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A New Life in the Sun Season 11 Episode 3
A New Life in the Sun
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A New Life in the Sun
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00:00...helps. All across Europe, brave Brits are chasing new beginnings.
00:04Let's get this show on the road, huh?
00:06I mean, just look at this backdrop here.
00:08Essex was nothing like this.
00:10The stakes are high.
00:12This is definitely a gamble. I put everything in.
00:14All my life savings.
00:16We've got a lot riding on this.
00:17Our futures, our children's futures.
00:19We need to make some money.
00:20As they launch B&Bs...
00:22Service.
00:23...and pubs in France...
00:25We're very new at this.
00:26Wow. Good job the wines, Chi.
00:28...to wellness retreats and holiday parks in Bulgaria.
00:33It's not big enough. We measured it. I don't understand.
00:36It's a journey into the unknown.
00:39Oh, that's cool.
00:41Boo!
00:42But we're joining them for the ride.
00:46As they tee off...
00:47Oh!
00:48...their new lives in the sun.
00:50I just walk around with a smile on my face all the time.
00:53Let's learn, Barbara!
00:55Today...
00:56Really nervous.
00:57It's opening day at a couple's new pub in France.
01:01I don't know if I'm coming, if I'm going, what I'm serving.
01:04But will their gamble on a fresh start for their family pay off?
01:08We've put everything in.
01:10Everything that we've got.
01:12Blood, sweat and tears.
01:13In Spain...
01:14Well, I hope that's everything.
01:17Because there ain't no coming back.
01:19Emotions run high.
01:23As a B&B owner makes big changes to her business.
01:27There's only one income coming into this household, so it's all on me.
01:31And has the renovation of a Spanish guest house...
01:34Nice to meet you.
01:37...hit a sticking point.
01:38Fingers crossed, uh...
01:40It's right, otherwise we'd be taking it back down.
01:42The Dordogne is where France slows down.
01:58A place of vineyards, castles and long summer evenings.
02:02Each year, thousands of Brits flock here for holidays.
02:07But there are also a brave batch so won over by the region...
02:11..that they gamble everything to make it their new home.
02:16Are the market still on?
02:19We're just a little bit later than we would normally be.
02:21Like Dave and Emily from Huddersfield...
02:24..and their two children, Willow and Hugo.
02:27It's the tradition, isn't it, that we'll do a bit of shopping,
02:30get however it gets, and then we stop and have a little drink...
02:33..in the local bar.
02:34Yeah.
02:35And then you can just sit and watch the world go by,
02:38do a bit of people-watching.
02:39Yeah.
02:42We've really put ourselves on the line, haven't we?
02:45We've left all of our family, all of our friends...
02:47..and we've got our kids.
02:50Emotionally, we've put everything in.
02:53Everything that we've got.
02:54Blood, sweat and tears.
02:57Thus far, it's good, yeah?
03:00Yeah, it's good.
03:02But to pay for their new lives here,
03:05for the past month, former car sales manager Dave
03:08and travel agent Emily...
03:10We've got to do them from the inside.
03:12..have been working around the clock
03:14to get their new pub and restaurant
03:15in the village of Santa Steph ready to open.
03:20They're not perfect, but you can see out of them now.
03:22Much better.
03:23We've taken over a pub, and we want it to be a hub for people
03:27to come, meet the friends, meet us...
03:31..just generally enjoy being in our place.
03:35You've done them all?
03:36Uh-huh.
03:37I'm the boss.
03:37Oh, Em's the boss.
03:38I'm the boss, absolutely.
03:40And I enjoy that, because the responsibility
03:43is less than I've had in the past.
03:46So I'm very happy for Em to be the boss.
03:49Regardless of who's in charge, though,
03:51it's a brand-new career path for both of them.
03:55It's very stressful, very tiring...
03:59Yeah. ..mentally draining.
04:01Yeah.
04:02Physically draining.
04:02Physically draining.
04:03It's just all...
04:04Everything's just so new,
04:05and we're unsure about everything.
04:07We haven't got the leisure of being able to say
04:11it didn't work.
04:13That can't happen.
04:14It has to work.
04:18It's now early June,
04:20and the heat's ramping up in the kitchen
04:22for Dave and Emily's new pub.
04:25Make sure you get it right.
04:26Hey, you can't put that much chilli in.
04:28Will that be good, though, do you think?
04:30I...
