit is...from watching too many TV restoration series with their manufactured 50-minute drama cycles and every predictable thing a huge surprise and a monumental money pit: Black mold! Failing timbers? The chimneys need relining! Restoration glass is expensive! No, the preservation body may not allow a modern corten steel addition to medieval barn conversion! Designing a modern kitchen that somehow fits in an 1860s neo-renaissance château isn't as easy or as cheap as going to Home Depot! Who would have guessed that the electricity, added in 1920, might be dangerous or insufficient? How can my roof restoration cost more that my house? How will I heat this place? Getting a catering license to host weddings and events means I have to spend even more money?

And so it goes. But anyone who has ever restored a house of any size knows that none of these issues and possible issues should come as surprises. They can all be anticipated and estimated before a purchase. The rest is spun for TV drama.

Restoring houses definitely is not for everyone. Some of the people who do it seem as addicted to the drama as to the houses. Others restore one house after another taking on bigger houses and bigger challenges as they learn their way and eventually make a bit if money. Other restorers do it once and never again, staying in their one big project for decades.

Two things are common in these sorts of TV series or self-documentaries. Most restorers have access to more money than they would suggest upfront. Most do obtain a fair degree of budget and technical advice before completing the purchase. And nearly all see themselves as the heroes of their own stories.

Americans won't purchase a 10byear old house without paying a building inspector (formerly a Best Buy sales associate with a week of inspection training under his belt) $1800 to provide a 121pp report indicating that three plastic electric outlet covers ($1.03 each) are cracked from a too tight center mounting screw. They think dirty tile grout means the entire neighborhood will have to be encapsulated and bleached to rid the streets and houses of black mold. The TV viewers are much more hysterical than the restorers -- and that's what makes for tension and ratings in these videos.

Which one of them is so in love with himself that he had to hook up with someone who looks just like him?

It's already been established they don't look alike. Do keep up!

R54, yeah they do.

[quote]Side comment - I have reservations about a couple who met when they were 20 and are together still 15 years later.

[quote]If they're still together in 10 years, I would be gobsmacked.

Statistically, it's safe to bet against marriages.

The average U.S. marriage is 8 years; in France 13 years; in Canada 15 years.

[quote]Almost sounds like they're bored with their relationship and life and need an adventure.

People embark on years long travels, become full-time volunteers, go back to school, change careers, move to other cities and other countries, survive parenthood, bury their parents, flip houses every time prices rise....but two gay men who want to restore a château...it.must mean sexual boredom and that they can't bear another word from the other.

R52 goes on about the drama and hysteria of TV renovations then says "They think dirty tile grout means the entire neighborhood will have to be encapsulated and bleached to rid the streets and houses of black mold."

Dude - talk about drama yourself. People aren't THAT dumb - and every housing renovation show in every country throws in reality checks and gut punches about costs, problems, timelines, etc. They're not creating drama - renovations ARE drama.

For people to say on this thread that French people think the Americans buying these are insane - please. How many Americans or Canadians are doing this? Not many at all.

they both have light male vocal fry. They are cute but not beautiful. They don't look like 35 yo men, either. It will be a fun and rewarding project and they will split up within a year of their grand housewarming weekend party. they will be 40ish and if they are still try for ageless Pan youth, the chateau will work against them.

^ So much certainty in your negative predictions from watching an hour of their carefully edited three videos.

[quote]For people to say on this thread that French people think the Americans buying these are insane - please. How many Americans or Canadians are doing this? Not many at all.

What difference would it make how many people were doing these things? The French think it's absurd that *anyone* would think of doing this.

R60 - and they are correct - but people are making it out like it is Americans (or Canadians in this case) who are too dumb and stupid who are doing this. It's not.

Most Americans and Canadians (also Brits) also know what a money pit these are. But Brits seem to do it a lot more often.

Would anyone care to wager how much it will cost and how long it will take. I’m thinking 5 years and 1 million?

Didn't they end up having some big problem with the server and losing months of monetizable content at the start of the year, which they announced as if flash floods had washed away their entire remote designer compound and they had to start from scratch? DRAMA!

