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00:00Making a fresh start under blue skies is a dream chased by thousands of Brits.
00:05This is freedom. Pick your Vista. Anyone you like.
00:10Pursuing bucket list experiences...
00:13Yay!
00:15..and newfound freedoms.
00:17We could walk around butt naked if we wanted to.
00:19While Brexit has made it a battle...
00:22I've applied for two visas. I've been denied two visas.
00:25Many are still giving it a go.
00:27Come on. I wanted to know what else life had to offer.
00:30I like the idea of just spending every day together, don't we?
00:33We do.
00:35From launching bike tours in Spain...
00:38Well, this is my office here. I couldn't ask for more.
00:40..to glamping sites in Italy.
00:42Build it and they will come. We hope.
00:46But will it be a smooth ride?
00:50Or their ideas come crashing down...
00:53Oh, no!
00:55..as they begin their new lives in the sun.
00:58Santa.
00:58It's an adventure.
00:59Loving life.
01:01..today...
01:02When guests arrive, we might not be here.
01:04..a family from Hertfordshire are working against the clock
01:07at their glamp site in Italy.
01:09Coming earlier than planned. We love that. We love it when they come early.
01:13..can they turn round their tents in time for guests?
01:16I just think I'll just make it work.
01:19In France...
01:20Like a factory production line.
01:22..an antiques enthusiast from Shropshire
01:25is hoping to find fortune with a shop and B&B.
01:28But will he find the funds to finance his new life?
01:31I haven't been earning...
01:33I've just been spending for the last eight months.
01:36If you think about it too much, it can drive you crazy.
01:38..and a family from Nottingham are hoping
01:40their gite business and vineyard will bear fruit.
01:43Want to see my big flame?
01:45Whoa!
01:46But are the novice winemakers playing with fire?
01:50I've not done this before. We had a farmer last year.
01:53Might have a tantrum in a minute.
01:54So I'll just not strip and you just burn?
01:56No, we need to carry on.
02:07Undulating Umbria sits landlocked in central Italy.
02:10A green and lush region,
02:13its distinct hilltop towns have stood for centuries,
02:16offering up medieval streets and architecture
02:19where visitors can lose themselves for hours exploring.
02:24Thanks, buddy. Thank you.
02:25Bye. Thank you.
02:26See you later. Ciao.
02:28For the Harrison family from Hertfordshire,
02:31Horizons Beyond Their Home County's abode
02:34had been calling for some time.
02:36We had discussed even before children,
02:39maybe living abroad.
02:41Yeah.
02:41And then as soon as the children came along,
02:42we put that right down.
02:43Yeah.
02:44We were like, we can't do that.
02:45We can't move to Argentina.
02:46That was the first one, Argentina.
02:48And then we were like...
02:48The steak and the wine.
02:49Yeah.
02:50Now we've got kids.
02:51We can't be that far away.
02:52But with both working in London,
02:54Rob as a plumber and Fran as a photo agent,
02:57life was a juggling act that neither were enjoying.
03:01The kids, we wanted to spend more time with them.
03:04Life is short,
03:05and we're now spending so much time commuting.
03:09We're in this sort of, like, treadmill
03:11that we can't seemingly get off of,
03:13and it's getting faster.
03:15Eventually, something had to give.
03:18You know, choosing where to go was the next thing, right?
03:21Mm.
03:21We decided Italy had the strongest draw for us.
03:24It's language, culture, food, climate, obviously.
03:31Climate, sunshine.
03:32Yeah.
03:33With their hearts set on the location,
03:35what came next was to work out how to make a living.
03:39We actually went to visit a glamping site in Tuscany,
03:42and then we were like, we could do that, weren't we?
03:45We were.
03:46A lot of the people that were staying there were like,
03:48we could do this.
03:49Yeah.
03:49Hang on a minute.
03:50We were like, but we're actually going to, guys.
03:53Having left the UK with their children,
03:55Mabel and Alfred, in tow,
03:57Rob and Fran spent 390,000 euros on a 22-hectare farm,
04:03on the outskirts of the medieval town of Montone,
04:07and set to work building from scratch a high-end glamping site,
04:11complete with a natural swimming lake, an event space,
04:15amphitheatre, and an open-air kitchen with herb garden.
04:21Who can hit the pole with the stone?
04:26Oh!
04:29Yes!
04:30At the same time, they've ploughed their life savings
04:33into constructing a new family home
04:35that will look out over their site.
04:38Can't do it again, that's it.
04:40That's a one-time gig!
04:43It's now May, and with spring abounding on the hillside,
04:47hosting has quickly become second nature.
04:50Income from the glamp site is essential
04:53to fund building work on their family home
04:56and sustain their new life here.
04:58So they're working flat out to accommodate their guests' every need.
05:03We've got two families.
05:04I'm going to make the tents, prepare the tents for them.
05:07They're coming earlier than planned.
05:08We love that.
05:09We love it when they come early.