04:30Yeah, I don't know.
04:34It's finally their official launch day,
04:36but before they open their doors
04:38for the first time later this afternoon,
04:40they need to cook up the curries
04:42that'll be served as part of a free taster menu.
04:47I just feel like I'm missing something,
04:49and I can't think what...
04:51Messe.
04:51Messe.
04:53Hey, do you know what?
04:55It's a good job I'm here, really, isn't it?
04:57This is supposed to be a competition
04:59between who's the best, and I'm helping you.
05:01But we are married.
05:02You would have definitely lost, wouldn't you?
05:06The plan is to have two different curries to serve,
05:09one prepped by Emily and the other by Dave.
05:13The pan's not looking big enough.
05:15I've got five kilos of chicken to go in it,
05:18so I'm a little bit worried now,
05:19but I haven't quite got enough space.
05:21Never used a commercial kitchen to cook anything.
05:24Here goes.
05:28It's scary, because I've never made a curries for so many people.
05:31What if we just do it all wrong?
05:33Once you've put these vices in,
05:35you can't take them back out.
05:36One, two...
05:38Doing these curries tonight is definitely a risk for us,
05:43because, you know, it all goes well, brilliant.
05:46But if it doesn't, we might lose customers forever.
05:50I've no idea how much I've just put in there.
05:53Oh, dear.
05:53And as the morning goes on...
05:58Did you turn this down?
05:59Yeah.
06:00..with only experience of cooking for their own family
06:03and not large groups,
06:05it's not just the spice levels that they're worried about.
06:10It's really hard to get this just right.
06:13The water levels, especially in Emily's pan, seem off.
06:18It's watery now.
06:20Why is it so watery?
06:22The chicken will have water in, won't it?
06:26Yeah, it needs to reduce loads and loads and loads.
06:30This doesn't look like my curry.
06:32All this steam, is it cooking down?
06:35But then my chicken's going to go tough, innit?
06:38We've never made a bad curry in our lives.
06:43Till today.
06:51Over 800 miles away in southern Spain,
06:59it's also a day of celebration
07:01in the mountaintop village of Polopos,
07:04where its annual wine festival is in full swing.
07:09Joining the party this year are its newest residents,
07:13Nigel, originally from Wiltshire,
07:15and his Spanish husband, Fede, who has family roots here.
07:22A day where the community comes together
07:24and enjoy and relax themselves.
07:27Seeing as there's a fountain of red wine,
07:29I think we could have a few.
07:32There is an alcohol-free fountain as well.
07:34The couple, who previously ran a pub in Bath,
07:40have bought a three-storey former guest house
07:43at the top of the village.
07:45Having been closed for ten years,
07:47Nigel and Fede spotted an opportunity
07:50to revive the business.
07:51The property we want to bring back
07:54to its former glory,
07:56back up to standard for the bed and breakfast.
07:58We are both going to be taking the DIY tasks.
08:03And hopefully each room will have its own stamp on it.
08:06Cheers.
08:07And news of the couple's plans...
08:09Bienvenido!
08:11..have become the talk of the town.
08:13If they have their house, they'll bring us more tourism.
08:17In addition, if we can help them, we'll help them.
08:20Both mayors have welcomed us to the village
08:23and have offered any help possible,
08:26as long as we don't ask for cash.
08:30With the whole community watching on,
08:33the pressure's now on to deliver.
08:37Hopefully we'll make it a nicer place.
08:41And between us, you know, the work's got to be done
08:44and we're looking forward to the challenge.
08:47It's now late April
08:49and as interest grows in Nigel and Fede's new business venture...
08:53This is a rough guide.
08:56..the couple are trying to keep momentum up
08:58on their B&B renovations.
09:00But with Fede under the weather,
09:02they've had to call in some extra help.
09:06We've got Steve here from the UK.
09:08He's going to put in a load of stud walls for us
09:10to divide up and make some new rooms.
09:12We've got Brian downstairs putting a sink in the bar
09:16and helping me in the kitchen do some plumbing work.
09:19So, yeah, lots going on today.
09:21While Nigel and Fede are DIY novices,
09:24their friend Steve, who is visiting for a week,
09:27has a background in construction.
09:30So it's vital they make the most of his skills while he's here.
09:34This used to be a former lounge for guests
09:39that stayed at the former B&B,
09:40but we're going to turn it into an en-suite open plan
09:44shower and toilet and bedroom
09:46because of the views outside the doors.