Hard to tell. Depends on how much they want to do, for what purpose and how much essentials need to be done. Do they want the entire place to be a hotel/BnB with or without conference rooms for businesses? Do they need to get everything done quickly or leisurely? Does the roof need to be replaced? Is the plumbing OK, black mold anywhere? Taxes?

Gay doctor bought one, too.

Their castle is located 200 km (124 miles) from Paris by the fastest route. That seems like a lot, but not if they stay in Paris for a couple of days or longer. I assume money for gas and a cheap hotel isn't an issue, since they did buy a castle. Train is also an option. Also, there are plenty of loaded older married gay couples in Paris who would be more than willing to host this young French Canadian curiosity, so lodgings in the city will never be an issue for them.

You can do just about anything you want in Paris and pick up how ever many tricks you like, so they'll never get bored. Not to mention the city can also be used as a launchpad to the rest of Europe if they're in a mood for travel. In other words, their life will only be as rural as they want it to be, they're by no means chained to Varennes-sur-Fouzon (pop. 640) just because they live there now.

[quote]I assume money for gas and a cheap hotel isn't an issue, since they did buy a castle.

Some of these "castles" go pretty cheaply because they need so much work.

I know two US couples who’ve done this, on a smaller scale: one gay, one straight. Each couple bought a fixer-upper country estate (a big house, not a castle); AND each later renovated a part time pied de terre in Paris.

Both couples have been together for more than twenty years. And, as was suggested, the projects were long term commitment hobbies.

Living in a remodel is not fun. It's basically camping - for months on end. I had to do it when a refrigerator water leak (defective plastic tubing bringing water to the icemaker) caused a major flood and caved in the ceiling of my basement laundry room. My kitchen was out of commission for a month, and it was also a month before my hot water heater was repaired. It was the first winter into COVID, so my day consisted of packing a bag to take a shower at my place of work (a university building), cleaning dishes in the bathtub, packing and unpacking boxes as repairs to floors moved from room to room, etc and trying to find a place where I could give zoom lessons or in-person piano lessons in a way that was deemed safe.

If the chateau these guys are renovating doesn't have a modern furnace (and I'm guessing there's no ductwork or any way to move heat from room to room), they will have to get space heaters and live in just a few rooms during the winter. Granted France has a fairly mild climate, and rarely experiences prolonged cold, but they can't just turn on the stove for an hour a day to keep warm. They are from a very frigid part of Canada, so at least they have experience in dealing with the cold.

If they are going to do a lot of work themselves, it will be one room at a time, and the entire project might take 5-10 years - just about the time that their only fans expiration date will arrive!

Do they go nude?

Did they finish yet?

This is going to cost a couple of millions to renovate, and dozens of thousands to maintain on an ongoing basis. And it’s not even that interesting. Late 19th century pastiche of a Renaissance chateau. And what are they going to do with that unfortunate overhead power line that runs just next to the property? Ask/pay EDF to burry it?

Can someone name the town or the chateau? Thanks.

Gay couples that renovate chateaux.

Is this it? Château du laitier - Urbex

r73 Varennes-sur-Fouzon. I spent some time exploring it on Google Maps yesterday. It's pretty cute, although their château is close to a huge-ass dairy industrial complex, which sticks out like a sore thumb.

r75 It is that one, but the name is all wrong for some reason, it's referring to a château in a totally different part of France, in La Trinité-des-Laitiers.

thanks. It's called Chateau de Poseidon on google maps and on their own website. well, duh, moi. It's a summer mansion, I mean enormous but not chateau sized really.

They renamed it to Château Poséidon after they bought it. It's called Le château de la Borde in France and on my Google Maps.

[quote]Living in a remodel is not fun. It's basically camping - for months on end.

They're living at Damien's uncle's beautiful house nearby during the renovation. Also, they're renovating the cottage first, so they'll be able to move in there once it's finished and start renovating the castle from there. These two for sure aren't the camping sort, just look at their perfect hair and skin.

[quote]If the chateau these guys are renovating doesn't have a modern furnace (and I'm guessing there's no ductwork or any way to move heat from room to room), they will have to get space heaters and live in just a few rooms during the winter.

They plan on having at least two huge fireplaces, though I don't know how much that will help. I wonder if you can distribute the heat throughout the place using those? Probably not.