05:11They weren't coming until, like, 5.
05:12Now they're coming more like 12.31.
05:15Because we do know them,
05:17I just think, oh, I'll just make it work.
05:19Although the glamping tents look straightforward to get ready,
05:23there's still a lot for Fran to organise
05:25to make them just right for the new guests.
05:33Just a little finishing touch.
05:36This is purple flowering salvia sage.
05:39So that's quite sweet.
05:41That might do.
05:43For Fran and Rob, their glamping site philosophy
05:45is about finding mindfulness through proximity to nature.
05:50Whoever's here,
05:51whether they're staying with us or passing through,
05:53we want you to feel like you're living in the moment.
05:56Nearly took one with actual bees on it.
06:01Elsewhere on the site, Rob is buzzing about in his tractor.
06:06He's cutting the grass and not just because it's long.
06:10That needs to be done because there's not that much rain coming
06:14and if you don't cut it at a certain point, it will go brown
06:16and that'll be it.
06:17You'll have no more green for the rest of the summer.
06:20Normally our days are like this.
06:22It's always lots of different things to do.
06:25And always, it's always a lot of fun.
06:28Unless there's added stress, like something breaks
06:31and then you can't do what you intended to do.
06:33But so far today, it's been good.
06:36Nothing's broken.
06:37As the guests arrive, Rob and Fran manage to get everything finished
06:40just in time.
06:44So sorry for turning up early.
06:47You're forgiven.
06:50Now that it's all done, you're forgiven.
06:53Normally we'd have done it like the day before or the day before the day before,
06:56but we didn't.
06:56So nice to see you.
06:58Good to see you.
06:59You did some serious driving.
07:01It's just so tranquil, isn't it?
07:03Yeah.
07:03No, it is. It's extremely peaceful.
07:05Fran and Rob's early housekeeping shift means their guests receive the perfect welcome.
07:11They seem very happy.
07:13They seem immediately relaxed by being here, which is what we want.
07:16It's all good.
07:17They're happy.
07:18With the lucrative summer season stretching ahead of them,
07:22can they keep up the momentum and get more happy campers under canvas?
07:32The medieval market town of Aimée in southwest France is gifted with historic buildings,
07:39sunflower fields and vineyards.
07:42Its cobbled square comes alive each morning with the sound of coffee cups and conversation.
07:48Drawn by the cuisine and cafe culture, it's ideal for sociable types looking to soak up the atmosphere.
07:56Hello, Emma. How are you?
07:57Hello.
07:59Shropshire native and avid antiques collector Ian Davies has been living in France for the last two decades,
08:06but has fallen in love with this quiet corner he hopes for keeps.
08:11Emma is known as a miniature resort town almost.
08:15It's a beautiful location, fantastic weather.
08:18Everybody flocks to it because it's such a pretty little town.
08:21Having sold a one-bedroom bachelor pad on the banks of the Dordogne River,
08:25Ian's plunged the profits into a three-bedroom terrace just off Aimée's main square for the princely sum of €149
08:35,000,
08:35and he intends to turn it into not one but two businesses.
08:40I've actually bought a property that I can rent out to people who are on holiday, but I can actually
08:46live there as well.
08:47And there's enough room to put a shop.
08:49And I've collected, bought and sold old antiques for years.
08:54So, I've opened a brocante shop, and the plan is I'm going to open a Chambre Dote once that's renovated.
09:01The Chambre Dote, or Bed and Breakfast, is a brand new venture.
09:06But although he has experience in the antiques trade, this is the first time Ian will have run his own
09:11brocante.
09:13What I'd like to do is start following my passion more and start selling antiques.
09:18And, of course, the Chambre Dote will allow me to earn some extra money that way.
09:23Until it's up and running, it's profits from the antique shop that are funding the renovations.
09:28As you can see, I've got a ready-made crowd who come into the shop.
09:33And we've got the sunshine today.
09:35With a tight budget and no money for builders, Ian's been working solo on transforming the property that was once
09:41a former brasserie.
09:45And for the last few months, he's been on a one-man demolition drive.
09:58It's May, and Ian is tackling the long list of rebuilding work with the help of friend Simon.
10:05It's the rail next, isn't it, I think?
10:07Yeah, the rail will go on there and then all the units will hang on there.
10:11Starting with installing a kitchen on the ground floor.
10:14Like a factory production line.
10:16Simon lives nearby and runs his own Jeep business.
10:19And with Aimé a popular spot with expats, there's usually someone who can lend a hand when needed.
10:26I first met Simon when he came to France about four years ago.
10:30He asked me to do a small plumbing job at his house and then I never left for four years.
10:36Ian's fitted six bathrooms.
10:38I think so now, yeah.
10:39He's been kept very busy and now it's my turn to return the offer with some kitchen fitting.
10:47Working away together over the next few weeks.
10:51Probably going to be about there like that.
10:53By the middle of June, great leaps forward have been made.
10:57So the kitchen is almost complete.
