Escape to the Chateau's Dick Strawbridge admits he was 'silly' buying 45-bedroom home
Dick Strawbridge and his wife Angel Adoree have addressed their initial thoughts about purchasing a French chateau which is part of the Channel 4 series Escape to the Chateau.
Angel Adoree scolds Dick Strawbridge over chateau renovation
Dick Strawbridge and Angel Adoree have become firm favourites with Channel 4 viewers who have followed their renovation journey with their 19th Century French retreat for several years. Escape to the Chateau is now in its ninth series, but the couple admitted they initially thought the idea of purchasing the chateau in the middle of winter was nothing but "silly".
Angel and Dick bought Château de la Motte-Husson for £280,000 back in 2015 when it had no heating or sewage system installed.
The home boasts 45 bedrooms, all of which needed a serious makeover after the building fell into disrepair decades before they bought it.
The couple got to work in 2016 with the renovation and the chateau is now an idyllic wedding venue.
While parts of the building and the acres of land it sits on have been completely transformed into the couple's dream home, Dick and Angel have a long way to go before the revamp is complete.
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How much is the Escape to the Chateau mansion selling for?
Dick and Angel purchased their 45-bedroom home, Chateau-de-la-Motte Husson, back in 2015 for just £280,000. Recent estimations put its value at £2 million, but that's not how much the family have put it up for sale for.
Learn more about how much the couple could make on their Escape to the Chateau home here.
The couple opened up to Radio Times about their initial thoughts on buying a rundown chateau.
Former army officer Dick, 63, admitted he first thought: "This is silly, isn’t it?!"
Angel, 44, added: "Why would anyone do this?
"Unless we had a budget four times what we had, we had to have a doer-upper. We knew we had years of hard work."
Despite their concerns, the couple went ahead with restoring the property in which they reside with their young children Dorothy and Arthur.
When asked what running a business together is like, Dick exclaimed: "Angela is bossy! Business-wise, Angela has the reins.
"But, we have different skills – I know some things because I’m old, like how to fix a toilet."
Angel replied: "I do a lot of the admin, Dick is in charge of the manual things. We have heated and passionate discussions."
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Angel is known for being very creative and is skilled at craftwork as she often makes decorations and soft furnishings to accessorise rooms in the chateau.
In a recent episode of the latest season, Dick and Angel teamed up to make a cosy outdoor kitchen area which can be used across the seasons.
The entertaining area was complete with a stove, sofas, warm throws and a wooden pergola.
Reflecting on their hard work, Angel said: "It feels like we have designed something which wasn't there before."
"Shall we retire then?" Dick quipped to which Angel added: "After the swimming pool."
Dick did not seem keen on having a swimming pool installed on their land.
He brushed the comment aside and rustled up a meal in the new kitchen for his family and friends.
The full interview with Angel and Dick can be heard on Radio Times’ View From My sofa Podcast.