09:49This is going to be the nicest room, hopefully.
09:52They're all going to be nice,
09:53but this is a bit more grandeur to it.
09:56Once the renovations are complete,
09:58Nigel and Fede plan to have a total
10:01of five double en-suite guest rooms.
10:04But to achieve that,
10:06not only did they need to build new bathrooms,
10:10the property's existing wash facilities...
10:12Float towels are the unexpected.
10:15..also need an upgrade to modern standards.
10:19The level where all the bathrooms are in the middle of the house,
10:23Steve's going to come into each bathroom
10:25and put new doors in
10:26because they've just used curtains in the past.
10:29So to make it a bit more private,
10:31we're going to put new doors in
10:32and box them in
10:33so they become an actual room.
10:35So when somebody's using the bathroom,
10:37it's not fuming the bedroom.
10:42While Steve's been able to steam ahead
10:45with the stud walls for the new en-suite upstairs...
10:48This is going to be where the shower head and taps are.
10:53..when they come to plotting out the toilet area...
10:56..it's proving more of a puzzle.
10:59So it's 60 from the front of the toilet, 24 inches.
11:06So we've got to put the toilet in here,
11:09but we've looked on the plans of the dimensions of the toilet
11:13and it needs to be slightly bigger,
11:15which then encroaches on the doors.
11:19If they don't get their measurements right...
11:21..85 to 90 is literally in line with that wall.
11:27..it might not be much of a comfort break for their guests.
11:31Fingers crossed it's right,
11:33otherwise we'd be taking it back down.
11:34Three and a half hours later, with the new walls up,
11:42it's time to find out.
11:44That's brilliant.
11:45Really good job.
11:47And the toilet can go in there.
11:50I'm just testing it out.
11:51Plenty of space either side.
11:53Enough for the system and enough leg room.
11:57And once the door's on as well,
11:59which is what I was worried about.
12:00But with so much left to do at the B&B,
12:04there's no time for sitting around.
12:07I'm sure I've put somebody to be pleased on her throne.
12:10She's done a good job.
12:15Coming up is a new B&B host in Spain
12:18having second thoughts about her new business.
12:21Obviously opening my house to bed and breakfast guests,
12:24there's the level of vulnerability, having strangers in my home.
12:26And in France, the weather threatens to put a dampener
12:30on Emily and Dave's pub launch.
12:32At this rate, we'll be inside tonight,
12:34which is not what we want
12:36because there's definitely not enough room for everybody in there.
12:39The rain is going to ruin the night.
12:41Far removed from the crowded costas and tourist bustle,
12:56rural Almería in the south offers something a little different,
13:00an authentic taste of Spain's wilder and more rugged side.
13:05Come on, then.
13:07Good girl.
13:09Which was a huge part of the attraction for Emma from Leicestershire
13:14who moved to the region last year.
13:19Being able to take advantage of the wild areas
13:22and the rambler roads and getting out and exploring
13:25has been a real bonus to the house being where it is.
13:29Having worked as a dog groomer in the UK,
13:32over here Emma's embarked on a brand-new career
13:35as a bed and breakfast host.
13:37OK, thank you.
13:39You're welcome.
13:42A business she's launched from her five-bed traditional Spanish cortillo
13:46located in the hills above the village of Oria.
13:50Obviously opening my house to bed and breakfast guests,
13:52there's a level of vulnerability.
13:54There's certain things that I've had to adjust to
13:57and obviously get my head around is just having strangers in my home.
14:00Any more tea and coffee?
14:03But they quickly turn into guests that have potentially become friends as well.
14:07The whole experience has been above and beyond what I ever expected.
14:11While Emma's enjoying her new role,
14:14her remote location means she can't rely solely on passing trade,
14:18so has also been trialling events to bring in more guest bookings.
14:22Challenges, obviously, financially.
14:25There's only one income coming into this household, so it's all on me.
14:30I've literally put everything into this, all my savings.
14:33But at the end of the day,
14:34unless you push yourself and challenge yourself and follow your heart,
14:38then I think that you'll always have that question of what if.
14:41It's now August, a time when temperatures in Almeria can reach upwards of 40 degrees,
14:49and Emma's preparing her B&B for her next guests.
14:53It's a lovely breeze in this room.
14:56It makes all the difference.
14:58I'm just going to put this on.