10:59The electrician was here yesterday and putting these wonderful lights.
11:02I did the tiling myself and I'm very pleased with the black switches as well.
11:07So one of the last jobs in the kitchen, around this Belfast-style sink, I'm going to put a silicone
11:12seal into it.
11:13You'll notice when I do this with the white silicone against the porcelain, the white porcelain.
11:18It's quite forgiving.
11:22If you think about it too much, it can drive you crazy.
11:25The trick is, is just get on with it and it works out really well.
11:31The proof is when we take the tape off.
11:36Looking good.
11:37I say so myself.
11:39And it's not just the kitchen that's progressing.
11:43The jeet has moved on really well.
11:45We're now beginning to put the furniture into the property and dress it.
11:50Over the last five months, Ian has transformed the rundown property, creating a new bathroom
11:57and master bedroom, all with a luxury high-end finish.
12:03And all of which has come at a cost.
12:07I haven't been earning.
12:08I've just been spending for the last eight months.
12:11I've got two more weeks to keep hard at it.
12:14And then the place will be absolutely perfect.
12:17And then I'm going to place the photographs on the holiday letting sites.
12:22And then I can finally, hopefully relax in July and August, September,
12:26and just look after the holidaymakers.
12:29With funds dwindling and renovations on his own home still to finish,
12:33it's vital Ian starts taking bookings to bring in some cash.
12:41Coming up...
12:45Test guests are bringing feedback to jeet owners in France.
12:49It's good to have family in and get a really honest opinion of what's there.
12:53Yeah, the brutal opinion.
12:54But not everything they bring with them is welcome.
12:59Take your shoes off, then.
13:02And at Rob and Fran's glamp site...
13:06A stumbling block needs smoothing out if their entranceway is going to be guest-friendly.
13:12It's going to look worse before it looks better.
13:23For some seeking sanctuary from the daily toil,
13:28or keen to swap commuting for community,
13:31escaping to the rolling landscapes of Western France can be the perfect solution.
13:35And while often setting up a new business can leave them busier than ever,
13:42eventually life finds a balance.
13:44They seem to work to live rather than live to work over here, which is nice.
13:49And I like the idea that everything's short at lunchtime.
13:54Originally from Nottingham, Rachel and Jay and twin daughters Georgia and Harriet
14:00sold up their three-bed semi and found a three-acre plot
14:03in the small village of Savigny,
14:06with a vineyard, a house and a barn, all for just €95,000.
14:11They planned to turn it into a family home with jeets and eventually guest lodges,
14:17despite never having worked in hospitality before.
14:23Meeting and greeting people and meeting lots of different people
14:26and providing them with a fun time while they're on holiday.
14:30I think we'd be good at that.
14:32Over the last year, the couple have redecorated the house
14:36and prepared two jeets for renting.
14:38But with another jeet still to be finished,
14:41there's plenty of work still to do.
14:44Financially, we are all in.
14:46All of our money is paid for our house in France and jeet number one
14:50and part of jeet number two.
14:52And then money made from those will roll over and so on and so forth.
14:57So, all our eggs in one basket.
15:01It's April and a big day for Rachel and Jay's fledgling business.
15:11Rachel's mum Bev, her eldest daughter Alice, and Alice's boyfriend Ollie,
15:16are here to be guinea pig guests staying in the jeet for five nights.
15:21It's good to have family in and get a really honest opinion of what's there.
15:25So, we've set the jeet up for them as proper guests checking in
15:30and we'll see what they think.
15:32But as they cross the threshold...
15:35This is where you're staying then.
15:37Bev makes her mark, immediately bringing the outside in with her.
15:42Ooh!
15:43Oh, it doesn't matter.
15:48Take your shoes off then.
15:52Shoes off, the tour of the jeet continues.
15:56Right, it goes through there and that's the bedroom.
15:59This is nice, I like this.
16:00The last time Bev was here, this side of the property was a dusty building site,
16:05so she's seen a stunning transformation.
16:09Aww, you're crying.
16:11Really?
16:13You know she'll cry.
16:16She'll cry.
16:17Emotions are also running high when the tour reaches the main part of the house.
16:23Is this nanny's as well?
16:24Yeah.
16:27Months of hard work have taken the building from run-down farmhouse to warm family home
16:33and Mum Bev can't believe the transformation.
16:39When they said they were going to buy this, my first reaction was,
16:42you must be mad.
16:43The difference was just incredible.
16:46It's beautiful.
16:47Beautiful house and a beautiful jeet.
16:50I'm extra proud of what they've done really.
16:54I don't know what to say.
16:56Quite emotional.
16:58They like everything, don't they?
17:00They seem quite suitably impressed with the house.
17:03They may be pleasantly surprised at how nice it looks.
17:07As the family make themselves at home, Jay and Rachel can refocus on another crucial job.
17:14Their small vineyard, capable of producing 1500 litres of Pinot per year, is in need of attention.
