Couple Problems? Chateau Costs? Stopping Youtube? (Juicy Q&A with Chateau Diaries)

we have our very good friends Stephanie and  Philip here who also happen to be fellow   YouTubers chateau owners and a couple we thought  it was the perfect moment to discuss the ups and   downs of Chateau youtubing life we asked our  patrons to send us some questions but we didn't   want the usual boring ones so we said send us your  juiciest questions ones that we've never answered   before you start with the harmless ones and then  harmless if it gets later in the day then actually   we should have we should have done this with  wine and then it would have got even more spicy   the Calvados yeah exactly what has been your most  rewarding aspect of owning a chateau so far maybe   meeting the love of my life there true I love that  I don't know what would you say what would well   now it's hard for me to you know to come up with  something equally nice um to experience uh a life   Close to You day and night and oh my God working  and come on no I just just I just made it up I   hate working with yes um no let me think the most  rewarding is you said yesterday when you work in a   chateau you you create something which is you you  participate at something which is bigger than you   and which will then somebody else will take over  at one point and that's like you're a custodian   of the building doing something to help future  Generations at the same time as living your own   life you're creating something you're leaving  something a little bit more beautiful than you   found it something that could have disappeared and  I think it's interesting um that we talking about   all the future Generations but I also think that  even the people that are living in the village   here now are really appreciative for example of  the renov restoration of the facade and you find   you bring joy to others yeah especially with  the channels as well it goes even beyond the   immediate Community yeah definitely okay can you  share any funny or memorable anecdotes from your   experiences at the chat oh there have been many  I I don't know why but the first one that's come   to my head was actually a really horrible thing  that happened and it was when um Jamie who was   this really lovely volunteer that stayed for ages  he was trying to open a bottle of champagne with   a saber you know as you do because why would you  open it any other way and so he sabered the top   of the champag bottle but because it had been in  the sun apparently it must always be super cold   if you're going to do that if you know thinking  of doing that at home um it exploded and he had   a terrible cut right here so we were terrified  cuz we're over 45 minutes from the nearest A and   E so we jumped in the car Amory thank goodness  is so strong he had a torn that meant he was   more u in danger of just losing the wrist from  the toric than he was from any blood loss I got   him to the hospital but what was really funny is  because we were all in black tie like long evening   dresses we ran in oh my good oh it's x-rated  sigy she's engaged yes and Philip is right next so yeah we ran in entirely dressed up and  they didn't even look at his wound they looked   up and said champagne saber and you think only  in France they know this at a and they just look   at you and go yeah champagne saber is it is it  known to be dangerous yes ah interesting I think   even the shadow injuries can sometimes be quite  you know very French very specifically sh do you   have one in yes it was also that when we were re  renovating um at the beginning you had to remove   some old pipes in our kitchen you were just like  it was just some small wires that were you know   looked like you know normal electric old wires  there was a wire I had to cut and it was the size   of an electrical cable and it was upstairs and  I I used an angle grinder to cut it because uh I   just had an angle grinder for other job and I just  said oh there's another cable electrical cable I   knew no more electrics I cut it as soon as I cut  it I hear and I'm there and I hold my hand and I   couldn't imagine what it could be like a there's  some pressure and I is that is that a c and and   there was also a pipe that I caught before and I  start thought that maybe this this airf flow comes   from the pipe and it has nothing to do it because  it was just a thin cable as I would and then I   called Bena C and said Bena what in your opinion  what is it this is so strange there sudden this [Music] that anyway so no I just film what's happening  and I try to film in the order of the day because   otherwise it takes far too long to edit in the  past if I was doing one a week I could film a   little bit each day and then I could make it into  a little storyline so it was totally different   but I haven't got time for that anymore yeah and  with like the shadow tours and stuff that I had   really very much just looking through everything  because that's the way I do it and then I realized   halfway through like oh this is where it's going  you know what I mean yes it comes you as you're   editing and then you can sort of you have to go  through again at least I have to yeah and then   reedit to the sort of story that you've