Speak now or forever hold your peace!
Last Thursday we appeared at the offices of the Notaires in Saint Clar France (very near to Avensac) to sign the Compromis (the official contract for the purchase of the Château). We were surrounded by lawyers and real estate agents, all speaking very fast French amongst each other as if we were not even there, even though the majority of the conversation was about us. The notaries for the current owners had power of attorney so the owners were not present. Page after page after page of a very long and involved contract were shown on an overhead screen while all of the lawyers added and subtracted details. It was almost surreal, watching it all happen and not understanding a single thing that was going on. I would not have been surprised to see a picture of a certain bridge in Brooklyn pictured in the contract! Then we began the initialing of every single page concluding with a full signature on the last. We officially signed a contract that will lead to a finalization of the purchase of Château d’Avensac at the end of August, a conservatorship of not only the Château but a vow of obligation to uphold the honor of a chain of owners going back hundreds of years… and yes, at the end of August we will get a great big key! I am not sure why, but the keys to a Château are really really big!
All the while that we were signing I kept looking around the room, waiting for that quick stirring of a party ready to stand and shout… STOP!… Should anyone reading this know of any reason that these two American boys should not buy this Château in a foreign country, Speak now or forever hold your peace! There is a ten day “cooling off”period in which we can back out of the sale for any reason, so now is your opportunity!!
We of course were hoping for a much earlier closing of the sale, but alas… the end of August will have to do. I have concerns as basically once we begin any renovations what currently exists as a heating system will have to be completely removed to make way for a new one and… Winter is Coming!
We were able to spend a few hours at the Château prior to the signing in which we began the endless task of measuring the structure. We managed to measure most of the six spaces that make up the kitchens. I am going to 3D model the Château so that we will be able to mentally keep ahead of everything we are working on. We will not only be able to generate floor plans and cuts, but we will be able to do virtual walkthroughs of all of the layout adjustments we are considering. This will be very helpful when it comes to the kitchens and our personal living spaces as those areas will see the largest number of changes. The 3D model will also be really helpful in reimagining the ancient sections of the Château, once we get to them!
In addition to measuring and a quick room by room walkthrough, I was able to take a little more video to introduce all of you to the lay of the land. My last video was all about the ancient gate and what lies beyond it. Today I present to you the main entrance of the Château in a short video which I have titled “The Land of Avensac”.
As before, turn on your sound, tap the fullscreen button in the lower right hand corner and hit the play arrow in the center of the image below.