17:22Weeds are running riot and urgently need clearing.
17:26They're strimming and burning the bed of weeds on the vineyard.
17:30Any weeds, big weeds, will take away from the goodness from the vines.
17:34So the more we can burn, the better.
17:37And then the burnt weeds will go into the ground and act as fertiliser.
17:42With the vines a potential new revenue stream for the pair, it's vital they get it right.
17:47But it's new territory and not for the faint hearted.
17:51I've not done this before.
17:53We had a farmer last year.
17:54So we'll see how it goes.
17:56I would be really surprised if we finish it today.
18:00Do you want to see my big flame?
18:02Whoa!
18:03With Jay strimming, Rachel burning and Bev also looking after the gas tank,
18:09they should have all bases covered.
18:13Might have a tantrum in a minute.
18:14But the harness on Jay's strimmer seems to be on its last legs.
18:19What are you doing, making the handles higher?
18:21Can't adjust them.
18:22Why don't you just strimmer up either side and I'll burn up the middle?
18:27Why, is it burning down the middle?
18:29Yeah.
18:32So I'll just not strim and you just burn?
18:34No, we need to carry on.
18:36There's no avoiding the vines for Jay and with his dad now on spraying duties...
18:42Thanks, John.
18:44You're a superstar!
18:46They finish with a flourish.
18:48But it has been a harsh reminder of how hard it will be to cultivate their delicate crop.
18:54I'm tired.
18:55Are you tired?
18:55I'm absolutely shattered, yeah. My back's killing me.
18:57The vinyard is hard work, isn't it?
18:59Yeah.
18:59Job done.
19:01Tick!
19:01It's just one job of many needed to ensure their business can bear fruit and keep their bank balance healthy.
19:14Back at Rob and Fran's glamping site in Umbria...
19:17This is Artemis.
19:19It's very smelly.
19:21Oh, yeah.
19:22Something else going on there. It's quite...
19:25Fragrance.
19:26Fran is trialling a foraging hunt for their glampers for the first time with local guide and foraging expert, Eliza.
19:34What about this red flower here?
19:36We all know that one.
19:38The puppy.
19:39It's a blunt. You can eat everything. It's very sweet, so you can eat orange salad or just cooked five
19:47minutes and it's delicious.
19:49A big part of their business is connecting their campers with their environment and the harvest available on their doorstep.
19:56There's so much edible stuff. I mean, we can still see the tents. We're like 20 metres from the tents
20:01and people have just stepped out and we're like, oh, right, I could eat that now. You know, it's kind
20:05of cool.
20:06It's just part of trying to understand the land and be a bit more, you know, at one here.
20:11We'll make, I think, three or four dishes out of the things that we found today. Loving it.
20:15As Fran and Eliza head to the clubhouse kitchen with their newly foraged food, Rob is also working on the
20:22land, installing some vital new infrastructure that could prove a game changer for the site.
20:29So at the moment, we're trying to finish off hanging a five bar gate. And what we're trying to do
20:35is make them field gates, but have electronic sort of comms on them.
20:40So as guests arrive, they'll be able to ring. It'll come through to my phone. I can then say, oh,
20:47hi, we'll be there in a minute.
20:49The gates are opening for you because at the moment when guests arrive, they just arrive and even we might
20:54not be here.
20:55So it's security, but it's also to make sure that when people arrive, it's like a more grand and we're
21:02ready for them, basically. Welcome.
21:04Loads of this is a first. I've never put in electronic gates before. Problem we've got because it's going uphill.
21:16So we've got to lower all that down, grade it so that it'll come by and fit there all right.
21:22I've got to try and break it up a little bit with the end of the digger.
21:25When faced with a bump in the road, it's time to rock out the heavy machinery.
21:30This is the highest point where someone's put a blob of cement there at some point in time.
21:36It's going to look worse before it looks better.
21:40Back at the clubhouse, it's all about making things look beautiful.
21:45As Eliza helps Fran's guests put the finishing touches to their foraged lunch.
21:49When we cook with flowers and wild plants, we just put olive oil and a bit of salt, just a
21:57bit.
21:57But then we want to taste the taste of the flowers, of the plants.
22:04I hope everyone's hungry.
22:06Yeah.
22:07As they get stuck into lunch...
22:10Looking forward to this.
22:12Fran can see this becoming a staple part of the menu of activities they offer to guests.
22:18I love the experience and I think they really enjoyed it.
22:21They really began to understand that when they step out of the tents, they're immediately walking on food.
22:26Which is quite sweet.
22:27So I definitely want to make it something that we offer people.
22:31Bon appetito, ragazzi.
22:32Grazie.
22:34Depending on the season, there's also truffle hunting.
22:37These are the kinds of other experiences we hope to add for guests to choose if they so wish when
22:42they're here.
22:42At the main entrance to the site, Rob is making inroads into his gate installation.
22:50Let's see how far away we are.
22:57Whoa!
22:58A little bit of tickling.