15:01And the room is ready.
15:02However, as interest in her new events has been lower during the recent hotter months,
15:09forcing her to cancel some of them,
15:11she's decided to try something new to guarantee income over the coming weeks.
15:17I'm just making sure I've got everything I need to hit the road.
15:20But it's an idea that means she has to temporarily move out.
15:25Today, major task ahead.
15:27I've got my first family that's renting the property in its entirety for the next two weeks,
15:31which means I have to pack up everything that's mine, that I'm going to need.
15:36Renting the house out is something that I'm looking to do more of
15:38and have a balance between the day-to-day bed and breakfast
15:41and being able to leave the house in good hands with people renting it out,
15:46which will enable me to have that freedom to travel more,
15:49to visit family back in the UK more
15:51and also to benefit from the revenue that that brings.
15:55But as Emma spends the morning prepping the house
15:58and packing up her things before leaving for the UK...
16:00Well, I hope that's everything, because there ain't no coming back.
16:08..she spotted a plumbing problem that must be fixed before her guests arrive.
16:14I've just realised that the water heater for the downstairs kitchen
16:17has got a major leak on it.
16:19This is horrendous timing for something like this to happen.
16:22So I've called Andy in.
16:24He's the local plumber, so hopefully he'll get that sorted soon,
16:26because I don't want to leave them without hot water in the kitchen.
16:29To her relief, half an hour after arriving,
16:32fellow British expat Andy has quickly got a handle on the plumbing problem.
16:38How's it going, And?
16:40It's not leaking.
16:41Hooray!
16:43What was the issue again?
16:45Just the pressure valve.
16:46Oh, right.
16:47Wicked.
16:47As long as it's all sorted.
16:49That's the main thing.
16:50No worries.
16:51Much appreciated.
16:52And it's been fixed just in time.
16:56Welcome, welcome.
16:58As guests Wilfred and Emmanuel from France have just arrived.
17:02This is the reception room, OK?
17:05And through here we have the lounge area.
17:09The couple have booked Emma's home for a holiday with their family
17:12for the next two weeks.
17:14The pool, obviously, you have sun lounges.
17:17I have a pool cleaner booked to come once, twice a week, OK?
17:21To come to clean.
17:22All right?
17:23And with the keys to her home soon handed over...
17:26That is the front door, OK?
17:29..the moment has come for Emma to say her goodbyes to the property
17:32that she's poured her heart and soul into.
17:36Be good.
17:38They seem a lovely family, but obviously very mixed emotions
17:46because this will be the longest that I've sort of walked away from it, really.
17:49So I've got no qualms about the family being there.
17:53I'm genuinely quite emotional about the fact that they're going to enjoy it
17:56as much as what I have.
17:58While it's a wrench to bid farewell,
18:00the income from the booking will allow Emma to continue growing her business
18:05on her return from the UK.
18:08Back in the Dordogne, the pressure continues to mount for Emily and Dave
18:20in the run-up to their pub relaunch.
18:23I'm really nervous, don't know if we've done everything, don't know if we've got everything.
18:28I feel like we're clean and tidy.
18:30We've got the gazebo ready for when the ban comes later, they're turning up around 5.30.
18:36The door's open at 5, kids finish school at 4.30.
18:41I don't even know what time it is now, but it feels like we've got a lot to do.
18:46We need to iron our uniform.
18:51I need to have a shower, I need to have a shave, I need to look somewhere near a spectacle.
18:55We haven't got enough time in the day for all this.
18:59Adding to their worries is that Emily's chicken curry is still on the watery side.
19:05I don't know what I'm doing.
19:06Leaving it to simmer for even longer, she heads outside to try and tick another job off their to-do list.
19:15But the weather's also taken a turn.
19:19I'm trying to clean the tables, but it's raining and pointless.
19:26It's wet through.
19:29At this rate, we'll be inside tonight, which is not what we want,
19:33because there's definitely not enough room for everybody in there.
19:37Especially not if we get, like, 100 people, which people keep saying we're going to.
19:41I think it only seats 30.
19:43This is just a waste of time.
19:46The rain is going to ruin the night.
19:49Unfortunately, 30 minutes later, there isn't good news from the kitchen either.
19:56It's just taking forever to reduce down.
20:00You're not happy with the flavour of yours, are you?
20:03No.
20:03I mean, it has got flavour, it's just...
