FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - OUR STORY

How did this adventure begin? Why?

Our property search in France began when our daughter, Jasmine, spent a month in France with a French friend of the family’s whilst she was in school. Craig was tracking Jasmine’s every move on the computer, and so advertisements for French real estate began to pop up as suggestions for him to look at. It didn’t take long before the entire family was caught up in the idea, but it seemed more like a far off dream than a real possibility.

That changed when we took two visits to France to look at a short list of properties. Initially, we were only looking for a small farmhouse, ideally without the need for renovations. But when our son, Ben, saw there were chateaux also for sale the fantasy grew even more. Ben spotted Château de Gudanes for sale on the internet. It was him who suggested that we should look at it – more so out of curiosity than anything.

When we visited the property for the very first time, walking through the gates up to the Château was almost like crossing a threshold into another world - into a dream or into a fairytale. Reality lost focus and our imaginations took hold. Even six years later it still feels magical. There was an instant connection.

Simply put, nestled in a mountainous valley surrounded by delicate wildflowers and carolling birds, Château de Gudanes was impossible to resist…

We decided to explore the possibility of spending more time in France when our children were at the stage of finishing school. Craig did not have many ties to our familial hometown and my mother, the last living member of my birth family, had passed. It was the catalyst for perhaps the first time in our lives thinking what was it that we wanted to do. We had no ‘bow-lines’ to cast off, that had happened, and it was up to us where we would sail from now on. It seemed like before we even really knew what we were doing we were driving down to the Midi-Pyrénées, captivated by the snowcapped mountains and fields of sunflowers of rural France.

Why did you feel it was important to save this particular historic building and bring it back to life? 

The first time we visited the Château we only saw four rooms out of ninety-four. All of the other areas were inaccessible because of water damage - the floors and ceilings in ninety-one rooms had all caved in and it was condemned as a hard hat zone. All we could do was peek around the corners to see what was almost all rubble.

When we saw the destruction that had occurred the only way to describe it is that it was a very paradoxical experience. The contrast between the beauty of the rooms, albeit few, which had been unharmed, with the rest of the Château, which had been crippled by the water and the falling in of all the walls and ceilings, was heartbreaking. It was an experience which left us overwhelmed yet inspired at the same time. It was like falling in love with an echo from another time and another place. 

Often we are asked why we decided to do this, and then why this Château. Often wondering if there was a moment, like a light bulb feeling! Or was it a well thought out and planned. But it just wasn’t like that for us. There was never a motive, only a soft lingering feeling. People always want an answer, but we never have one. 

Tell us about your social media: why did you share your project? How has it helped you share your story?

Amongst the difficulties of the early days of restoration, Karina soon found herself regularly making the pilgrimage back and forth to France from our family home here in Perth to manage the project. As her son and daughter were at university at the time, and Craig had to continue working in Perth to support the project, she had to take on this responsibility. And, so that she could always keep in touch with them and share the progress of the work she decided to create a blog and Facebook page for the Château so that they could follow along. And it is for this reason that in 2018 the Château was even nominated for an esteemed Shorty Award for its online presence and following.

Subsequently we have used this medium to launch a variety of commercial ventures that we ultimately hope will assist in building a sustainable future for the Château and to help financially support the ongoing restoration.

How much time and effort has gone into the restoration so far? 

It took almost three years just to purchase the Château, but eventually the documents went through in 2013. It took endless meetings with the previous owners, local mayor and French government before we were able to purchase it. They wanted to know more about who we were and our motivations so that they could make an informed decision as to whether they could trust us with the monumental and important task of restoring the building.

Since then to conduct any work on the Château, even the smallest of details, we have to apply and receive permission from the Historic Monuments of France. The Monuments Historic is a government organisation that must approve all work planned for historically listed properties. After receiving permission for the first phase of the restoration, which involved reinstalling all of the floors, walls and ceilings that had fallen in, work began in November 2013. 

After the first phase of work finished we have had difficulty acquiring permission from the Historic Monuments to conduct more work. It is normal for this process to take quite some time. And so in the meantime, we have been doing smaller emergency tasks (which we do not need permission for) as well as work on the garden. However, we have just recently secured more permits which we hope to proceed with in soon.

Where are the works at now? When will they be finished? What are the next steps ?

It took almost three years to purchase the Château, along with its 12 hectares of parkland. But eventually the documents went through in early 2013. Buying a historically listed ruined Chateau, in a country where we didn’t even speak the language, was always going to be challenging. To add to that, we had very little exposure or background in architecture, restoration, or old buildings. In fact, when we first put an offer in to buy the Château, we had only seen three salons. The rest of the Château (another ninety-one rooms) was inaccessible because there were no ceilings or floors. There was mould, mushrooms and algae spread across the walls and trees were growing inside and on the roof.