[quote]And what are they going to do with that unfortunate overhead power line that runs just next to the property?

I admit I don't mind those when we're dealing with a single property in the middle of nowhere, it makes little economic sense to bury the lines. I'm much more bothered by those in the (rich) towns and cities where they make the place look like a third-world shithole. You can find many such examples in New England, by the way. Perfect-looking houses and then Venezuela-like power lines everywhere you look.

Okay, so I cracked the mystery now and this is pretty funny – there is a single actual Château Poseidon and it's in Ligny-le-Ribault, but that Urbex guy Olivier Cretin (nomen est omen, eh?) wrongly referred to Le château de la Borde with that Poseidon name. And so these two clueless gays picked it up because their only reference to it was that one urban exploration video on YouTube.

Quel désastre !

[quote] nomen est omen, eh?

Like Damien.

This cute little sign as you turn onto their private road from the highway that I found on Google Maps proves that they just prefer the Poseidon name because I guess it sounds vaguely homosexual.

I don't know if it's a good idea to name your castle after the Greek god of natural disasters.

R1- I agree.

They are too stereotypically gay to be HOT .

I think they should do very high camp Cinderella-adjacent decor. mid century disney animation colors. Make it really beautiful but obviously reference to cinderella. It could be that and a morph of the great colors at Ludwig's Neuschwanstein. This will encourage more people to enjoy it when they monetise it. Not cheap decor but very stylised.

This reno will end in tears.

Two narcissists who want to play house with fabrics and colors.

Hard pass.

It's a Chateau, not a castle. A castle is a fortified structure built to allow for protection against any sort of siege, militarily or domestically.

Damian needs to do something about that lisp.

r86 I think that's exactly up Damien's alley, given the Cinderella-like portrait of his mom he had commissioned. Fortunately, there's Tom to hold back his more extravagant impulses.

But that's still years away, they have to get that cottage under control first. I swear I saw Damien die inside a bit when that restorer told him he'd have to take the stained glass away for years in order to restore it properly. Damien would like to host dinner parties and show off the stained glass like a proud father as soon as next year, I'm sure. Hopefully they've realised by now this will take at least a decade to complete.

And button up that damned shirt!

Yeah, that shirt was outrageous. They needed to go all out in order to hook as many people as possible in the first video already, hence all the cute cat bits as well.

“Château” literally means castle in French. I get your objection and one could choose in French for medieval structures or earlier, (fortified castles) "châteaux forts", but nowadays it's the same. From the Renaissance onward, “château” commonly meant a grand country residence not a fortified castle. It's fine to refer to any such structure, in English, as a castle if one is too lazy to say château.

they will have a thousand prestations de service like the one from Vitrier restaurateur, and they need to steel their backs and decide if they want and their budget allows "proper" restoration, or something more down and dirty but still safe and functional.

Furthermore, the artisans to not have the skills they claim to have. A friend of mine just renovated a grand Maison de plaisance and discovered through expensive, painful years, that the artisans are not all that. They all promise traditional skills but many do not have the skill, at all. They are not educated in the old techniques. They are just trying to make a buck. So in fact, "down and dirty" modern approximation is all you will get in the end, so don't pay through the nose for it.

Yeah, you need to go to conservationists who studied this if you want an authentic restoration, and those are all usually employed by the state already for more important things, like actual cultural heritage where the work is neverending.

I find it interesting they speak in French in private, even though Tom is originally British and there's nothing wrong with Damien's English. Might be an interesting insight into their relationship dynamic.

They also practice the unspeakable vice of the Greeks in private.

When they hold court in their Renaissance pleasure palace, will the social language be Latin or Old French.

The silver daddy vitrier has a great ass by the way, as does one of the couple.

r100 Yeah, I couldn't stop staring. 👀

Creme/beige pants are a gift from God when the guy has a great toosh!

When does Damian start complaining about the fact that the French treat French Canadians like country bumpkins who can't speak proper French?

have you heard him talk to locals? Perhaps he code shifts.

They both talk to the locals in Canadian French, there are several instances of it in the three episodes released so far.

The older locals might make fun of them in private, but I assure you they prefer an exotic dialect of French to English, of which they don't speak a word.