20:07It's got a watery flavour as well.
20:10Problem is, we've never used French chicken breast from that supply before,
20:14so we work to know how much water's going to come out of it.
20:19With time ticking and focus needed elsewhere...
20:22..a decision is made to take Emily's curry off the opening night taster menu.
20:32It's a sloppy mess.
20:34It's a sloppy mess.
20:35I'm not giving them, on our first night, something that's not what we expected.
20:41We don't get the flavours there because we've put it in.
20:44Oh, man.
20:45It's just the amount of water that was in the ticking.
20:49Terrible.
20:49We don't know what we're doing because we've never run a bar before.
20:55Don't know why we ever thought it was a good idea.
20:57There.
20:59With a large crowd of locals and fellow British expats expected,
21:04fortunately, they've been able to rope in friends Lisa and Valerie
21:09from the village to lend a hand.
21:13If they can let them in.
21:15As Valerie has experience running her own bar in the past...
21:34Emily and Dave are hoping to lean into her experience.
21:40She's great. She'll help us do whatever.
21:45She'll be behind the bar.
21:47She can clean the table.
21:48She can glass collect for us.
21:51She's going to be a real help for us, I think, tonight.
21:54We work hard because I know the place before.
21:57I can't recognise it.
21:59It's just now fresh and welcoming.
22:03They're ready, but it's a big thing to do, a party the first day.
22:11I think they are crazy to do that because they are not prepared to work with so many people.
22:19Now, 30 years, I run pubs and restaurants.
22:24I never, never did something like that because people expect the best the first day.
22:33It's what we've been working for, so fingers crossed it's going to be good and not too stressful.
22:39Oh, it's going to be stressful, all right.
22:41No, it's scary.
22:42I think I'm just going to hide upstairs.
22:44You can't do that.
22:45Valerie will do it for me tonight and I'll just, I'll run away.
22:51Coming up...
22:52There are plumbing problems for Nigel and Feday.
22:57We were thinking of having to get permission to dig all this road up here.
23:01And changes are also in the pipeline.
23:04It's a concrete block building, an empty shell, basically.
23:08At Emma's B&B.
23:10Being in the UK, it's given me a few weeks of reflection and deciding what's best to do for the season.
23:15In Pelopos, in southern Spain, it's now early May.
23:30And with Feday feeling better, he's been able to rejoin Nigel in their effort to breathe new life into a former guest house in the village.
23:39Now I do feel like a professional painter.
23:42His job this morning is to continue painting the window frames.
23:47I lost count of how many windows we go to paint, but loads, loads.
23:57While the property's exterior walls also need a fresh lick of paint.
24:03Before they tackle that, Nigel's been retiling one of their entrance porches.
24:07As making a good first impression when future guests arrive will be crucial.
24:16It's definitely better than what was up there before and a lot safer and less weight up there.
24:20I think it looks alright.
24:22Meanwhile inside, after working on the guest en-suites,
24:26their friend Steve, who has a background in construction, has now been tasked.
24:31With rejigging the internal layout of Nigel and Feday's own living quarters on the top floor.
24:41Steve's going to do the hallway for the bathroom partition, one of the bigger bedrooms off.
24:48And then he's going to hopefully do the hallway door that leads from the staircase up the stairs.
24:56And then I'll probably be left to hang the doors.
24:59But we'll see.
25:01Even though the guest accommodation is their priority to be able to start earning,
25:06as DIY is all new to Nigel and Feday, they need to make the most of Steve's expertise.
25:13It's been a long week for Steve.
25:15He's got his last full day here with us today.
25:17It's important that Steve is here to do as much as possible of the technical stuff,
25:22that we are not professionals.
25:25As Steve works for Mates Rates, it also helps Nigel and Feday's renovation budget,
25:31freeing up funds to be able to rehire local builder Brian.
25:37Who's back on site today, fitting a splashback in the B&B's new kitchen,
25:42with help from his apprentice, Nigel.
25:44I'm just waiting for my helper here.
25:48OK, Bodger, scarper's coming.
25:54Yes, Brian became Bodge and I became the scarper.
25:59Now, Bodge, you scarper.
26:01It's just getting round the electrics and the plugs.
26:04Hopefully, this will be done today, maybe, hopefully, this morning.
26:10With interest growing locally in their new business,
26:14keeping the renovations on track is important,
26:18especially as they've now got a potential guest booking on the horizon.
