EP 8: A tour of our Maison and surrounds

[@rosesutton1389]

The view from your proposed master bedroom is gorgeous. Your painting of Chewie is lovely, you are a very talented artist. I would love to see more of your villiage one day. Plus, I am looking forward to seeing the renovations.

[@Travelling_Jonoberries]

Darlene thank you for your tour of you lovely Maison à Daglan. It not until you move into the region that you pinch yourself to make sure that it’s not a dream. You have a lot to keep you busy and also your local community would be very happy to have this home returned to its glory. When driving in Europe remember “Lefty loosely” Righty righty” Take care and thank you 🙏🇫🇷🏰🦘

[@DarleneLavett]

You made me LOL. Thanks for the tip!

[@newday5]

It is such a breath of fresh air in the snowy weather where I am . Thank you for the tour from one Darlene to another

[@DarleneLavett]

Hello Darlene 👋 you don’t hear of too many Darlenes! I wonder if you get all the mispronunciations and nicknames like I do? I’m glad you enjoyed the tour of my humble abode.

[@newday5]

People tend to avoid my name as a guy it sounds like darling or use my last name

[@kimboland7960]

As a fellow Moreton Bay resident I'm finding your adventure very interesting. Please keep posting. Thank you

[@DarleneLavett]

Thank you Kim. Will do! Hope you’re enjoying those fresh winter. bay breezes this time of year.

[@lindamounts2193]

Lovely mix of things. Love the fur babies.

[@DarleneLavett]

Thank you! 😊🐶🐻

[@cyndyfabian7555]

Grannie Cyndy from Mount Barker South Australia here. I've watched all your vblogs and look forward to following you on your exciting journey. I can't move to France at 71yo but instead, I am bringing a bit of France to me. Thankyou for helping me to do that.

[@DarleneLavett]

Aww thanks Cyndy! I’m so glad you’re enjoying my journey vicariously. Today I made fig jam from our own figs. It was so much fun, can’t wait to show you how it turned out! x

[@millywood6801]

What a stunning village, would like to see more of that.

[@leannestengert4829]

Beautiful home , love the fur babies especially Jack , I have a few Jack Russells Terriers myself. Great little dogs. Love from North West Country NSW Australia

[@DarleneLavett]

Hello country NSW! Jack was a rescue from a shelter back in 2009. He is such a beautiful dog 🐶 as is the 🐩. Life is complete with a little fur family!

[@ElaineS-bo2bd]

From the Gold Coast here. We plan to do the same as you next year. Lots to learn! Thank you for sharing 😊

[@DarleneLavett]

Pleasure! And how exciting for you! Just reach out if you need any help at all. It’s daunting but manageable you just need to persevere and have patience.

[@cmp7777CeliaP]

Another Aussie just joining you in your new life in France. I live on the Gold Coast. I can live there too 🥰 following along with you. I do follow others in Chateaux & some people in Italy. Love it all. Thankyou for the work that goes into producing your vlogs. I love seeing gardens being transformed & youve got lots of lovely terraces to work with. Love hedges too! 🏡🌳🌾🌿🌹 It looks like you have chosen a great place for your upcoming art studio🖌🎨 & Seans furniture,🪚🔨🪑 right on the road & other artisans in the area. Your doggies are so cute, an epic adventure travelling across the world.🐕‍🦺🐕‍🦺

[@DarleneLavett]

Thank you GC! I can’t wait to show more of my garden transformation. That will be next, the before and after in only a few months is already such an improvement. Thanks for following along :)

[@daisy9910]

Hi Darlene, I'm one of your recent subscribers from the Blue Mountains, Australia. The new episode turned out great. The audio issues are gone, well done! The house has so much potential. I'm looking forward to seeing the renovations as you go. Love how excited Jackson and Chewy get for their walkies.

[@DarleneLavett]

Thanks Daisy! 🌼 You live in a very beautiful area, Shaun grew up in Lithgow so we’ve been down your way a number of times. And thanks for the feedback, I’ve got so much footage to share with you of the start of our renovations already. 😊

[@lorraineelderhurst4199]

Hi Darlene, just found you last night and have watched all episodes. Heard the audio difference which was so much better. From 1 to 8 . Love seeing house, animals your village and surrounds. Looking forward to viewing art work furniture making and renovations. You will be able to show us such a variety in your programs. Also from Australia, ex Sunshine Coast.