There's another gay couple renovating an abandoned Italian palace

the locals are about to cash in and will not be rude to these boys.

Jordan Kamelleri speaks like Lady N. Fairford.

r105 Cute, but... Italy? Are they even recognised as partners there, or just two adults living together?

To be 100% honest, I am surprised there aren't more enterprising young Americans taking on adventures like these. You could rebuild an entire community if a group of people got together on several of the 1 euro homes in Italy. People are worrying that they will never have enough to buy a home in the United States. You can get a 1 euro home, spend about $150k and have the house of your dreams. Five six people get together and you could rebuild a town exactly how you would like it. If I was younger and so inclined, it would definitely be something I would be looking into.

r109 I think the main problem, also mentioned in the first episode, is that you have to leave everything behind and start over. Unless you're loaded and can afford return flights between America and Europe every week, that means leaving behind your whole social circle. Not many have it in them for that kind of a major life decision. I sure do because I don't have anyone, but I don't have the money.

As for people getting together and rebuilding a town, I've never heard of that happening outside of hippie communes, cult collectives, and frontier towns. And there's usually just one château per an idyllic town, so who in that company gets the château and who the rest?

[quote] It's fine to refer to any such structure, in English, as a castle if one is too lazy to say château.

No, it's just an affectation. "Castle" sounds so much more grand than chateau.

I honestly just use castle because it's faster to type out. We all know the context in which we're using it in this thread, so it doesn't really matter.

If anything, château is the affected variant because it's in French and immediately makes you sound haughty.

The château depicted in early 20thC advertising, looking rather sprucer.

[quote]I am surprised there aren't more enterprising young Americans taking on adventures like these. You could rebuild an entire community if a group of people got together on several of the 1 euro homes in Italy. People are worrying that they will never have enough to buy a home in the United States. You can get a 1 euro home, spend about $150k and have the house of your dreams. Five six people get together and you could rebuild a town exactly how you would like it.

R109, there are a lot of Americans (and some others) doing this sort of thing at different scales through various countries in Europe. Some are related to government problems to preserve communities whose populations are in real decline, some target preservation of housing, especially historic and traditional houses.

YouTube is bursting with their videos.

The €1 houses and "free" houses typically come at considerable cost. Many are in very small villages, most are severely deteriorated and require extensive work to make them livable (and extensive supervision and consultation with local authorities at every step.). A better option for most is to find a region of interest and scour listings and estate agents for leads, and to.purcahse a house that is more down at the heels than ruinous. Houses in livable condition that need a new kitchen, some plastering, modest roof repairs, modest electrical and plumbing can be had for €50,000 to well under €100,000 factoring in costs to do all necessity work on the houses. These more expensive projects take less time, have less red tape, and can be found in cities and small cities and large villages that have the full gamut of shops and services and good transport links.

If you can't afford a house €50K or €100K in total, there's a good chance you can't afford a €1 house that needs fucking everything and will be a project of 2 or 3 years.

The idea of friends buying a whole community is terrific. There are a lot of successful examples of this in France where people of like mind come together and rebuilt a small village bought for next to nothing. It's a multi-year project in most cases, and obviously not for everyone.

But there are lots of great houses for sale in very good overall condition for what would be less than a very modest kitchen Reno in the US. There's no end to how much money someone could spend even on a simple house in great condition -- that is the usual American approach, hemorrhaging money and making itself a martyr/hero/fool in the process. Unless you insist on spending everything and more and doing everything to the level of a top museum-grade restoration, there's usually no need to make your money pit into a comedy/tragedy.

They will split up when the Chateau is 60% renovated. The wealthier one will keep living in it and be eventually be murdered by rough trade in 2053.

R65, that doctor makes me jealous. As someone who lost most of his hair in his late twenties I find it extremely unfair that this guy has hair for three on his head.

R110, you are definitely right in that it is not for everyone. It is not for most I would imagine. But There are enough people, just watch HGTV, who want a different unique way to live. In Italy there are entire towns almost abandoned that need work. There aren't really any castles to contend with. And I would agree it would be like a commune, a collective. But you can't tell me there aren't 20 people between Brooklyn, Portland or Austin, who could/wouldn't want to come together and build their own town, live the way they want. You all could speak English even and be your own little enclave in a beautiful countryside.The bones for it are all there, even the infrastructure for utilities for most of them. Produce and market your olive oil. Create your own schools. Raise your kids together.