23:00That's going, isn't it?
23:03After a few more back and forths with the digger...
23:10..he's finally happy.
23:12The gate now opens and closes, which was the idea of today.
23:16And the wires are all in place.
23:19Now it's waiting for the electrician to come.
23:22That's quite a lot of technical stuff that I won't know how to do.
23:25But overall, I'm pretty happy.
23:27It was quicker than I thought it was going to be.
23:29So, yeah, move on to the next job. Keep going.
23:39Coming up, Ian's getting lessons in luxury from a fellow G-toner.
23:44Right, open your eyes and turn around.
23:47Can he turn tips into guest bookings?
23:50Well, we're here now, almost at the very end of June.
23:53And then I'll put it live online.
23:57And Rachel and Jay are rolling out a special welcome.
24:01Bonjour.
24:02And hoping to impress a bookings platform that could mean big business.
24:07Worst case scenario is that they say we're not their cup of tea and that's that.
24:19In south-west France...
24:22Can I have those?
24:23No, I've got them. I've got it all.
24:24OK. That's it, isn't it? Everything's up here.
24:26I hope so.
24:27It's the end of June and today, with the help of a friend,
24:31Ian is applying some finishing touches to his newly renovated B&B property.
24:36So we just need to make the bed up, so we're very well organised.
24:40And...
24:40Cheryl, my delightful assistant, has bought all these lovely things to dress the room.
24:45Feminine touch, I think you call it.
24:47Cheryl and husband Simon carved out a new life in the sun for themselves three years ago,
24:53running a successful jeep business nearby.
24:56Just gave him a few pointers, because just to make it really luxe here,
25:01because that's what you're aiming for, isn't it? A really luxe, high-end jeep.
25:05Hoping to appeal to the luxury end of the hospitality market,
25:09guests will expect more from their accommodation,
25:12so getting the detail right is vital.
25:16Do you want to stand back and see what you think?
25:18Slightly more to the left, that's it. Perfect.
25:21OK, do you want to do a little...?
25:22It might be a little high.
25:24Mmm, I don't think so.
25:26No? No, I think that's fine.
25:29Cheryl clearly knows her onions when it comes to interiors.
25:33Cheryl has the vision.
25:34We have these ideas and we work it out together
25:37and it was similar working at their place.
25:39Cheryl's quite right. I should actually bother to hang them on the walls.
25:42Look at this. Look, look, look. I'll just get this over.
25:45Because this is our new...
25:47..our new quilt for the bed.
25:50You just sort of think, just go for a dusty pink and...
25:52Fantastic synchronicity. Yeah.
25:54While Ian is the antiques expert,
25:56it was Cheryl who unearthed one of the new pieces for the bedroom.
26:00This was a desk that I picked up for probably about 10 euros from a brocon.
26:04It just needs a bit of TLC.
26:06And actually, dark wood is really, really in at the moment.
26:09It's given it a new lease of life, isn't it?
26:12Cheryl is keen to share more of her room dressing hacks with Ian,
26:16particularly how to create the illusion of a sumptuous bed.
26:20It's a king, but it's got a super king quilt
26:25that we bought for him to go on it
26:28because it just gives you that luxe feel
26:30and you've got far more bedding to snuggle under.
26:35This is lovely material.
26:38It is, isn't it?
26:41That's it.
26:42Push that right up against it so it stands the pillows right up.
26:46Four plumped cushions and a peach throw later,
26:49walk over to here, right, open your eyes and turn around.
26:54Ian and Cheryl take a moment to admire their handiwork.
26:58Yes. See? That looks really nice.
27:01It's fabulous, actually, yeah.
27:03It's great being Cheryl'd, that's all I can say.
27:09Cheryl's experience has really helped to deliver the luxury look Ian wanted.
27:15It's a really great moment because I'm going to photograph this particularly Cheryl's woman's touch.
27:21It's really made the room look fabulous.
27:23And it's not just the bedroom that's been transformed.
27:27There we go.
27:28The ensuite is stunning with its black tiles.
27:32The knock-down walls really let the light in upstairs.
27:37And downstairs the new kitchen living space has a high-class finish.
27:42Finally, the private courtyard is a bright sun trap.
27:45The perfect place for guests to relax after a busy day exploring Aimee.
27:51Well, we're here now almost at the very end of June.
27:55I'm going to be loading, uploading my photos of the jeet onto the various holiday home websites that exist.
28:04And then I'll put the, put it live online.
28:12200 kilometres south, Rachel and Jay also have promotion of their accommodation on their mind.
28:19They're still hosting family, but they're also expecting a VIP who could open the door to a huge market.
28:27An assessor from a large booking site in the Netherlands.
28:30And his endorsement could mean more business for Rachel and Jay.
28:34Dutch nationals really love to use this booking platform, apparently, in marketing.
28:40It's very important that it goes well, isn't it?
28:42So everything's been cleaned to within an inch of its life this morning.
28:45Everybody's put everything away.