realized  you want to tell but but what about you Phillip   because you you really do spend days we film about  3 days a week and then we start editing so and I   edit two days a week okay for a vlog that's not  much longer than yours which indicates that I   spend way much way too much time no no you're a  perfectionist I I can't be yeah I'm not I'm not   you because I I come from a filmmaker background  so I'm used to working a specific way and it was   really hard since the beginning for me to switch  into something more YouTube like I mean you do   put a lot of time into the post-production  of like the you know the color grading and   the sound and and I wonder we were talking about  this but whether we could ever try doing dailies   um because you've kind of you've tempted us now  with you know telling us how it is and I think   it would be interesting because I think it could  could learn how to be more spontaneous less less   precious about Framing and I mean it's nice  but it's also sometimes not necessary I mean   watching you guys it is a bit like scary  and daunting cuz you're working until 2:   in the morning to get your Vlogs out and you're  like always on it and also I kind of never really   wanted to go into doing the vlogging just because  I thought oh well our life is not so exciting   like we do live in a chat and that's exciting and  some of the renovation works we do and some of the   projects we're doing are exciting but sometimes  daily life is quite mundane it's you know taking   the kids to school or going to the Super Market  and this is what we thought daily life is just not   going to be interesting enough for people because  we're not Dan we're not restoring a ruined Shadow   single-handedly every day so I didn't think  it would work and I did it as an exercise for   the same sort of reason that you're thinking how  will it change my editing will it speed things up   how will it be and then after a while you realize  that you're what's mundane to you is not mundane   to others and that if we watch somebody else's  daily life in another part of the world we'd   probably find that completely fascinating that  they think it's mundane you did film yourself   doing the laundry oh I've totally filmed myself  doing the laundry I we film the supermarket all   the time you know yes we film what we're doing yes  yeah we said it recently we said we would never   film a supermarket because we would think it's  completely uninteresting but it's true that we   watch sailing blogs a lot and we love when they go  to other countries into supermarkets we think it's   interesting but we think our Supermarket is what  we do every day so and I'm sure when you're in   another country you love going to supermarket you  want producers yes well it could be interesting   to try is it going to be something we would  do in the future honestly I don't think so   well let's see I think we have to test it and  we try we have to test it but a lot of people   ask it would be so nice if you had more than one  Vlog a week just pausing the questions quickly   whilst I say a big thank you to Faro Sweden for  sponsoring this week's video with this ad you'll   probably remember me telling you how much I've  been enjoying using the UFO 3 by Faro Sweden a   deep facial hydration device I've always kept  my skin care routine very simple which is why   I've become such a fan and I've been using it for  the last 3 months because it couldn't be easier   and there are eight different facial treatments  to choose from catering to various skin needs   my new favorite is the glow addict with natural  pear extract the soothing warming hyper infusion   and the tonic pulsation helps the skin absorb  ingredients 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also stay in in London a fair   bit it feels like that is part of home as well  now I suppose but as in the Netherlands I get   more homesick for the foods if that makes sense  it's not be say native It's a Wonderful country   yeah well it's more like the biscuits that I  had growing up and the I don't know the the   what else was that your mayonnaise oh my goodness  and your apple sauce really yeah I'm I'm the same   with things like Mite and I don't know if it's  since brex but our local supermarkets they used to   have a small English section with mik with my mik  for1 yeah it was expensive but I was always happy   cuz I had my Mite and then in the last couple of  weeks they've just stopped stocking it and it's   devastating and Lily is she was having a meltdown  I think it's really hard when you are living in   between two places because sometimes I try to  imagine myself if I could see myself living in   England and bringing the girls up and I do think  oh it could be it would maybe be easier in some it's basically rain yeah it's not SN then you  wait for the summer it's not snow and we have   a beautiful winter season where you can go  skiing and if it was only for me I would be   really tempted to find a property somewhere in  Northern Italy probably yeah and that that can   lead on to my next question which was going to be  um somebody had ask oh I I think I decided to ask   this question actually because I was interested  if you could live anywhere else other than France   