They purchased their 18th Century Chateau Le Fleur, in Normandy, in 2019, using money from the sale of their Parisian apartment. Like Ms Jarvis, they also underestimated the total cost of the renovations that the property would need.
The couple started to post videos at the end of 2020, hoping it would serve as a marketing tool for when the pandemic ended and they could open their bed and breakfast.
Their YouTube channel – How To Renovate A Chateau (Without Killing Your Partner) – now has 133,000 subscribers, and brings in regular advertising revenue.
“It never occurred to us that this could become an income stream as important as the guesthouse,” says Mr Mayrhofer. “But we get more and more advertising money, and it started to become almost like a salary.”
The couple also launched a Patreon account, which has more than 750 subscribers paying from about £4.50-17.50 per month. Mr Mayrhofer says he and Anna are now so busy making video content it might make more financial sense to slow down the guesthouse side of their business.
“For now, we enjoy [making videos]. It encourages us, and it’s fun to do,” he says.
