Meet Marcel and Roan – a Dutch couple who in July 2023 moved into their very own château in the south of France. The couple exchanged their busy lives in the Netherlands for peace and quiet in Arbérats-Sillègue, a small commune with around 300 inhabitants. They also took on the project to renovate the castle all by themselves and start a chambre d’hôtes.
If you happen to have watched the Dutch TV show Ik vertrek, you have already met the couple (in season 25). In the program, where people leave their lives in the Netherlands behind to start something new abroad, we get to follow Marcel and Roan on their journey from moving into the castle to finishing the renovations of two rooms and receiving their first guests.
Whether you already know the couple or not, keep reading to learn more about how they found their dream castle, what their best tips are on buying property in France, and what they enjoy most about their lives in Arbérats-Sillègue.
In search of the perfect castle
Roan had dreamt of a castle already for a long time, and not just any castle – he had a certain style in mind. And it was this style that took Marcel and him to France, even though they are not exactly any Francophiles. They never spent their vacations in France (but always in Spain) and they admit that they are not very keen on cheese and wine.
‘We drink tea and coca cola’, Roan says with a laugh.
About the choice of region in southwestern France, right between Biarritz and Pau, Roan mentions the sun and the warm weather.
‘And it’s not far from Spain,’ he adds.
So, with their specific castle vision in mind, Marcel and Roan set out to find the perfect château in France. They started by simply googling ‘château à vendre’. After this Google search they were bombarded by ads on the topic, so it was easy to move things along from there and get in touch with real estate agencies. According to the couple, there are three or four real estate agencies that specialize in castles in France.
Next up, castle visits! As traveling from the Netherlands for visits in France took a lot of time, they wanted to be sure the castles they went to see had real potential. That’s why they did as much research beforehand as possible, including trying to find out precisely where the castles were located. They explain that French agencies don’t share the exact location of properties right away, as they don’t want to risk losing their commission in case the interested buyer would go directly to the seller.
‘I advise people to look up the location in advance to get a feeling of the surroundings,’ Marcel says.
It might require some detective work, but it’s worth it. At least that was the case for Marcel and Roan. When a small agency emailed the couple about the château they ended up buying, Marcel was able to find the exact location by using Google Earth. It was a great way for the couple to find out more about the village. They had decided they wanted to have certain amenities nearby, such as shops and restaurants, and now with this research they knew they would.
Besides the proximity to certain amenities, the couple also had other criteria. They had, for instance, agreed on what shape the castle should be in and how much they would be willing to renovate. Discussing all these things in advance put them on the same page from the start, which in turn helped them to narrow down the search, as well as agree to go for it when the right castle came along.
When Marcel and Roan decided that Château d’Arbérats was the one and only, they prepared well for the buying process. They didn’t have any major challenges, but one slightly unusual situation – the neighbor’s cows on their property (thankfully they got that sorted out and the cows moved elsewhere). So for anyone interested in buying property in France, they advise you to make sure you not only know your own rights, but also the rights of others involved. The couple also recommends that you pay extra attention if there is someone renting a part of your land. On top of that, they mention the ins and outs of the purchase agreement and knowing how much leverage you have.
‘Get good legal advice from someone in France who speaks your language,’ Marcel suggests.
Life in a small French village
Even before buying the château, Marcel and Roan went to see the mayor of Arbérats-Sillègue. They recommend that others who are about to buy property in a French village do the same. They say that talking to the mayor is a good way of getting a feel for the village, but that you also need to have the mayor on your side.
‘The mayor is powerful in a small village. You need to have his blessing,’ Roan explains.
The mayor of Arbérats-Sillègue was interested in knowing whether the couple would live in the château themselves, or whether they were just planning to rent it out on Airbnb. He was also getting involved in what the pair had planned for the château. When he heard about their plans to install solar panels, he had simply let them know ‘that’s not going to happen’. Marcel and Roan accept the mayor’s involvement, and the mayor obviously accepts them as newcomers in the village – he even visits them every two weeks.
On top of being on good terms with the mayor, Marcel and Roan mention that they have had a lot of contact with the city council, too. And by being active and outgoing in general, they have become part of the community in the village. They do their best to attend different events although they are busy with their own project. They do, however, feel a bit limited due to their level of French.
‘It’s hard to really integrate with the locals as French is not our native language,’ Marcel says. ‘We can carry a discussion, but there is always a bit of a language barrier.’
He says it might also be easier to integrate if you have children, as you naturally get in touch with other parents through play dates and school. They still say that the locals in the village make them feel welcome.
A chambre d’hôtes and no regrets
In Arbérats-Sillègue, Marcel and Roan have found a life that’s way less hectic than the one they had in the Netherlands. They feel like the main difference in their way of life nowadays is that they work to realize their own dream, rather than someone else’s like they used to. They have already come a long way with the renovations of the castle, and they say it’s fun, but also a lot of work. And even while they work hard, they still take time out of their days to slow down. Marcel mentions a siesta in the hammock after lunch on a sunny day when they don’t have guests.
‘We are lucky that we can afford this lifestyle now,’ Roan adds.
In the episode of Ik vertrek we see the pair finishing the renovations of two lovely rooms that you can rent, and the goal is to have five rooms ready at their chambre d’hôtes (that’s how many rooms you can rent out simultaneously in a chambre d’hôtes according to French law). They have also finished the renovations of a beautiful dining room. In addition to renting out rooms they are organizing different theme weeks, such as a Eurovision Song Contest week, and you can also rent the space for wedding celebrations.
For anyone thinking of moving to France, Marcel and Roan are certainly an inspiration. They didn’t want to live with any what ifs themselves, and to others dreaming of moving to France, they give the advice not to wait to take the step.
‘There is always one reason to do something and ten reasons not to,’ Marcel says.
‘The step is smaller than people think,’ Roan adds reassuringly.
When they sit down outside with the view of the Pyrenees, sunshine in their faces and birds chirping around them, they are reminded of why they embarked on this journey in the first place.
‘We never regret doing this for a single moment,’ they say.
And we believe them.
If you’re interested in seeing what Marcel and Roan’s château is like, or perhaps even booking a room, visit their website here. And if you would like to see how they started renovating and finished the two first rooms, the Ik Vertrek episode (in Dutch) is available here.