I grew up in the 80s. Living in Italy reminds me of what I remember life to be like then. I am not talking technologically speaking - it is as advanced as there rest. But there is not this great homogenization of culture. People still own and operate their own stores. There is still compassion. It's a great place to live and if you could do it at 1/3 of your expenses in the United States, why wouldn't you. I live in Florence and that is one of the top three expensive cities in Italy. And it's still way less than the states. Everywhere else is much less.

A friend of mine from high school bought a run down slab of cement in a wall in Arpeno, Italy with her husband about 5 years ago and had it renovated. Their reno was featured on one of those HGTV renovation project shows.

They bought it for $150K, and on the renovation show, they said the total renovation cost $70K. When I asked her about it, she said the cost of the renovation was a lie, and it cost them almost as much to renovate the place as it did to buy it. Still, they ended up getting a beautiful place for about $300K in a beautiful old Italian city, and now they're living there full time, far away from the MAGA rot of the U.S.

So it all worked out for them.

[quote] they said the total renovation cost $70K. When I asked her about it, she said the cost of the renovation was a lie, and it cost them almost as much to renovate the place as it did to buy it.

The additional 80k were probably needed to correct all the rushed cheap work that was done during the HGTV filming.

R118 LOL! Actually, the renovation took two years, but she said she and her husband got to select everything - plumbing, fixtures, kitchen cabinets and counters, flooring, etc., as well as the contractors. HGTV just had consultants to advise them on the project.

And by the way, she and her husband had to foot the bill for the renovation, but they did get $10K to participate on the show, so that helped knock down the total costs.

Why do people keep mentioning Reno? It’s not in Europe!

Well, actually...

This is the Instagram site of a couple who live in Oslo who bought a 600m2 (6460sf) townhouse in Sicily and are restoring/renovating it.

I think it's an interesting project because it's not at the super cheap end of things because of its size and scope of work, but it's not an expensive house nor a wildly big budget. The house had stood empty for 30 years but was generally sound and with original details intact. The couple are rich enough to commute to their project from Norway, but not loaded with money and the woman seems particularly adept at jumping in to learn new skills, well. They are doing most everything themselves, with a local architect to guide them on design questions and local processes. They are planning quite a lot of changes, but mindful of keeping the house as found in terms of plan and details. It's not a huge ego-stroking project as many are.

R65 we had a horny thread about him in recent years.

You have to be ready for a certain lifestyle to live in the middle of the Italian countryside. You have to be in a place in your life where you are ready for a slower pace, are comfortable with the little things in life making you happy. It would also help if you knew how to drive stick and got a little car to get around. I moved some years back, and not even to a small town but a major city compared to the rest in Italy. But you must learn the difference between stimulating and fulfilling. I lived in NYC which was constant stimulation. I was addicted to stimulation, things happening now, multitasking, running around and feeling like you are accomplishing something. But even before moving, I realized all that stimulation didn't really get me further or much happier in life. I just felt like I was busy, but going nowhere. When I moved to Italy, everything felt slow. Everyone seemed slow. The days went slow. But that was because I was so used to bombardment from all areas of life, distractions. I was addicted to stimulation. Now I am used to this pace and the smallest things make me happy, real things, real experiences. I know it sounds like a cliche, but it is true. There is nothing that gets me more excited than exploring a new city, finding new shops. Or going to the Tuscan beach, Viareggio, and going to one of the several Bagni, getting lettini and laying out all day under an umbrella - jumping in the water, reading, napping, eating at the attached restaurant, about 30eruos all day during high season. There area so many unique cities to explore in Italy, it's ridiculous - not including all of these small hidden towns offering up these inexpensive homes. But you have to have certain life experiences out of your system (the need to shoot an arrow real high) before you embrace a slower more fulfilling lifestyle.