28:47The site's rigorous criteria for its rating system leaves no stone unturned, even down to counting the crockery.
28:57There's enough wine glasses, glasses, cups, plates, spoons, forks, knives and everything for every person.
29:04Things that are on their huge tick list.
29:06And then hopefully they'll like us and they want to list us.
29:09I mean, worst case scenario is that they say we're not their cup of tea and that's that.
29:13Before the rep arrives, there's just time to take a delivery of oil that heats the entire property.
29:21And is proving to be surprisingly economical.
29:24Yeah, it's about £65 every other month, so say £35 for argument's sake, £35 a month for two 200-litre
29:35hot water cylinders that are on 24-7 have endless hot water sorted.
29:40The delivery is finished just in time because Johan, the booking rep, has just arrived and he's raring to carry
29:49out his assessment.
29:52We do from one star to five stars, but we don't like to take one and two stars because it's
29:58not renting well and most of the time they are not really good houses.
30:03And four and five stars is more like when you have a pool or things like that.
30:09Without a pool, the highest the couple can hope for is three stars.
30:15Bonjour!
30:16And anything below that would be a blow.
30:19How much detail do you need to know?
30:21Just to...
30:22Just to have a look.
30:22Yes, just to have a look.
30:23I need to know how many plates, you know.
30:25Yeah, so...
30:27Plates.
30:28Enough for everybody.
30:29OK.
30:30They've cleared the first hurdle, but will the rest pass muster?
30:36Wi-Fi in here, TV.
30:38OK.
30:39So far, so good.
30:41So, the parking space is here.
30:43OK.
30:43And this is the front door.
30:45OK.
30:45So, this garden belongs to the Jeep.
30:47OK.
30:48So, this and the other one.
30:49The other one is slightly different, so...
30:51OK.
30:52Be careful, the slab's not laid yet.
30:54They're loose.
30:55The slabs are on Jay's to-do list, but since they aren't finished, it could affect the rating.
31:02Parking there, so this area.
31:04This area for the...
31:06So, table and chairs and things for the Jeep.
31:08And now a little vineyard for Pinot Noir.
31:11OK.
31:12Wow.
31:12Nice.
31:14Tour over, they all head inside, so that Johan can get down to brass tacks.
31:21OK.
31:21Have a seat.
31:24If he can connect to the Wi-Fi.
31:26Maybe you have the Wi-Fi, it's going to be...
31:28The Wi-Fi is brand new this week, so we've waited eight months for Wi-Fi.
31:34Eight months.
31:35Eight months it's been broken.
31:36We've waited a long time, having 3G signal only.
31:40Wow.
31:41The whole village broken for eight months.
31:43Yes.
31:46Luckily, the Wi-Fi does play ball, and Johan can explain a bit more about the company.
31:52There are significant benefits if they're lucky enough to be listed.
31:57We pay you always before the guests coming to the house.
32:01Oh, that's nice.
32:01So, if you have a booking in June...
32:02Yes.
32:03Yeah.
32:04Makes a change.
32:04So, if you have a reservation in July, you will be paid by the end of June.
32:09OK.
32:10Always.
32:10Rachel and Jay are impressed, but have they done enough to gain the rating they need?
32:16Johan has made his decision.
32:19Lovely.
32:19Lovely.
32:20Good place.
32:21I think they renovated it well.
32:25I'm sure that the guests will love it, especially with our English-German guests
32:31or Belgium guests or from New Zealand, so I'm sure they will love it.
32:36They renovated well with nice things.
32:40From our website, it's going to be three stars.
32:43Three stars is exactly what Rachel and Jay were hoping for,
32:46and it should be a massive boost to their business.
32:50It's quite nice to be validated, isn't it?
32:52After all the hard work.
32:54They'll branch us out into Belgium.
32:56Germany.
32:56Yeah, the Netherlands.
32:58Yeah.
32:59It's a bit exciting, actually, to only think about it.
33:02Yeah, parts of Europe that we're not in at the moment.
33:04Yeah.
33:04Rachel and Jay want to expand their business,
33:07so will their three-star rating bring with it more bookings
33:11and more income to bolster their plans?
33:18Coming up...
33:20I think we could be manually cleaning it.
33:23I can tell you it's hard.
33:26Muddy water is clouding Rob and Fran's environmentally friendly values.
33:31We've got a biopool, which means no chemicals, which is all nice,
33:35but people still like clean water.
33:37And Rachel and Jay are discovering that the humble cuppa
33:41can make or break a holiday.
33:43Because they're British, they wanted bigger mugs for tea.
33:46So we've got the bigger mugs out and everybody's happy.
34:01In Italy, at Rob and Fran's glamping site...
34:06No, thank you.
34:06It's been awesome.
34:07Absolutely awesome.
34:08It's checkout day for their latest guests.
34:12No problem.
34:13See you next year.
34:14See you next year.
34:15That'd be amazing.
34:16Cheers, buddy.