[@lollygee172]

You really did find an exceptional home in the perfect village! Habitable now with so much potential! Loving your videos! From Albuquerque New Mexico USA

[@petersymaeys6067]

Enjoy France, great story

[@j8oue]

What a lovely vlog . Merci. Bon journee du Canada!

[@DarleneLavett]

Merci beaucoup Canada 🍁

[@Sushilvia]

Beautiful house … beautiful sharing ❤

[@tanyalavett7392]

Bravo, what a wonderful tour of your beautiful maison hon! Stunning furniture and wonderful views. I can't wait to see how you transform the house and yard. Oh, and what a lovely surprise at the end (we miss you so much!) xoxo

[@DarleneLavett]

😍😍😍😍😍🥲🥲🥲😘😘😘

[@DarleneLavett]

Love and miss you sis x

[@robinmeek7593]

What a dream! The window views are gorgeous. The house is gorgeous! Thank you for bringing us along.

[@DarleneLavett]

And thank you for joining me Robin :)

[@lgrigg5439]

Great i found you video!!!! Love from Canberra ACT

[@DarleneLavett]

Thank you Canberra 😍

[@heathermcrobert9779]

Beautiful walks to be had!!!! Glad for you that your new home can be lived in with just a good clean. It has so much potential to be spectacular!!! Best.

[@Parisdoesrock]

What an incredible journey! Very excited for you to put your stamp on it! A few ideas, maybe sketch out a floor plan on paper and see if you can eliminate any walls, for enlarging some rooms or flip-flopping rooms. Maybe consider... creating privacy from neighbors on the terrace with a pergola on one side and start some vine growing type plants. Maybe leave the armoire doors open slightly, so they can begin to air out. Very beautiful home and property! Looking forward to your renovations!

[@DarleneLavett]

Lovely ideas, thank you the armoire is actually going into the master bedroom and the large wardrobe in the master bedroom will go into the TV room and we will turn that into a drinks cabinet. Can’t wait to refurbish and re-purpose all these beautiful pieces of furniture. I also have Roman columns that have recently been delivered so we can erect a pergola as you suggested and start growing some vines for privacy. 😀

[@Parisdoesrock]

@@DarleneLavett, Roman columns will be fantastic! You will be the envy of all, & they will be ambient too! What a fantastic idea. Converting & switching up the Armoires will make them your own. We once stayed in very upscale hotel in Canada, with a very posh drink armoire. Your on the right path! Keep up the good work!

[@deirdrecerasa3932]

A lovely village and beautiful property. Looking forward to see what comes next.

[@carolmcreynolds7761]

I have been told that back in the day before people were wearing watches the church bell would ring three minutes before the hour or half hour. Then ring again on the hour or half hour. Ringing three minutes early was just a warning the hour was approaching.❤

[@kayfindlay23]

You did really well with the furniture, no doubt Mr Smith has an eye for that 😊. Beautiful spot 🇦🇺

[@KitLisbeth72]

Love it 😍

[@DarleneLavett]

😘😘😘

[@naomilamb7406]

Congratulations. Nova Scotia, Canada

[@pipilongue]

Really gorgeous and in great shape. Great canvas to start with ....property is great as well. You found a gem. Looking forward to following along. Enjoy each day! 🌻 Santé 🥂

[@suzzane.notsusan.1078]

Wow u r a really really good artist. I wish i could paint my fur baby hes a bichon poodle and hes adorable i love poodles love ur chewy❤❤

[@DarleneLavett]

Thank you 🙏 I have been busily painting some special commission pieces lately of which I hope to show you soon.