And so during the first phase of work, appropriately named the consolidation phase, our builders reinstalled all of the walls, ceilings, and floors that had fallen in. Before they could do that though, they had to remove 500 tonnes of rubble from the interior. Today, we are now at the restoration phase of works.

As the Château is a Class I Historic Monument, the process of her restoration may take a lot more time than the restoration of a differently classified building or another building that is not classified. It takes many many months getting together the relevant items before sending in the final documents for permissions. And then, you may have to wait a significant amount of time to find out whether your plans were approved or not.

However, the time it takes to gather the relevant information and to hear back about the approvals is fortuitous in many ways for the restoration itself. For our family, during these waiting times it has become clearer to us that we need to learn to slowly adapt ourselves to the Chateau rather than forcibly demand her to adapt to us. The important thing is not to rush the restoration along, and instead to take the time to really understand her past and devise the best ideas so that the restoration retains all of the Château’s historical significance and secures her sustainability for hopefully as many years as she has already stood.

And so, rather than completing the restoration within a specific timeline it is important to understand that it is the process which matters, not simply finishing within an allocated amount of time. And in any case, the entire concept of restoration is an ongoing process, which by its very nature and definition will never finish. The Château is also never going to be put back together to resemble exactly how she once was. Instead, the importance in her restoration lies in keeping things as authentic as possible and in guarding her integrity.

Have you discovered any interesting ‘finds’ whilst restoring the Château?

When we started the first phase of work our builders discovered a hole in the ground in the part of the château that was once a Medieval fortress dating back to the 13th century. 

Our builders quickly began excavating the hole. At the moment it tunnels 6 meters underneath the ground and we are yet to find a proper floor (it does have a vaulted ceiling). We decided to stop to wait until it can be excavated professionally in the future. 

We think that it may have been an escape tunnel to the local village (or possibly an area for grain or water storage). There is a boarded up doorway on the walls around the Château grounds. Local legend has it that during the War of the Demoiselles, between 1829 and 1832, that the then owner of the Château was rolled down a tunnel from the Château to the village in a wooden barrel to protect him from the rebels. 

Inside the hole we discovered many interesting finds including pieces of bone, ceramics and Venetian glassware. The items are on display at the Château in our small dedicated museum area.  

If you would like to read more, there are three blog posts all about the discoveries we have made along the way here, here and here.

What are some compromises or realities you have encountered about moving into the Château?

In the beginning, we were conveniently swept up in the fairytale of a Château in a faraway land, rather than comprehending what it would really mean living in a foreign country, with a language we didn’t speak, and the responsibility required of owning and restoring a historic monument. Adapting to the French lifestyle, culture and language has certainly not come easily, and it has taken several years for us to find our place here and for it to feel like home. 

The first time Karina stayed inside the Château was in the winter of 2014/2015. The Château was only just a shell - the floors, walls and ceilings had been reinstalled but there was nothing else. No electricity, no heating, no water Karina put up a tent inside one of the rooms to protect herself from the cold.

As the journey has progressed we now live inside the Château with many more comforts. However, with only minimal electricity and heating we have still had to learn to live amongst and embrace the imperfections of the Château whilst she undergoes restoration. In the beginning, it wasn’t easy re-adjusting to our new home without the comforts we are used to where we live in Australia.

But, this has been a true blessing. Slowly, we have realised that part of the beauty of the experience of being at the Château is living how people in the past would have lived - learning to live by the light of the day and making your way to bed by candlelight in the evening. Existing with a sort of gentleness that can sometimes be lost today. Life does not move fast here, and there is a definite serenity in being disconnected from the rush of the rest of the world. 

We have learnt that life is about learning to see the beauty in imperfection... 

Who manages the project?

Karina and Jasmine manage the restoration project and together also take care of the Château website, social media, e-commerce, Château Experiences and Events. Because, everyday counts towards building a dream, and towards creating something that is sustainable for the future. 

Do you use professional artisans? How did you find them, where did they come from and how do you work with them?

The Château is a Class I Historical Monument. This same classification is held by the Palace of Versailles and the Eiffel Tower. And so, any and all work that we carry out first has to be applied for and approved by the Monuments Historic of France, which is a government-led organisation. And, before the relevant documents may be submitted months and months of work must go into recording, investigating and outlining in meticulous length and detail what we plan to do. This process applies for all the work we do no matter how small.

In keeping with this, our team must be overseen and include members of the Monuments Historic in capacities such as architects, artisans etc. The remainder of our team is then comprised of professional restorers from France, Italy and England. Several of the members of our team who work on the restoration, but are multi specialised, also work as part of our construction team when doing larger re-building works. All of the members of our restoration team have arrived to work at the Château very organically. Many were working on their own or other projects around our local area beforehand.

In addition to this, we also have several young workers from our local village who work beside our restorers to assist them. And as a family we also assist with many aspects of the work in order to learn their techniques and processes, so that we are able to gain more knowledge and insight into the important philosophies and theories of restoration, conservation and preservation.

