What if living in a château was easier than it seemed? Drawing on its rich thousand-year-old history, France counts more than 40,000 châteaux. Though some need to be renovated, others have already been entirely refurbished. A great bargain for buyers looking for rare and prestigious properties! The luxury real estate market has amazing seigniorial dwellings for sale. Discover all the advantages of this investment, as well as the various solutions available to you so you can own a château in France.
Châteaux on France’s real estate market
Within the real estate market, the term “château” is understood in a much wider sense than the strict historical definition, which considers that a feudal dwelling with no ramparts, towers or drawbridges is not a château. In the field of real estate, there is not just one type of château, but several categories.
In France, certain châteaux are classified as Historical Monuments or within the French supplementary historic monument list. Others are rather manor houses, seigniorial estates or actual fortified castles. In any case, they were all built during different historical periods - medieval, Renaissance, 17th century, 18th century - based on the techniques and know-how mastered at the time.
Why purchase a château?
This year in France, about 400 châteaux will change owners. This type of purchase is however not the most profitable: buyers generally do not make a lot of money from a château, because even though market prices have dropped over the last few years, this kind of property entails substantial yearly expenses.
Buying a château must therefore be first and foremost about passion. Châteaux are wonderful for people who love old stones, history and architectural heritage.
Though not particularly profitable, buying a château nonetheless has several advantages:
- Living in a home bursting with character, with incredible volumes and infinite charm;
- Having the opportunity to restore and look after a prestigious piece of property belonging to France’s heritage;
- Spending your days in an exceptional estate, some of which were built by renowned architects;
- Highlighting the château’s image by organising public tours, and in some cases setting up a commercial activity there (in wine estates, for instance), or a guest house;
- Making the most of attractive tax reductions, as all renovation work is deducted from tax, so long as:
- The château is listed as a historical monument;
- The château is located in a Safeguarded Sector, or a Zone for the Protection of Urban or Environmental Architectural Heritage.
Châteaux and manors for sale with Michaël Zingraf Real Estate
Are you looking to live in a château? As specialists in prestigious real estate, Michael Zingraf Real Estate agencies regularly have châteaux, manors and exceptional estates for sale in France. Our catalogue includes period properties in Provence, Paris and in the area of Deauville.
Call upon our professionals’ expertise to find the château of your dreams! Our teams are available to guide you through every step of your project, and help you find a château meeting all your criteria.