Living like a prince, a dream life seached by buyers from all over the world

Following the quarantine, buyers have found again that castles have qualities. They used to be renowned for being expensive and difficult to maintain, they are still affordable in comparison to Parisian prices. However, prices vary a lot depending on the type of castle, its surface area and its fittings. “There is a large choice of castles in France, with two types of buyers, those who want to live in it and those who want to use it for commercial purposes” Alexander Kraft, CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty France Monaco, says.

The first category, composed of French and European antique and art dealers and fans of heritage, opt for castles of 600 sq. m in good condition, with a park of 2 to 10 hectares. The second category, usually from Middle-East or United States, head for more imposing livable castles of more than 2000 sq. m, schools and lands of more than 100 hectares. The French art de vivre indeed appeals to travelers from all over the world for holiday or events (weddings, seminars etc.).

Certain areas and certain styles have more success than others. Louis the 13th-style is very popular, whereas it takes time to find buyers for castles from the Middle Ages as they usually need expensive renovations. Indeed, even if the price is that of a Parisian apartment, maintenance costs and work renovations need to be added.

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