where would it be uh London and Venice I think  oh Venice Venice it would be for me it would   be Venice yes and I don't know about you I think  that you like Venice but not in the same way that   I do I don't know I really like Vienna but maybe  probably in the UK If I'm thinking practically   right probably somewhere in the UK I never think  practically I was going to say do you speak how's   your Italian I don't speak Italian nobody speaks  Italian not even you you're Italian I think it's   a danger to think too practically in life because  it stops you from doing amazing things I love take   a leap I love that I'm definitely too practical  I need to take a leap out of your book and be   less worried about things I remember being in  Copenhagen once and just loving The Vibes and   thinking oh this would be the coolest place  to live um I also had the same with Amsterdam   cuz I have a friend a friend of mine who lives in  Amsterdam and I thought the same I thought this is   such a nice lifestyle like a cool Vibes people are  friendly Southern countries you mean like because   you you you you know it's old countries in in Far  North yeah I don't know I I attracted to not yes   the winters are dark and the weather's probably  not always great but I think because I've grown up   in England with quite rainy weather it's not it's  not something that I find I I have trouble with I   know you do Philip really suffers from the weather  here but for me it's quite normal and I quite like   it I like this whole hugar you know it's like cold  so we put the Cozy fire on and I like it too but I   don't know I don't need six months of hug or seven  months I I 3 months would fine what are your pet   peeves with each other where to start do you want  to start or do you want me to no I have so many I   have I have so many I I hate the way that when you  don't know the next part of a story you're telling   you keep repeating the part you're on in different  ways that it drives me completely insane so say so   we were going to ig yourand and so on the way to  uand I me it was a beautiful uh journey to uand   and and obviously the trees are out on the way to  igu hand and we were going to igu hand and then   and then finally you decide what you're going  to say about when we've got to igu hand and I'm   just going completely mad in the background no I  think but for you it's similar but it's actually   it's like almost the opposite so with you you  don't listen which is probably why I repeat it   as well just mean in general but like I'll I'll  be telling a story or I'll be driving for example   and uh responding like uhhuh uhhuh and then after  like the third uhhuh uh I go what did I just say   because I realized she pull out her phone and I  don't know how long it's been there and she goes   uhhuh [Laughter] what okay I'm looking forward  to hearing yours I I know my pet peeve with you   and I don't know why I've only just noticed it  because you've probably done it for the whole   time I've been with you but you have the loudest  sneeze I've ever heard and it really irrit Ates me   it's like it's it's just like a trumpet it's like  you want everybody I think it's attention seeking   hly you want everybody to look at you and to say  are you okay bless sir bless you it's like a have   you ever asked me if I'm okay after I sneeze no  I'm just like do you have here you go I'm like   do you have to sneeze so loudly and and you don't  you tell me no I have to that's my natural sneeze   but then when we were in the airport recently you  did a sneeze and you went up and it was painful I   remember I suffered from that yes and I said look  you don't need to make a loud noise and you yeah   you said it's I'm sure it's it's not good like a  um a doctor would say you should you know let it   out okay I'm waiting to hear what you have to say  about me the most irritating thing oh no is that   you put dirty dishes in the sink oh that's that  is horrible you put and I and when there's like   dirty dishes instead of putting them on top of  the dishwash where you then clean them you put   the thing in this in the bin and then dishwasher  she puts everything in the sink which not only   renders the sink on unusable but also the sink  gets dirty you have to wash the sink after a   sink is for washing up I'm like you don't wash  them up in a sink it's not like you put them   in there to wash them up you put them in there  to store to then put them into theh yeah I just   want to clear the work surface I don't like a dis  this it's meant for dirty dishes to then put them   in the dishwasher yeah I'm hearing Anna perfect  woman yeah because the only pet peeve you have   with instead of stacking yeah but it's so bad  you can't imtion how bad TR be crazy yeah that   is but I get annoyed with you when you then take  them out and put them all back on the side yeah   because they need to use the sink that's what the  sink is for for for if you and the other thing is   if you then open the the T it goes everywhere and  then not only have you water everywhere you also   have the rest of the food which was on the plates  everywhere yeah I can see you've taken this to   heart you you through every single possible  pation uh what was your favorite video