I know several people who have done renovations here in Italy. It NEVER goes as planned, it's never near as quick as they estimate. It's always a little more expensive. Workers take their time. They are usually very skilled, but they take their time. They take breaks, they take vacations. They won't want to do something until it can be done exactly right, according to them. Complete renovations can take a year, two. I know one couple where it took them a year just to buy their house. That was a year ago, and she just sent me pics today of her kitchen. You just have to give into the process. But like the couple above, where in the United States are you going to get your absolute dream home for $300k and have it be in an area you want to live in?

There are hundreds of small towns. The trains are amazing north to south and will take you anywhere, including France, Switzerland and Germany. Jump in a car and just explore fearlessly. Italy is really beautiful and moving, and the simplest things can make you very happy.

That's gonna take so much money, but at least they want to use it as a venue/business rather than thinking they could just turn it into their own big house.

Something a little more down to earth and closer to home

The gay doctor with the beautiful hair gives me goosebumps. He's exquisite.

R101 Tush!

R124 no one cares for your novelization. This is France, not Italy.

r126 He's cute, but we want to see the boyfriend!

[quote]Italy is really beautiful and moving, and the simplest things can make you very happy.

It's also currently ruled by a fascist bitch who HATES the gays with a passion for whatever fucked-up personal reason, and keeps passing laws to make their life as difficult as possible.

I’ve just checked the location. It’s actually pretty good. They’re not in the middle of nowhere. They’re close to Orleans, slightly north of the Loire valley and its hundreds of grand historical chateaux that draw millions of tourists every year.

Proximity to a good sized city like Orleans means access to contractors, but also an escape when they tire of their country life. And they’re close to a major touristic area which means they will not be short of guests should they turn their chateau into a B&B.

Still a massive endeavour,, but they’re not as air headed as initially thought!

It's entirely possible they could spend the money on renovation, run it as a successful business and then sell it on.

I'm not sure I'd ever want to go into a massive project like that with a spouse, though. It takes over every aspect of your life, so your work life becomes your home life and vice versa. It's easy to talk about 'work' even in your down time because your spouse knows exactly what you're talking about. (I'm sure we've all ranted about work to a partner just to vent frustration knowing that they don't really get what you mean, so they just offer words of encouragement and then it's over.)

Plus obviously if you split up, is it then possible to just remain business partners? If not, you've got a lot of money tied up in it and things could get messy. But then they've been together for 15 years so I'm sure they'll be fine!

This is the video I first saw of them. It was recommended to me.

We gut renovated the kitchen and two bathrooms in our 1957 ranch house and it took waaaaayyy longer than expected and about twice as much as we budgeted. We didn't do the actual work ourselves, but we did act as our own general contractor and hired out each project (hired one guy to do the demo, another for the electrical, plumbing, drywall etc). I would never want to go through that experience again; if we had the resources I'd just rent something else short term instead of living in a construction site for 6 months. But, we also foolishly only thought we'd be inconvenienced for a month. Hello dry rot! Greetings asbestos flooring! Howdy original electrical wiring!

We kept the guest bathroom as is to be able to have a functional bathroom, with the plan to redo that one once the others were finished, but after that experience we left it alone.

Having to cook on a hot plate and use the refrigerator in the dining room was hell. It was like camping. I had to wash dishes in a tub in the yard because the sole working bathroom sink was of course too small (and, ewww, gross). We ate a lot of take out and ate on paper plates those 6 months.

So I can't even begin to imagine the insanity of redoing a goddamned chateaux.

But, I will say we have our dream kitchen and bathrooms.

In Castle Impossible they seemed to have lived on a cottage adjacent to the castle. The castle was their job and job site. So except the weeks they renovated the cottage, they always had a place that was safe and home. But I hear you. Our kitchen remodel took much longer than anticipated as well, but for different reasons. We had a general contractor who was good at his craft but had no project management skills. There was always a gap of days or even weeks between sub-contractors' work in which nothing at all happened.

[quote]The gay doctor with the beautiful hair gives me goosebumps. He's exquisite.

He is among the best of the the lot in terms of restoration. He realizes that the château is impressive enough that restoring it is more than enough. His mark is in the careful restoration, management of a huge project, and in furnishing it to his taste. He is not bent as many are to trying to put a big personal imprint of his own ego/style.