26:21Somebody popped by recently and organises the freestyle downhill skating
26:29on rollerblades and skateboards that happens every year here in Peloppa.
26:35And so he's approached us and asked us if we would be a property
26:39for their boot camp and their training camp.
26:41So, hopefully, that's a positive for us.
26:44The group's next meet-up is in October.
26:47But Nigel and Fede have a lot to do before they can accept the reservation.
26:53Did you get up the line?
26:55Yeah, it's level.
26:56Nice to meet you.
27:08Brian, the village will be talking.
27:15While the kitchen's seeing swift progress...
27:18It's good because it covers a wide space of wall in one fell swoop.
27:23Outside, they've discovered an issue
27:27which could throw a spanner in the works for the rest of the renovation.
27:31All the other bathrooms are that side.
27:33That's it, yeah.
27:33And make it easier if we could just come out and down into there.
27:36It'd be nice, wouldn't it, that?
27:37They've cemented over the pipe by a look on it.
27:40As the property currently has one main sewage pipe,
27:44plumbing in their new en-suite isn't going to be as easy as they'd hoped.
27:49Because all the other bathrooms are on the other side of the house,
27:52so they all run into the same waste system.
27:54We were thinking of having to get permission to dig all this road up here,
27:58but there might be a solution of knocking into another pipe instead,
28:03so that could save us money and time.
28:07Four weeks later, though, and after further investigation,
28:11it's not good news.
28:13They've no choice but to dig up the road.
28:15We will have to open somewhere around here to connect the switch pipes,
28:21and it will go all the way down till that exit over there.
28:27In order to have the new bathroom, this has to be done.
28:32The extra works required are a major blow,
28:35as they're likely to run into hundreds of euros
28:38and push their schedule back,
28:40which could put their potential October booking on the line.
28:52120 miles north-east, in the hills above the village of Aurea,
28:57it's now September.
28:59Back to reality.
29:00And Emma's reopened her B&B after an extended trip to the UK.
29:05Because I had the three weeks off, and it really was restful,
29:09I was pleased to get back on it, to be honest.
29:11I can't sit down for too long.
29:12So, yeah, I'm really happy to be back where I need to be,
29:16back hostessing.
29:17It's great, I love it.
29:19While it was emotional renting out her entire property
29:22for the first time last month...
29:24It gets so dusty, and I've had quite a lot of dust lately.
29:28..the two-week booking proved to be a good earner
29:31and has now got Emma rethinking parts of her business plan.
29:37The French family rented the whole house for their vacation
29:40whilst I was gone, and I came back and everything was fine,
29:44which, yeah, turned out to be a really positive experience.
29:47They were really respectful,
29:48and they said that they had a fantastic time
29:50and left a great review.
29:52Because it was so successful, renting with the family this time,
29:56I think it's worth doing that again.
29:58To make that possible without having to also vacate
30:03her own home each time,
30:05Emma's come up with a new idea to expand.
30:08This is the top-covered terrace,
30:10and access currently to the annex is here, up here.
30:16Attached to her B&B is an 80-square-metre annex,
30:20currently unrenovated and used for storage,
30:23but there's plenty of potential for it to be turned
30:25into extra guest accommodation.
30:30It's a concrete block building.
30:33It's an empty shell, basically.
30:35I'm going to start with this end.
30:37That's the idea.
30:37So, obviously, doors and windows are in place here already,
30:42so it would be great to work with those
30:43and take full advantage of the beautiful mountain view.
30:50The peace and serenity on this side,
30:53and this just lends itself to being a terraced area.
30:56Along with building a new outside space
31:00to soak up the afternoon sun,
31:03inside, Emma hopes to split the annex in two
31:06to create a pair of one-bedroom self-catered apartments,
31:10each with their own bathroom and small kitchen.
31:12The bare bones of the work has been done
31:16by the previous owner, which is great.
31:19Obviously, I think they had different ideas
31:21than what I've got in terms of usability,
31:24but I may as well just take full advantage of that, really,
31:26and work with what I have,
31:27rather than, you know, start all over again.
31:30It will also help her budget,
31:32as the renovations to complete both units
31:35are going to run into thousands of euros,
31:38which is why she's planning to work in two stages,
31:40hoping to have the first apartment open for next season.
31:46There's obviously a lot of unnecessary stuff in here.
31:51I need to sort of basically sort through
31:52what's worth keeping and what isn't.