[@sonniarichardson2507]

What a lovely area of France you have chosen ..simply breathtaking! Your fur baby pic is so cute. The captured expression says it all..hey I'm adorable, but I have a mischevious side..lol..what a cute puppy. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦

[@DarleneLavett]

Hello Canada and thank you, we are loving the experience and Chewie is indeed one very cheeky puppy! :)

[@daynight4902]

BEST WISHES TO YOU

[@2Arcticwolves]

Thank you for the tour of your lovely home and surroundings. Greetings from The Hunter Valley. NSW. I am really enjoying your vlogs. :)

[@DarleneLavett]

Hello Hunted Valley and thank you for watching! I’m so glad you’re along for the ride and enjoying my vblogs :)

[@ourfrenchabode]

Lovely house tour! It’s got great bones and just needs a a bit of love - what a gem you found! I was surprised by the painting, I thought it would be of the house 😂 But the fur baby painting was beautiful! Cheers Cheyanne

[@DarleneLavett]

Thanks for your msg Cheyenne. I’ve done two paintings of Jack hut this is my first of Chewie. My next piece is of the village as seen from our pigeonnaire and it’s nearly finished :)

[@lieuwina]

What a beautiful village and what stunning views. Thank you for taking us on a tour of the house and the village walk. Looks like you are settling down and can not wait to see the adventures of the renovation to the house. Have a lovely day,

[@anne4083]

Sound 🔊is perfect this time👏😊 loving the furniture and look forward to seeing what you get up to next.

[@lewischeval4198]

Hi it is a little difficult to see the colour but the marble around the fireplace is likely the unique marble found in Caunes Minervois. It is found in places like Opera Garnier and Versailles.

[@DarleneLavett]

🤩 Wow how lovely! Thanks for letting me know. I just love it!

[@patriciadelsey8793]

Love the painting of Chewie….I had a feeling it would be a painting of one of your pets.

[@johnoneill5812]

Your new home is very lovely and the furniture that came with it is amazing. A lot of the work is cosmetic but kitchen and bathroom renovations will be interesting.

[@petitrevefrance]

What a beautiful place 🥰 good luck here in france. We did the move last year.

[@DarleneLavett]

Thank you! 🤗 where did you move from and too exactly?

[@petitrevefrance]

@@DarleneLavett We moved from the Netherlands to the Lot et Garonne area. 1 hour south of Bergerac. So very close to the Dordogne are

[@Kitty_cat2001]

I really like your home! The furniture suits the house. In terms of the bathroom-the bath looks soo good, could you look at just recolouring the bath, sink etc instead of ripping them out? Also I like how you give written information on certain things & leave the camera on long enough for us to read! Central Victoria Australia 🇦🇺

[@DarleneLavett]

Thank you! Im so glad you enjoy my vblogs. It’s new to me this blogging so it’s been fun trying to present my story in a way that entertains and informs :)

[@helendorning4450]

Thanks Darlene for sharing another great vlog. It's quite a sizeable home (maison de maître)! Did you already tell us the year you believe it was built?? I also love the full length upstairs corridor. The furniture purchased with the property anazing.

[@DarleneLavett]

Hi Helen, thank you and I agree it is a perfect size for us. I think it was my first or second episode that I mentioned the year - the house was built in the late 1800s but the pigeonnaire is believed to be a lot older anywhere from 300 - 500 years old. This would explain why it has its on title of land around it.

[@helendorning4450]

@@DarleneLavett yes if course you did tell us the dates!! The proportions of the house are perfect. Can't wait to see progress as you stamp your combined artistic skills on all.

[@terribessler6671]

I wish I could send you a picture of my dog Teddy. Your Chewie is so similar!

[@DarleneLavett]

Please do! Aren’t they the most beautiful breed? He is the apple of my eye.

[@micheledenise2305]

I hope u make weekly videos!!! Oh and where yall go to sit would be a great place for a pool will u be adding 1??😊

[@DarleneLavett]

Hi Michele, thank you for watching along and sharing my journey :) This last week in France has been CRAZY hot 🥵 and so yes, if we can afford it we would love to add a pool! Even if it’s a small one :)

[@jeanmarcbeaumont8506]

Très belle maison et propriété Le mobilier rustique est magnifique ainsi que l'horloge de type comtoise C'est sûre que vous aurez des travaux à réaliser pour remettre votre maison à votre goût Bon courage et Très Bonne journée 😊😊😊

[@jeanmarcbeaumont8506]

Do you understand french or you prefer i translate in english mine comments

[@DarleneLavett]

