Renovating in France - French Reno Diaries UNCENSORED

French chateau renovation is a *thing* - and in many cases, filming it for YouTube is too. On the surface, it looks like the dream lifestyle. But is it? In this episode, Rosie and Sue meet Morgan Lawley, an American entrepreneur, former music video director and the creator behind GoGo Chateau - one of the most entertaining chateau renovation YouTube channels out there. And they were NOT disappoint...

Thinking about buying a property in France and turning it into a business, such as a chambre d'hôtes, gîte complex, wedding venue or retreat centre? In this episode, we hear from Lisa Clapisson, a former French accountant turned business consultant who's spent years helping people navigate the reality of starting a business in France For a detailed summary of the episode, along with a mini glossar...

Ever wondered why your beautifully renovated French property isn't getting the rental return you expected? Or why sourcing affordable decor in France feels so much harder than it should? Brittany-based, American-born interior architect Christina Rougerie reveals all in conversation with Sue and Rosie. For a detailed summary of the episode, along with a mini glossary of terms used in the show, head...

Thinking of buying a renovation property in France? Before you fall in love with a ruin on the internet, you might want to hear what someone who's been selling French property for 40 years has to say. Dan Newton - director and co-founder of Agence Newton, the first British person to hold a full real estate licence in Brittany, and the voice behind the popular French Estate Agent YouTube channel -...

Wooden pallets for a bed. A family flannel. A toilet that froze solid. A husband sleeping next to the Rayburn all winter so it didn't go out. Nobody's Instagram feed is showing you this - but Rosie, Sue and Micala are! In this episode, all three hosts share their own living-on-site stories, and they've asked listeners to do the same. The results are equal parts hilarious, grim and genuinely inspir...

Micala's back - and there's lots to chew over! In this episode: a Facebook post about deposits that had Micala seething before 4am, the growing crackdown on cash-in-hand work in France, and a very public social media post from some new arrivals that raised more than a few eyebrows. Plus, working from home in your pyjamas, the French social system defended, and a lovely shout-out from a well-respec...

What do a Bulgarian holiday from hell, a suspicious YouTube arrangement, the rise of eco villages, and an 18% energy bill discount have in common? They're all on the menu in this 'Rants and Bants' episode of French Reno Diaries, brought to you by Rosie and Sue (Micala is off doing charity work - more on that soon). Resources mentioned: A New Life in the Sun - C4 series following people starting ne...

Think you can save money by managing your own renovation project in France? You might want to listen to this first. In this episode, Rosie and Sue (Micala is off running a fundraising event - more on that next time) get into the detail on project management: what a professional project manager actually does, what it costs, the legal framework you need to understand as a homeowner in France, and th...

Ever watched a YouTube home renovator call themselves an "expert" and felt your eye twitch? You're not alone. In this week's Rants & Bants (the shorter, free-flowing episodes where Rosie, Sue and Micala get everything off their chests) the hosts take aim at the growing army of self-styled renovation gurus online, question whether Facebook is ever the right place to ask about electrics or insul...

What unique challenges - and opportunities - do women face in the traditionally male-dominated renovation industry? In this empowering episode of French Reno Diaries UNCENSORED , timed to coincide (almost!) with International Women's Day 2026, Rosie, Sue, and Micala share personal stories and insights in a typically unfiltered and lively discussion. What we talk about: Celebrating women artisans i...

Win a château? Sounds dreamy. Until you realise you might also need a business plan, a visa renewal strategy and enough income to satisfy the prefecture. In this Rants & Bants episode, Sue, Rosie and Micala chat about the Win a Château TV show, the realities of post-Brexit life in France, language requirements, titre de séjour delays and yet another heated Facebook debate about décennale insur...

What makes a French renovation project run smoothly? And what quietly destroys trust between a homeowner and their artisan? In this episode, we reveal the secret to being a good client in France - and what it's fair to expect from your artisan. From communication and paperwork to boundaries, payment terms and unrealistic deadlines, we share what actually helps a project succeed (and what makes tra...

In this Rants & Bants episode (our shorter, more spontaneous, but always - okay, mostly - reno focused chats), we get all het up about everything from being ghosted after sending detailed quotes, to Facebook “expert” opinions on pricing, to the realities of buying and flipping property in today’s French property market. Most importantly though, we discuss Mr Kipling cakes and Burger King. Plus...

Planning rules can make or break a French renovation. So, in this episode, we unpack how planning permits in France actually work , why the mairie should always be your first stop - and what can go wrong if it isn’t! If you’re renovating (or thinking about buying) property in France, this episode will help you avoid expensive mistakes, delays and legal headaches. We’ve also pulled the key concepts...

What are you really paying for when you hire an artisan in France? Why do two quotes for the same work look so different? How much profit do artisans make on renovation work? If you're asking yourself (or Google) these questions, you'll find all the answers here! In this Rants & Bants episode, Rosie, Sue and Micala talk openly about the realities of running trade businesses in France - and wha...

If you’re renovating a property in France, chances are you’ve heard the term assurance décennale - along with claims that's it's not worth the paper it's written on. In this episode, Rosie, Sue and Micala explain why it most certainly IS! There’s are lots of details you'll want to remember, so we’ve pulled everything together into a clear, written guide on our website: www.frenchrenodiaries.com Re...

Rants & Bants episodes are informal, off-the-cuff chats - think of them like secretly recorded calls. Less polish, more spontaneity - but always insightful! What we discuss in this episode Why renovation TV and YouTube often create unrealistic expectations (for a deeper dive into this topic, listen to Episode #3: The reality behind the dream: What YouTube and TV shows don't tell you about reno...

In this episode of French Reno Diaries UNCENSORED , Rosie, Michaela and Sue pull back the curtain on reality TV renovation shows and glossy YouTube channels - and compare them with what actually happens on real renovation projects in France. TV shows mentioned: Escape to the Chateau (now known as Chateau DIY ) A Place in the Sun New Life in the Sun The episode also references several renovation-fo...

In this episode of French Reno Diaries UNCENSORED , we tackle one of the biggest and most emotionally charged topics for anyone renovating in France: money. Specifically, why renovation budgets so often blow out, why DIY is not always the saving people think it is, and why French renovation costs feel so shocking if you arrive with UK (or other overseas) expectations. Resources & tools mention...

In this first episode of French Reno Diaries UNCENSORED , we - Rosie, Micala and Sue - share our own French renovation journeys. No TV edits, no rose-tinted fantasies - just the raw, honest truth about buying, renovating, and surviving building projects in France. Between us, we’ve renovated multiple properties across Brittany, Burgundy, the Gers and beyond. We talk about what drew us to France, t...

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