DIY French Châteaux Blogs You Should Know About

Last Updated on 18th August 2023 by Sophie Nadeau

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With their endless rooms, fairytale turrets, acres of land, and a rich history to rival many public monuments… Who hasn’t dreamt about owning and restoring their own French Châeau before? Well, for some people, this is quite literally a reality and, luckily for us, many Château owners are even bringing us along for the ride thanks to YouTube series, blogs, and jaw-dropping photography. Here are some of the best DIY French Châteaux Blogs you’ll want to read for yourself.

Château de Gudane

Some might argue that the ‘original’ French Château DIY blog is that of Château de Gudane. When Australian family, the Waters, were searching for their dream family home, they had almost given up hope on finding ‘the one’.

All that changed when they saw Château de Gudane. So enticed were they by the prospect of the Château that the family drove some 500 miles in a single day, just to view the French building!

Having only seen a handful of rooms (the rest of the property was inaccessible on account of several floors and ceilings having caved in), the family purchased their property and have lovingly worked tirelessly to repair and restore it ever since.

The history of the Château dates back centuries, with evidence that there was a medieval stronghold constructed on the site where the French Château now sits. Today, the family create some pretty incredible content about the restoration of the Château and even hosts events and stays throughout the year.

Discover the Château’s website here, the Instagram here, and the YouTube channel here.

Château De La Basmaignée

Situated in North West France, an area of the country known for its lush forests and wild coastline, Château de la Basmaginée is to be found in the Mayenne area and the building on site today dates back to the 18th-century. Constructed by the Dubois de la Basmaignée, the sprawling mansion boasts its own private chapel, acres of land, and a pretty striking roofline.

The Château was purchased by Michael Petherick together with is brother and fiancé back in 2017. What initially started as a three person project soon became a family fair as the Pethericks set about restoring the magnificent building to its former glory. 

Now, the family run the Château as a business, hosting weddings, guests, and even hen parties. Luckily for the rest of us, we’re invited to join along on the journey thanks to an aptly named YouTube channel called “Doing it Ourselves,” as well as a series of stunning photos on Instagram!  

Discover the Château’s website here, the Instagram here, and the YouTube channel here.

Château de Lalande

What really enticed me into the world of DIY French Châteaux blogs were the vlogs I stumbled across about Château de Lalande. Fellow British woman, Stephanie Jarvis, purchased Château de Lalande at the age of just 29.

Originally with the aim of restoring and reselling the Château together with a friend in just five years, she soon realised it would take a lifetime to fully restore Lalande to its former glory… And besides, she had fallen to in love with the building to ever consider selling it!

Some fourteen years later, Stephanie is still at Château de Lalande and runs a fascinating YouTube channel and several Instagram accounts detailing what it’s really like to live and work in a French Château.

Her vlogs are beautifully shot and detail everything from apartment tours to the nitty gritty of the true costs of how much you have to spend to keep a French Château going!

Situated in South West France, not far away from the beautiful French city of Limoges, Château de Lalande is not only home to Stephanie and her family, friends, and the occasional WorkAway volunteer, but it has since turned into a business venture in its own right. Throughout the year, Château de Lalande hosts guests for stays and musical events. 

Discover the Château’s website here, the Instagram here, and the YouTube channel here.

Château Le Mung

Though it may have a history stretching back some eight centuries, Château Le Mung in the Poitou-Charentes (now Nouvelle Aquitaine) lay abandoned for many years, left exposed to the elements and largely unloved. Its story took a dramatic turn for the better after the crumbling building was purchased by the Sheryl and Gerald Bromley.

The love affair began in 2014 when the couple spied a photo of the largely abandoned French Château. For several weeks, they simply couldn’t stop thinking about the historical building and so they took a chance and flew out to see Château Le Mung.

Though the project was immense, the building in incredibly poor repair, the couple couldn’t stop envisioning about what the Château might be like if it were restored to its former glory. 

Soon enough the family uprooted their lives and gave everything up for a dream to restore the former Château to its previous grandiose state and transform the unloved building into a hotel.

They hold events throughout the year and regularly publish content regarding renovations and what life at Château Le Mung is like on their various social media channels.

Discover the Château’s website here, the Instagram here, and the Facebook channel here.

Château du Bailleul

Yet another YouTube channel featuring the renovation and restoration of a magnificent French Château is that of Chateau du Bailleul.

Run by partners Philip and Angelina (Angelina largely grew up in central London while Philip largely grew up in St Ives, Cornwall), the channel showcases various aspects of Château life in rural France. The magnificent building is also used to host weddings and the like.

Discover the Château’s website here, the Instagram here, and the YouTube channel here.

Chateau de Bosguet

Ever wondered what it’s like to transform your chateau into an accommodation for long term visitors? Well, Jane Webster purchased Chateau de Bosguet in 2005 together with her partner and has since opened a programme whereby visitors can book to stay long time from April to October.

At this time, guests can experience the rural Chateau life for themselves. You can follow their journey on Instagram, which includes plenty of beautiful architectural shots of the building, among other things.

Discover the Château’s website here, and the Instagram here.

Chateau Gonneville sur Honfleur

Located close to the fishing town of Honfleur in Northern France, Chateau Gonneville sur Honfleur is another former château turned family home and guesthouse. The current owners acquired the château in May 2019.

Renovated by and now run as an accommodation by an Italian/ British couple who originally met in Paris, the couple showcase their renovation adventures on YouTube under the channel name of ‘How to Renovate a Chateau’.

Discover the Château’s Instagram here and the YouTube channel here.

Chateau de Lalacelle

A few years ago, a British family moved to France with the dream of restoring an abandoned Château in north-western France. Their YouTube channel, Instagram, and Facebook pages document the restoration journey and also features other vlogs about life in France.

Discover the Château’s Instagram here and the YouTube channel here.

Enjoyed reading about the best of French Châteaux blogs and vlogs? Pin this article now, read it again later: