The roof and rendering are the two “big ticket items” that prospective chateau owners should check to stop their property dream becoming a financial nightmare.
The advice comes from Lionel Cherruault who, alongside wife Claire, is documenting his own chateau renovation on television and online.
“Do not kid yourself about the cost of renovation, do not kid yourself about these old buildings being easy to renovate,” he said.
“If something goes wrong, every single bit of it is going to cost you a fortune.”
The chateau sits on a large plot of two-and-a-half hectares
Checking the state of the roof and rendering is particularly important when viewing properties, he warned, to avoid exorbitant repair or replacement costs later down the line.
The couple also advise thinking about how much land you can manage – many chateaux sit on huge plots, which will be your responsibility to look after.
“You’ve got to be able to live, and you want to enjoy it,” said Claire.
The search
The couple were working as photographers in London when they decided to move to France.
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“We’ve always loved old properties,” said Claire. “When we lived in London we had a beautiful, big old Georgian house in Peckham, which we completely renovated.”
But she had bigger plans when it came to their French property, having always dreamt of living in a chateau for the “drama” and “magic”.
After starting their search online during Covid, the couple eventually made three chateau-hunting trips to France. It was on the third that they struck lucky.
The 19-room chateau cost €935,000Lionel and Claire Cherruault
“It was love at first sight – but sensible love at first sight,” said Claire, of their chateau, a fairytale-like property in the Vendée, western France, which dates from around 1830.
It is nestled at the end of a long drive, bookended by two towers and even has its own chapel, complete with stained glass window.
Claire had previously fallen for another chateau whose “walls were falling down” and “roof needed redoing” but their property was in a relatively good state of repair; its roof had been redone 11 years ago and it had new rendering and double glazing.
They bought the chateau in 2021 for €935,000. The 19-room home, which sits on two-and-a-half hectares, is a more manageable size compared to some of the chateaux they had viewed.
“We really liked the layout and flow of ours, it’s a very liveable size,” said Claire.
The couple knew they did not want to be “in the middle of nowhere” so the chateau’s location, near the town of Fontenay-le-Comte and just under an hour from La Rochelle, was perfect.
‘Bit by bit’
When it came to the renovation, Claire and Lionel quickly found that setting an accurate budget for the entire project was near-impossible.
“If we were really sensible, we would plan everything and budget everything… We started doing that and very soon we stopped because we were both approaching needing therapy…” said Lionel.
“You cannot realistically budget for a place like this. The best way of doing it is bit by bit.”
Local tradesmen will tackle more complicated jobs, such as rewiring, but the couple hope to do some re-plastering and all the decorating themselves.
The couple are set to document their renovation on TV series Chateau DIYLionel and Claire Cherruault
This year’s plans include renovating the guest suite (knocking through to a next-door toilet) and transforming the dining room.
These jobs will be documented by a film crew for British TV series Chateau DIY, which is set to be broadcast in early 2026.
The couple are also chronicling the renovation on their YouTube channel, Our Chateau Life.
Future projects include a new kitchen, a breakfast room and restoring the chapel, which is currently in a dangerous state of disrepair. They plan to launch a GoFundMe to bring in experts for the chapel restoration.
The couple are using income from their UK-based vitamin business to fund the renovation.
“There’s not some big pot of money to pay for it, it’s just little by little, as we earn a bit, we’ll do a bit more,” said Claire.
Finding pieces and future plans
The couple are keen to put their own stamp on the place and are not too precious about sticking to a particular “chateau style”.
“There are a lot of people who would be happy to live in the equivalent of a museum, and that’s not right for us,” said Lionel, who loves mid-century furniture and wants to introduce an “eclectic” mix of styles to the property.
With such a huge space to decorate and furnish, they have developed a nose for where to find the best bargains.
“We are very good at hunting around and finding auctions where they are getting rid of stock,” said Claire.
“On Facebook Marketplace we bought a marble fireplace surround for €70 and it’s just sitting in an outbuilding waiting to be used.
“If you see something, buy it and store it because you don’t know when it’s going to come up again.”
Lionel and Claire would love to eventually use their home as an event space, hosting concerts, artists’ residencies and cultural events.
“We’re both photographers so we’d love to turn one of our outbuildings into a gallery space and invite top photographers to show some of their best work,” said Lionel.
Find your own chateau for under €1million
Readers who are keen to follow in the Cherruaults’ footsteps with their own French chateau can still find properties on the market for under €1million. Here is what your money will buy:
This chateau dates from the 14th and 16th centuries and has been fully restored. Original features include staircases, stained glass windows and medieval cellars.
It has four bedrooms, with another two possible bedrooms in the adjoining tower. Outside, there is a summer house, as well as outbuildings, an orchard and a large enclosed garden.
This 16th Century chateau looks out over the Dronne valley and has a rich and chequered history. The original building dated back to the 13th Century, but was completely destroyed by the English and rebuilt by François I.
It was converted into a large family home in the 1930s and today has 13 bedrooms, a range of outbuildings and its own swimming pool.