31:54The great thing is about only doing half of the annex at the moment,
31:58what I do want to keep can be stored at the back of the annex.
32:02That's going to be the first task, really,
32:03is clearing all of this.
32:06The clearance will be a big job,
32:08but may help her save even more money.
32:12So we have random tile.
32:16Hanging on to those.
32:18What else do we have?
32:19Wood.
32:20Loads of different paints and wood stains and whatnot.
32:23Breeze blocks.
32:24How many breeze blocks do you want?
32:26Obviously, if you want to build a wall,
32:28you're going to need a breeze block.
32:30So, yeah, I've saved a few of those.
32:33I mean, they're only about 90 cents each,
32:35but, you know, I like to save where I can.
32:41A lot of it was already here, actually,
32:42but you learn quickly over here not to throw anything away
32:45because you just never know when you're going to need it.
32:47Every euro will be crucial
32:51because Emma has decided she won't be offering her events
32:54during the renovations.
32:57The B&B will have to provide all her income from now on.
33:01Being in the UK, obviously,
33:03it's given me a few weeks of reflection
33:05and deciding what's best to do for the season as well.
33:09And I think events-wise,
33:11it's best to do those in spring and heading into early summer.
33:14And the height of summer is just too hot.
33:16So that's been a learning curve as well.
33:19So I've decided to park the events for now
33:21and also shift focus
33:23and try and juggle the bed and breakfast element
33:26with the renovation.
33:27And that's how it needs to be for now.
33:31Coming up...
33:33Emily.
33:33Emily.
33:34Yeah.
33:34Nice to meet you.
33:36Dave and Emily are given the runaround
33:38as they open the doors to their new pub.
33:41It's busy and it's hard work.
33:44And in Spain,
33:45Emma's business plans also ramp up a gear.
33:48Me being me, putting a bit of pressure on myself.
33:50I've already advertised it
33:51and I've actually taken a booking on it already.
33:53It's early June in the Dordogne
34:06and the rural village of Santestef
34:09is about to have its local watering hole reopen its doors.
34:13Ready, you are perfect, beautiful together.
34:17Now with first-time landlords Emily and Dave at its helm,
34:23along with some help from local friends.
34:26While the pub is customer ready, the weather has taken a turn.
34:31It's just a shower.
34:34Oh, yeah.
34:35No, no, no, no.
34:37It's clear behind.
34:38Yeah.
34:39Look, it's so cute.
34:40The sun's going to put his hat on first.
34:41Right.
34:43Not good.
34:44an hour later after a dash to collect their kids from school oh that weather is horrible
34:53to their relief the skies brighten just in time for the milestone moment of their first customers
35:01arriving meaning that after a month of prep and nerves it's finally time to put their new bar
35:12skills to the test and with Willow and Hugo on welcoming duties the pub begins to fill up
35:27while Emily and Dave start getting to know the locals as brand-new pub landlords it's a steep
35:40learning curve where are they after sinking a huge chunk of their savings into their new business
36:07while it's a relief to get some cash in the till the rush is keeping them on their toes so much so
36:24that with the pub's former landlady Amanda also in attendance she's hopped behind the bar to lend a
36:31hand I don't know if I'm coming if I'm going what I'm serving I don't know anything it's busy and it's
36:38hard work I don't know how we're gonna make the curries I don't know how we're gonna get them
36:42warmed up because there's not enough people I don't know how many glasses for you Rosa how many glasses
36:52as the evening goes on their car park begins to overflow and the terrace is packed out ready for
37:12the band they've booked meaning there's little let up on the bar and they've still no plans as to how
37:21they'll serve Dave's curry this is just crazy the party atmosphere though is what they'd hoped for
37:35it's how a puppy be never seen so many people yet fantastic absolutely brilliant best night ever but
37:50having worked hard in the kitchen and with just a few hours of their launch night left they're
37:56determined to come good on their promise of free curry for their first customers it's literally just
38:03been drink after drink we've used every single bar glass in the bar over and over and over again
38:08bonkers absolutely bonkers but it's what we came for yeah as the sun sets Dave spinach and chicken curry
38:18is ready to serve during their interval the band are the first to tuck in curry right could be hotter
38:31very nice honestly very very tasty while it's not been an easy evening with support from their friends Dave and Emily have survived their first shift as publicans
38:46just being a whirlwind it's definitely been successful we've pretty much sold all of our beer a box and a half of wine
38:58everything's going we've had 155 people here we've got a terrace full of happy people and we're brand new to this
39:05you know imagine what we could achieve