that   you've ever filmed oh I know which one uh it was  the very first shutter tour we did together which   was him oh good answer good answer nice philli  okay do you have one it's probably one of the   sailing logs cuz we enjoyed sailing we enjoyed  it so much and somehow we managed still to film   but it didn't feel like we have to walk work we  still enjoyed the holidays yeah and we filmed   and it felt perfect and I like the video so it  was nothing shat so basically what you're saying   is you want to become a sale I want to become a  sale YouTuber absolutely no I didn't say that but   that's that was my favorite videos and probably  the first one as well we enjoyed making it because   it was um it was painful to make I still I don't  I can't watch it I find we are really bad on it   but um but it you know it it triggered something  it started everything it started everything think   of my first one very friendly I still remember  in it Jerry walks through with a broken loose   seat going I don't know what the people in Bon  Mama been eating but they destroyed the loose   seat well that's good that's brilliant brilliant  but it's difficult isn't it they make the first   one it it it's painful and it's takes a lot of  courage to make a first video you need to put   aside all your pride you don't need to be scared  to make mistakes there was some advice I heard   from somebody on YouTube um I can't remember who  it was now I'd love to credit them but said if you   want to become a YouTuber go and make 100 Terrible  videos just go and do it make them put them out   not care about it and then you'll get good yeah  yeah what this your favorite video um I would   probably agree with you the travel travel videos  oh you like the travel years as well I well I love   traveling and I think that when I will look back  there's some very happy memories of like family   traveling um really like when I tried to think  back last year about my most treasured moment it   was our sailing holiday with the girls here we go  no I know I know I'm being like transformed into   a no but I think it was just so special it was a  challenge it was we were out of our comfort zone   we're in an incredibly beautiful place um with the  girls traveling around and we had some really like   some special time just with the girls um yeah  and I think we're quite relaxed and we didn't   really have to think oh what are we filming or  what are we you know what can we do this week   what's going to be like the we just interesting  thing we just kind of filmed some little bits of   our travel and for us I think because it was a  new experience we also saw it through fresh new   eyes right and let's be honest we all look at the  numbers of our Vlogs yes would you be able to say   what's the worst performing video of last year  is that video that didn't do well that you're   disappointed and you're disappointed with because  you think it should it deserved more views I get   disappointed I I don't know what the worst one of  last year was but I do get disappointed when we'll   do something Standalone which is usually not at  leand which I feel I know is a better video than   many of the ones that we filmed at leand but it  gets fewer views how to make a proper British C   oh we were laughing about that why did that  not take off you would think every everyone   had a go at me had an opinion as well everyone  was angry because it was a really short video   it's was like five or six minutes and I had no  time to film anything else that day but I wanted   to put a video out and people felt cheated by  it she wanted me to have done my normal sort   of video and then this is what 3 years later and  suddenly now it's climbing I'm getting loads of   new subscribers from it like how did that happen  my six minute cup of tea video Weir thing what   about you cup of tea I think we called it escaped  to our Winter Wonderland and it was a we went in   this the snow in the mountains and I really  loved it because it was such a nice day again   and the kids had fun we enjoyed we had fun and  I think it's a good video it's entertaining to   watch it's not at the chat it's not at the chatau  um maybe the thumbnail is not so good but uh it   really really didn't do well we had probably 30  40% less views than than usual and I hope people   will go watch it if you see it watch it do you  think you will ever retire from YouTube oh this   is something we talk about quite a lot because  I don't ever want to retire and you get quite horrified not like that because maybe if in future  you probably have to change your um work routine I   suppose the work life balance yes no but when  you love something it doesn't feel like work   even if it's taking all your time I can't imagine  wanting to retire I also can't imagine why people   would want to watch me like doing around goodness  knows yeah half the time in in liland half the   time in Venice when I'm 95 so I have no idea  whether people would be interested in I love   that imagine that there will be like yeah a 95y  old step youtubing morning bit stiff today what   has been the most rewarding thing for yourselves  um after buying your chatow what would you say   is the most rewarding thing oh YouTube but but  by a