He has a great deal of charm and is one of the more articulate owners to speak about a restoration project. He's good looking but too smooth and polished and fussy looking for me (hair especially); I prefer my château restorers a little less fussy and a little more fuckable.

R7 they do

No they don’t look alike. Tom has a pinched face and Damien has a more open face and wide set eyes. His features are softer. Both are attractive.

R138 They most definitely look alike.

R137/ R139 we need to see cock and ass pics to get a final and definitive ruling on this matter

Let's just agree with R139 so he finds some peace. It seems be really important to him that they look alike.

R141 It seems really important to you that they don't.

They dont look alike. Handsome men can see instantly these two do not look alike. You must be a "2".

Where do they get the million-a-year from it costs to keep it up once it's renovated?

OnlyFans

I don't think upkeep will be $1 million a year. However, if they go full house heating, their monthly bills in winter will be $3000/month or more. Unless plumbing and electric are completely redone from scratch, expect about $5000/year for each of those, for the inevitable failures and repairs.

Grounds upkeep will be one of the most expensive items. If they are going to do it themselves, they are going to have to buy an industrial grade riding mower and keep landscaping (shrubs and flowers) to a bare minimum. Low maintenance flowering shrubs, like lilacs, and sturdy long-lived evergreen shrubs for winter interest. Just keeping up with the mowing would take 5-7 hours a week. They keep talking about animals. In the olden days, properties of this sort would have sheep to keep the lawn clipped, but keeping sheep means having pens and barns, and feed for the coldest months

Housekeeping. If they are going to try to do housekeeping themselves without hiring cleaners and so forth, keeping up with dusting, mopping, laundry, bathroom and kitchen cleaning will be 10 hours a week. If they have houseguests, maybe double those hours. If they hire cleaners, that's going to be $300-400 week for basic maintenance.

There will be taxes too, but I suspect most of those are pretty low for very rural areas which don't have to support much infrastructure with those taxes.

So adding it all up, annual maintenance could be as high as $100,000/year. Maybe $30,000/year if they do a lot of the work themselves.

r133 That video was recommended to me yesterday as well. They just started their own channel and are already featured on the main YouTube channel for château renovations, kinda crazy.

Anyway, I watched the whole thing, it's longer than their episodes and goes into much more detail. Guess they're spacing out the tour on their own channel because they're focusing on the cottage for the foreseeable future and they don't want people to lose interest. Couple of interesting things in it:

- Damien clarifies the name confusion straight away, says urban explorers started calling it Poseidon because of the maritime/nautical details on the staircase decoration. They went with it and now wear T-shirts with that name as well, guess they needed a strong brand identity for their channel and later for their wedding business. Fair enough.

- They show us the first floor, the chapel, and some of the small servants living quarters on the second floor and also the servants' kitchen in the cellar. They say they'll rent out 20 rooms in the château for weddings, in addition to the cottage. After they're done with the cottage, they'll set up their own quarters first to make a mini apartment for themselves in the château, then work on the future wedding spaces.

- Château was originally built with a furnace in the cellar, which circulated hot water and hot air throughout the building. Obviously it doesn't work anymore, but it was quite advanced.

- The gorgeous main gate was removed by the cattle-farming previous owners and sold to the nearby château nine minutes away, where it now serves as an entrance to the stables. Damien is heartbroken about this and wants to replicate it in the future.

- One of the owners was a cult leader with five wives living with him in their own separate bedrooms, that's why each bathroom is a different colour. He was healing people without touch and there were constantly lines of cars visiting the place. One of the neighbours went to see him once out of curiosity and he healed her knee pain.

- The little separate tower actually has a decent space on the ground floor, with a furnace and everything. We've only seen the ruined second floor on their channel so far. It'll be used as a pool house.

- Roof beams are in excellent condition and use brass hooks, so they don't have to worry about that part of the building just yet.

- They want to recreate the former garden to grow food.

No explanation for the costs or where the money will be coming from, which is something you see in other videos on this channel. Maybe in the future?

I don't think they look that alike. And even if they do, who cares?

I often see gay men decrying what they call "boyfriend twins". If two guys find each other attractive and get along well, are they supposed to say: "sorry but we look too alike, we can't date" to each other?