39:07back in southern Spain after deciding to press pause on hosting more of her own events until next season
39:26B&B owner Emma has kick-started her renovation plans wow it's looking good already yeah really pleased with
39:36that amazing as she's relying solely on the income from her B&B over the coming months before starting
39:44the annex conversion she's tasked her building team to carry out some essential maintenance to the communal
39:50guest facilities today we are concentrating on the pool area so smartening up that area with some
39:57gravel trimming back these overgrown brushland down the bottom there and if everything goes well and
40:03they're happy with me and I'm happy with them then I shall get them on board to start working on the annex
40:07guys did you want a tea or coffee I love a coffee please yeah two coffees three coffees yeah okay
40:14todo con leche si tres cabez starting with some of the smaller jobs around her property also gives
40:24Emma the opportunity this is on the list of things to do to fine-tune her plans for the annex with
40:31builder Steve start at this thing because I think it lends itself to be a more rentable property than
40:37at the other end of the annex exactly yeah yeah pack out the terrace area and do some decking if you
40:44think that's best yeah I've done a little floor plan actually as well okay so that might help with the
40:51annex conversion added to Steve's build list which he hopes to start soon sheets blankets Emma's taking
40:59every B&B booking she can to help pay for the works guests checked out early this morning so we're
41:07going to turn the room around don't actually have a technique other than to not get tangled up in it
41:12myself while she may be relatively new to hosting in the 11 months she's now been open she's come a
41:20long way people do remind me that I've done quite a lot in a short space of time and sometimes I need
41:26to remind myself of that and perhaps enjoy that and enjoy the process a bit more than it being right
41:32okay what phase can we get to next I'm determined to do that more with this phase of the renovation I'm
41:38not putting any pressure on myself I'm just gonna see what can be done for X amount of money and then go
41:45with it work with it all the rooms are ready to go three o'clock check-in basically I get a lot of last
41:51minute booking so effectively anybody could turn up on the doorstep at three o'clock onwards so yeah
41:57always ready to go next lot of washing hey Phyllis come on baby the following month in and around a
42:08steady flow of guests stays Emma's been working to sort through the annex with help from friend Adam
42:14who's over from the UK yeah you need to skip I know that's an air filter from something it will
42:21be swimming pool the clearance is now a top priority as her builders have confirmed they can start the
42:27conversion work next week that thing helped build the house 20 years ago despite her intention to take
42:36the renovations in her stride Emma's innate business ambition has other ideas maybe me putting a bit
42:45of pressure on myself I've already advertised it for next year so I love actually taking a booking on
42:50it already as well so yeah just applied a little bit of pressure there but I'm sure it'd be fine it's
42:55really exciting yeah I can't wait to see it change shape and turn it around really quickly which I know
42:59they will and they'll do a great job as well Emma's drive to push her new business forward has been
43:06evident all summer long in the varying ideas that she's trialed to bring in guest bookings 11 months
43:13into business I'm really pleased with how this season's gone I have more of a clarity in my head
43:19now as to the events I want to do going forward and in terms of what I want to see the business doing
43:24for me in the future it's been really enjoyable I love doing it also being able to share this corner
43:34of Spain that she now calls home with visiting friends and family is a dream made possible
43:43through all her hard work I have no regrets at all there's not a day where I even have a wobble to be
43:49fair and wonder what are you doing Emma you know I mean I feel so so grateful to be here
43:55I have many pinch myself moments where it's that how did I get here it's an amazing experience it's
44:03given me way way more than I ever ever anticipated and I can only ever see that getting better and
44:09improving so it's great I'm just happy to be here next time ready for another day in the sunny Dardyne
44:20after their launch can Dave and Emily keep the tills ringing I'm just making a little sign with
44:26our opening times then we're going to go into the lake and put it up Nigel and Fede's renovations hit a
44:32hurdle slightly bigger hole than we expected looks like it we've just had an earthquake and after
44:38winning the keys to a French B&B on a TV game show a couple from Belfast claim their life-changing prize
44:49do you think it's real I don't I just don't feel like it's written someone else's house
44:54you
44:56you
44:59you
45:00you
45:01you
45:03you
45:05you
45:19You
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