million miles after buying the Shadow the   most rewarding thing is suddenly this incredible  connection and an ability to monetize the shadow   in a way that I couldn't do at the beginning  and the possibilities cuz I know we privately   have been talking about the possibilities that  come when you're able to earn a living properly   like this in your own home without having to  go out and work somewhere else and you're also   doing something you're very passionate about and  you said doesn't even feel like work so that is   rewarding what would you say the most rewarding  thing oh definitely as well definitely being able   to to be creative in in a different way that  we expected at the at the beginning it wasn't   the plan to to make YouTube to make videos and it  just added so many new layers of of creativity and   and of opportunity as well and the power of social  media which could save a lot of buildings in this   country that's the tragedy is seeing buildings  fall down and see and that's I think what the   most rewarding bit for me is is uh the fact that  you feel part of preserving Heritage and that's uh   and making it hopefully even a bit better here  and there you know yeah how much does it cost   to heat a shatow um and what is the average room  temperature in Winter ah so it's free to heat our   shadow because we have no heating but we do plug  in electric heaters and our our electricity bill   is about €3,000 a month it's just but it's because  we but you are you're in the process of installing   a heating system yes but we've been told that once  that's installed our heating will be about 20,000   a year and so although our electricity will go  down we'll still be at at least 3,000 a month   every room in the shatter to 20° or something  or 18° probably 17 18 so we probably won't do   that ever other than a Christmas yes when we've  got people in the house we'll keep it all on low   very low about you what's the heating with you we  pay we still have oil heating that was originally   here and we didn't even have to change the boil  what it called the yeah the boiler the boiler feel   lucky yeah because it even though there were only  I think six radiators here in three rooms and now   we have 40 or something it was strong enough  oil is such a it's not very sustainable but   it's such a beautiful energy because it's so you  know so so so condensed and and even this small   machine produces enough heat output for to heat  a shadow so in the winter we we we heat a couple   of rooms where we sleep and and we try to keep the  temperature down when we had the guest the bed and   breakfast going so we had to heat all the rooms  I think we paid about 10,000 a year in heating   cost um if we would for now we pay probably 6  to 7,000 for us as a family with only a couple   of rooms and I I literally go every evening and  check all the radiators Anna Anna always goes   in and turns all the radias on I go there and  turn all the r i do that um and we looked into   more more eco-friendly systems of of heating but  the problem is there are there's a lot of systems   for for individual houses um for small midsize  big houses but Shadows are so big you need it's   really hard to find an efficient system which  is Affordable and safe and proven to work yeah   that's right well I made a very expensive mistake  when I first arrived at Lon because we installed   a geothermal heating system because we wanted to  do something that was better for the environment   of course I it got to 10° maximum in the in  win absolutely maximum going full and so now   we're replacing it with gas which I didn't really  want to do um we also have these wood burners that   work really well instead of having I missed the  open fires but these are you know we don't have   a huge amount of heat loss going out up the  chimney it saves us a lot of money because we   really in the winter we turn these on within an  hour we don't even need to put R we're doing the   same thing how have your families adapted to the  public their public personas are you recognized   about town or in your travels best worst aspect  of being YouTubers I think we usually recognized   when we're at anything to do with um art history  or anything like that auction Au houses or like   if we're out to look at other castles or steady  homes and stuff we like and airports anywh that   the Brits are traveling yes and we get noticed  more but my mother gets recognized far more   than I do really Jerry gets recognized more than  anyone else you get spotted before me I think I   just blend into the background my mother's taken  really well to being recognized Jerry absolutely   loves it and his head to to and Tartan most of  the time um well we've had a couple of instances   that took us by surprise two years ago and some  but we were on like a a tiny Beach and we thought   this was like sort of heaven and then there was  a woman that sort of came up and I thought she   was going to tell us that we weren't allowed  to be there we were sunab yeah relaxing the   kids were playing water and then she was like oh  really friendly it wasn't really friendly and she   and she and she recognized us which was just  really strange we not expecting that on each   Journey we get