Thank you for your lovely msg and I am actually enjoying the challenge you present! In your message I learnt some new words such as ‘mobilier’ and ‘l’horloge’. Every day there is something new to learn :)

[@jeanmarcbeaumont8506]

@@DarleneLavett thank you also for your answer I will try to continue in French if you want to learn more words Sorry for my English Très bonne soirée et a bientôt pour suivre vos nouvelles découvertes de votre région et de votre installation en Dordogne

[@inabates8919]

Hello girl, was thinking this vlog may be a hit n miss. Super glad I’m wrong, cheers 🍻. Oi Oi Oi🇦🇺 We’re thinking you guys have a gem. 🥰😉❣️💋🥰

[@DarleneLavett]

I’m so glad you gave me a chance! 😊Cheers 🥂

[@Hide_and_silk]

Unless I missed something, it seems your blue bathroom is the primary bathroom upstairs so not sure I'd make it an ensuite to a second bedroom? As an aside we live not far from you...transplants from the UK 😊

[@DarleneLavett]

Yes we came to that conclusion too. Theres no point making an ensuite if it’s the primary bathroom and we’re the only ones upstairs for the majority of the time. 😆

[@DarleneLavett]

Are you in the Dordogne?

[@Hide_and_silk]

@@DarleneLavett Yes 🙂

[@natayakhan3929]

Hello from Perth, thanks Darlene for showing your beautiful house full of potential to renovate. I enjoy your vdo, it’s inspiring ! Please May I ask, did you use the agent to move to France? If so, which one? thank you.❤

[@DarleneLavett]

Hello from Perth! Thank you for your lovely msg. As I understand it some people have buying agents but we didn’t use one. We (Shaun) contacted each realtor selling the houses we were interested in. We used Green-Acres.com and would send emails or SMSs rather than phone calls to establish viewing times which allowed for all parties to google translate in order to communicate.

[@jojobrown7573]

Hey Darlene, we have just found your channel. Congratulations on the new home. We also moved from Australia also 2 years ago, living near Bourges for the last year. Can you believe we bought the same cabinet as yours last week from a brocante. I’ve picked out all the details in gold and it looks spectacular. If you have an email address happy to send you a photo. Best of luck with settling in and we look forward to following your journey. Gary & Jo😘😘

[@DarleneLavett]

Hi Gary and Jo and thanks for your msg! How have you found the tree-change to France so far? Have you learnt the hard way or did you speak the language before arriving? OMG there is so much to learn as you know!! Please send through a pic as I would love to see what you’ve done. And thanks for watching :) [e-mail]

[@lindadrew8237]

Hi Darlene just love your videos, cheers from Tamborine Mountain 😊

[@jojobrown7573]

@@DarleneLavett thank you so much for your reply! have just sent you an email😘😘

[@isayx3]

What type of high speed home internet can you get in a village / town like this?

[@DarleneLavett]

We’ve got fibre so it’s very fast.

[@peterferan4389]

Do you have a home, a career, a mission, or what? Not the type of living conditions you would be used to so good on yer mate !!!

[@DarleneLavett]

Thanks Peter! Totally different to the norm for us. This is my home now, hubby and I are retired, and my mission /desires are expressed in earlier episodes :)

[@Rocklyn277]

You have a beautiful property in a lovely area. Just wish we could hear the sounds of nature and you with out the added music, which I find very distracting and irritating. Wishing you all the best from another Aussie

[@DarleneLavett]

Noted! Hopefully you would have noticed a change in the music volume levels.

[@inabates8919]

I’ll be honest, don’t like the decent to the basement at all 😬😜 How are those two furbies doing? Are they both coping?

[@DarleneLavett]

😂 I know right!? We will be replacing and those and renovating that whole space too. And the boys are loving it particularly as we’re walking distance to the river too which they love to swim in. Thanks for watching!

[@inabates8919]

😂😂😂😂

[@jenh9252]

Why would you take character out by removing things such as the wonderful blue bathroom suite??? Just reconfigure it!

[@DarleneLavett]

Ok! Will consider it.

[@jenh9252]

@@DarleneLavett Apparently they are very very trendy now....lol