Where have you sourced the materials from for the restoration? 

Our plan to ensure the future sustainability of the Château centres not only around financial sustainability but also around using energy efficient practices and making environmentally conscious decisions. This means a low footprint in the way that Château is currently being restored, as well as in how it will be powered and managed in the future.

In keeping with this, we repurpose and recycle as much as possible including building materials. In the first phase of work at the Château our builders reinstalled all the walls, ceilings, and floors that had fallen in. Before they could do that though, they had to remove 500 tonnes of rubble from inside the Château. For our building materials we predominately use items that were found and saved from that rubble. Or where possible, we use the wood that we mill from the fallen trees in the Château woodlands to make beams for ceilings, doors, base boards etc. If this isn’t possible we source materials from salvage yards or from other local historical buildings that are being decommissioned.

Where do you source the Château’s furniture and fittings from?

As an environmentally conscious decision we repurpose and recycle not only building materials but also furniture, fittings and decor. Our philosophy is to furnish using only local, pre-owned furniture and fittings. Almost every piece which finds its home in the Château is hand-crafted or up-cycled from local antique dealers, charity stores or artisans from around the area. However, we do also use the wood milled from fallen trees in the Château woodlands to make some special pieces. But no matter what each and every item has its own unique story just like the Château…

Are you and your family planning to live permanently at the Château?

Our family originally envisioned the Château to eventually become a private residence. But, once the restoration began and we realised the enormity of the project, we knew that the future use of the Château would need to be commercial to ensure the future sustainability of the Château.

This does make sense as the Château is classified as a Class I Historic Monument. The listing may be predominately attributed to the fact that the building was designed by Parisian architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel. And today, Gabriel is considered one of the most famous French architects of the past and is also responsible for other notable architectural works including the Marie Antoinette’s Petit Trianon and Opera House, as well as Place de la Concorde in Paris. Being a historical monument in many ways we feel we are socially obliged to share the Château’s history and legacy.

However, at the same time our family still live at the Château. And so, we hope that you can also feel the warmth and love that we have for our home.

Do you have any advice to share with others who are thinking of buying their own French property? 

There are many things to consider and in the beginning it is easy to be caught up in the fairytale aspect of purchasing a property, without fully comprehending the realities and repercussions of what you will be faced with. 

First and foremost would to be realistic about your financial situation. Properties in France may sometimes appear on the internet to seem affordable when compared to properties in many other countries. However, there are many factors to consider. Taxes on your home in France will be a significant cost to consider (they are large and numerous and the reason why larger properties are always on the market) let alone additional taxes from your resident country. If you need to renovate the costs are high (at least when compared to Australia), and you should also consider the difficulty of actually finding specialised workers in rural areas as you may need to pay additional costs for a larger company to travel and do the work. When you have finally finished renovating, the maintenance costs of a home in France (possibly as well as a home in your resident country) will be important to think about. Then you have to factor in things like travel costs per year and if you are planning on spending extended periods of time in France how you will work in a country where you may not speak the language. Even just obtaining a French visa it took Karina two years of travelling back and forth to Sydney and France and there are significant costs involved.

If after spending a lot of time considering these financials you are still thinking of going ahead start learning French now! From our experience very few French people speak English outside of the main cities. It’s best to start learning tout suite. 

After this we would suggest, in an ideal world (and as yet another cost to consider), spending some time travelling around France to get an idea of what area you would be interested to purchase your home in. Once you have narrowed your search to a specific region we would suggest renting a place for three months or so to really get a feel for the area. Not just the scenery but consider - are there are activities on offer that you will enjoy year round? Are there all of the amenities that you will need (schools, doctors, supermarkets, public transport, a space that holds language classes etc)? Is there a group of local people who speak your language (as you will need a support system as you nurture your new life and people who know the area to give you guidance and also if you need help in a difficult situation)?

When you arrive at the stage of looking for a property we would suggest doing this in person and if possible having a translator to accompany you. Many French people sell their homes privately and not through a real estate agent. Where there is an agent they will not necessarily have an online presence (and few will speak English). However, there is a website called Le Bon Coin (the French version of Gumtree in Australia or Craigslist in the US) which has properties privately listed for rent and sale. 

At this time, or at least before the stage of putting in an offer on a property, it is worth sitting down for some legal advice preferably from a bilingual lawyer and/or a specialist accountant so that you can discuss how it would be best to structure the purchase of a property. You will need to take into account issues such as being a resident vs. a non-resident, wealth tax, inheritance tax, capital gains, personal tax implications etc. In our situation, after reviewing all of this we came to the conclusion that it is nearly impossible to have a perfect scenario. In the end we were personally more concerned about inheritance tax than capital gains and this was the main reason that we purchased the Château in a French SCI company. 

These are just a few things to consider in advance. But in saying all of this, thinking of buying a property in France, or any home, is a very exciting time and it is important equally to celebrate and enjoy the process.