recognized once that's basically  the rule when when we go when I go somewhere in   another country or so on for a week then at least  once we get I always feel very awkward about it   and I feel awkward about it um most surprising  one was in South Africa when we were in a tiny   little cafe in this Tiny Town and uh we having a  chat with Percy we talking about how we're going   to restructure the company and everything that had  gone wrong the previous everything had gone right   all of the finances everything everything and uh  at the end of it uh goes oh my God Stephanie for   the sh diary they've been on the table next to  us the entire they' heard the entire planning   session for the same weekend went to another  Tiny Town there's a little supermarket and and   we get think we're having an argument about  something a couple of times we've been having   a right old argument when someone just goes  hello oh isn't it Stephanie and you yeah oh darling well say what would be the worst thing  about being a YouTuber that people walk into your   for me it's that people walk think it's fine to  walk into your property yeah even though there's   a sign and saying it's you know it's our house  private property um es especially after having   down the guest house yeah there's no l it does  happen less now it happens much less now yeah uh   for me the worst thing about being a YouTuber  has got nothing to do with YouTube at all and   it's got everything to do with just the reality  of running a business and a business in another   country it's all the paperwork that goes with  that and in France that's a lot of paperwork   and we employ people at laand as well so it's all  the employment paperwork and everything else I'm   not great at that and that's my least favorite  part of having a proper business um so that's   that's it Anna yeah I would say the sort of mix  of trying to keep some privacy of you know not   wanting to share and and be authentic and and  you know explain what we're doing in our lives   and sharing a lot but then at the same time  keeping some element of privacy and I have   like a hard time sometimes to know what should we  share or what shouldn't we and protecting a bit   the kids I don't know if I really want them into  in the videos too much and so I think it's just   about finding that balance and and knowing sort of  what's the right approach we live in our workplace   we are working together and I think sometimes  that's a lot with you know on our couple on our   relationship I think the most the thing you most  hate is to have to work with me yeah every day I   should have said my pet peeve is working with  Philip and when he tells me he likes to direct   and Philip is telling me Oh can you stop saying um  all the time not true out and I'm like this is how   I talk this is me naturally I um a lot no I've  spent eight hours one day just removing the ums   from someone that was showing us around a building  that I was filming wasn't me was it it was not you   it was me all the overlays and then you literally  just spend hours removing every um and I imagine   you filmed with the same person the next day it's  really hard not the first time but I'm a reluctant   YouTuber I'm just here for The Reluctant YouTuber  let should be your your channel name so I'm not   sure I want to invest my time in but the worst  are not the ums it's uh the French actually I'm   sorry to say this to the entire French Nation  because they don't stop vocalizing whilst I'm [Music] say and that's a nightmare [Laughter] that's a funny one I had good one  okay I think I think that was is there any   anything things you want to know you haven't  asked us you I think we asked you all of those   questions midnight over con no this has  been glorious I've really love so much   fun yeah thank you so much for answering all  these questions for your time for asking the   question yeah it's nice to be with people who  going through exactly the same definitely get   together can we come visit you please as soon as  you like the girls are definitely they they had   such a good time Lily was like oh I want to  go again can we go like and she talked about   the peacocks she remembered everything they're  waiting for her okay all five of them remember   if you want a couple oh yeah you trying to get  us with us try I like that I like PE I really   really think about it let's see yeah I see what  happened there let's see let's see how if Ziggy   likes them and we have to have lot ofgy meat  we hope you enjoyed this very different Vlog   thanks so much for watching and a big thanks  to our patrons who make these videos possible

Channel: How To Renovate A Chateau

Views: 163,104

Keywords: Chateau, chateaulife, newlife, countrylife, diy, renovating, familylife, restoration, france, castle, doing it ourselves, chateau diaries, doing it our selves, living in france, chateau Bed & breakfast, boutique hotel, luxury hotel, house tour, chateau tour, french property, country life, barock, architecture, architectural digest, escape to the chateau, howtorenovateachateau, escape to the country side, renovation, french style, house and garden

Id: ETt-hHi8_0I

Length: 33min 37sec (2017 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 31 2024