34:18Thanks very much.
34:19Friends from back in Hertfordshire, they've been impressed by what's on offer.
34:24Amazing holiday, amazing hosts and awesome, awesome place.
34:30It's just got everything you need.
34:33It's so tranquil, relaxing, beautiful and we've had great weather.
34:40Couldn't hope for more.
34:42Satisfied customers and positive feedback...
34:45Alright, safe travels.
34:47..is just what Rob was hoping for.
34:50See you later. Ciao.
34:54Yeah, that was really nice.
34:56No major dramas.
34:59Some stuff that we've got to get done still, but good feedback.
35:03There seems to be a gurgling in the bathroom, but I know what it is.
35:08Need an auto air vent on one of the pipes to stop it gurgling.
35:11And then, other than that, it was wicked.
35:15It was really good.
35:16Really happy.
35:18Hey, boy.
35:20In this crucial break in between guests, Rob and Fran can focus on maintenance.
35:26I think we could be manually cleaning it.
35:30I can tell you it's...
35:33..hard.
35:36Ensuring the site looks as good as possible for the next arrivals.
35:40We've got a biopool, which means no chemicals, which is all nice in theory,
35:46but people still like clean water.
35:49We've got to make it look nice for guests.
35:51Making it look nice means a lot of maintenance all the time.
35:54And things are always changing, you know?
35:56So, like, if it rains, or if it's extremely hot,
35:58or if you have a few people in with sun cream and they didn't shower first,
36:02the whole thing changes again and again.
36:04Trying to get the water clear without being a sort of microbiologist
36:09is quite tricky.
36:11OK.
36:11Well, I'll clean a bit of this.
36:12You clean a bit of that, I'll backwash it, and then we'll go from there.
36:18Rob uses the pool's pumping system to remove as much of the grime as possible.
36:23So, in between guests, try and give it a backwash to clear it out
36:26and get the pool as good as it can be.
36:29And there's all the funk getting moved out of the filter.
36:33While this dirty water is drained off onto the land,
36:37Rob has also installed a system that allows them
36:40to reuse excess pool water elsewhere on the site.
36:44When the pool gets too high,
36:47there's level sensors that are put around the edge.
36:50The level sensor trips in, the pump pumps it out into a container
36:54to use as irrigation, which is pretty cool.
36:58One of the areas benefiting from the recycled rainwater
37:02is Fran and Rob's vineyard.
37:05This is the inlet for all the water that's feeding the lower vineyard.
37:09And then once you've opened that master,
37:11we just open each line up,
37:14fills up, and it's got a drip feed on each one.
37:17There's no big fireworks go off on it.
37:19There's not much razzmatazz.
37:23But keep them alive.
37:25Now it's getting really hot.
37:27With just under an acre to manage,
37:29the vineyard could be a valuable asset.
37:31And while they might be novice winemakers,
37:34Rob's on familiar territory when it comes to maintenance.
37:38So we've got our own water anyway,
37:40and I'm a plumber, so it was a no-brainer because it was easy to do.
37:46Rob and Fran hope that by making their own wine,
37:49they can develop new revenue streams to bring in more cash
37:53and enhance what the site can offer.
37:56There's lots of beautiful quality produce that is made around us
38:00by lots of different artisans and artisanal farming producers.
38:06For us, it's important if we can find different ways to help us,
38:10but also to help our guests kind of connect with where they are,
38:14connect with the land, have different ways of interacting with nature
38:17and being at peace and how one can understand exactly where you are
38:21and make the most of your environment.
38:24Their remote site is set on fertile slopes,
38:27and they're keen to be as self-sufficient as possible,
38:31catering for their guests' culinary needs on their own doorstep.
38:34So another project is in development.
38:38So next, we're going to create a vegetable patch.
38:41We want to create a veg patch, just really summer salad stuff,
38:45tomatoes, lettuce, so that the guests can be in the kitchen
38:49and see the veg, go help themselves, sit, have a cup of tea,
38:54look out at the other little lake over there and listen to the frogs.
38:57Basically, it wants to look like a boat, though.
38:58We want it to look like a boat.
38:59You do.
39:01At the end of the clubhouse, to have a bow.
39:04Exactly. So I think if you've got the bow of the boat
39:06and you'd have a seat in the middle with the deck in
39:08and then you've got all these veg sort of flowing over the side of the boat
39:13as it carves its way through Umbria.
39:15It's going to be really nice.
39:17With both the site and their family home to finish,
39:21their summer season needs to be fruitful financially
39:24so they can stay afloat.
39:32Back in Midwest France, Rachel and Jay's family are coming to the end of their holiday.
39:38They've been staying in the Gites as test guests for the last week.
39:44Rachel's mum Bev and her eldest daughter Alice
39:47last saw the Gites when they were a work in progress,
39:50so this is the first chance they've had to experience a proper holiday here.
39:54Have you enjoyed your stay?
39:56Yeah.
39:56Have you been nice?
39:57Have you been really good?
39:58Yeah.
39:58Yeah, it's been very different.
40:00Different? Good different.
40:01Yeah, good different.
40:02But like before obviously it was all kind of camp chairs.
40:05Yeah, we were camping, weren't we?
40:06Lots of building and walls being knocked down and holes in walls.
40:11And it's been nice, it feels like a proper like B&B hotel now.
40:15Yeah, feels really nice.
40:17As test guests, they have a vital part to play in tweaking what Rachel and Jay have to offer.
40:23And their feedback has been a big help.
40:26Alice asked if we wanted some feedback, didn't she?
40:29Yeah.
40:29And she just said that it would be really nice to have fluffy throws.
40:31There we go.
40:32In the lounge areas, because she got her one morning, she reads a lot of books.
40:36She got her one morning to read and all the bedding was being used by other people who were still
40:41in bed.
40:41So yeah, we went and bought some fluffy throws, didn't we?
40:44Oh no, I know what the other thing was.
40:46Because they're British.
40:47They wanted bigger mugs for tea.
40:50Instead of the small little thimbles.
40:52So we've got the bigger mugs out and everybody's happy.
40:55As their family head to the airport,
40:59Rachel and Jay can take stock.
41:01With summer season just around the corner, it could be a busy one.
41:06It's quite nice to be here and just be on our own sometimes and be like,
41:10wow, like this is ours.
41:12Yeah.
41:13And breathe a little bit.
41:18But there's not a lot of downtime to enjoy.
41:22And five weeks later, their business has exceeded all expectations.
41:27They've had a steady stream of paying guests and have quickly had to get used to changeovers and hosting.
41:34We thought maybe a dozen guests in the first year
41:38while we find our feet and make a name for ourselves, but...
41:40No, it's gone crazy, hasn't it?
41:42No, it is.
41:42Yeah.
41:42Mad.
41:43Last month we had, what, 18 turnovers that were done.
41:46Yeah.
41:47And yeah, June's looking quieter at the moment.
41:50But yeah, for now it's, for the next week or so, it's busy, busy, busy.
41:54Yeah.
41:55With still more to do on site, the couple need to keep up the momentum to keep the money coming
42:00in.
42:01Today, as well as the changeovers, they both have jobs on their to-do lists.
42:06While Jay is outside giving the shutters a couple of coats, Rachel is in the kitchen with the twins.
42:12It isn't just a sweet treat for Georgia and Harriet though, Rachel is always on the lookout for ways to
42:18improve what they offer.
42:20The jam is for the guests, so we're hoping to make enough to leave a jar of jam just on
42:25the table for every guest.
42:28These jars are being made with fruit from their own cherry trees and it's the kind of touch that will
42:34make a guest stay extra special.
42:37So if this goes well and the jam is nice, next year we may hire like a small scaffold and
42:43pick the entire tree and then there would be enough to sell at markets because there's, oh my God, thousands
42:49of cherries on that tree.
42:51Are you going to fill the jars up, girls?
42:54Yeah?
42:55It's really hot because it's just stopped boiling, so just be careful.
43:00I'm going to swap sides.
43:01Slowly, slowly, slowly.
43:02Boop, boop, boop, boop, boop.
43:05It's sloppy.
43:06Right, up to the very, very, very, very, very top so no air gets in.
43:11Back outside, Jay is making good progress with the shutters.
43:16The most important thing is really today is just to, just to get a coat on.
43:22A decorator by trade, he's well within his comfort zone.
43:27I second coated the stonework and then, when was it, Friday, Saturday, Rachel and I did the render itself.
43:35So if you can see the colour of the render now, it's really pretty and nice and then I'll just
43:39take you round the corner.
43:40This is pretty much what we inherited, including the cracks.
43:44That, what you see now, is what it was like beforehand.
43:49Just as Jay is starting to feel ready for a break, there's a special delivery.
43:54Wow.
43:57What's that?
43:58Is that your jam?
43:59It's my house's jam.
44:00Let's have a look.
44:02Wow.
44:03Look at that.
44:05It might only be the start of a neat little sideline.
44:09Looks good, doesn't it?
44:10Yeah.
44:11But every euro counts.
44:13I've got the money.
44:15As their first summer season gets underway, with the family fully invested in France, they're hoping their new business will
44:23bear fruit.
44:30Next time...
44:31It's the best oil ever.
44:35Have Fran and Rob found the recipe for success?
44:38The idea of tonight, obviously, to showcase what we've done.
44:42And it's the first time a lot of people have come to see the glamping site.
44:45Can a couple in Bulgaria battle red tape and make their new life stick?
44:50We'll put her on a flight to the UK and I will come back here.
44:55And as Ian finally completes his sheet, can he make it pay?
45:00I've almost run out of money, bottoming out in my bank account.
45:04So I could just do with some money coming back now.
45:32We'll see you next time.
45:32We'll see you next time.
45:34Bye.
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