Chateaux on the cheap! As French property prices plunge, we reveal how to pick up a palace for peanuts
02-01-2015
Chateaux on the cheap! As French property prices plunge, we reveal how to pick up a palace for peanuts
- French house prices have halved since 2007 and some mansions are now cheaper than the average UK home
- For £276,000 you could have an 11-bed former guest house in Normandy set in three quarters of an acre of land
For those with bigger budgets, £500,000 will buy a seven-bed home in 14 acres of meadows and woodland
By Kathryn Knight for the Daily Mail and Peter Allen
Tempted to up sticks to escape the British climate? Then take a glance across the Channel, where a tumbling euro and plunging property prices mean it’s now more affordable than ever to pick up your own French chateau.
The prices of some fairytale French mansions have halved since 2007, with some as cheap as £270,000 - the average cost of a British home.
One French estate agency this week reported that it had 136 rambling piles for sale, each costing £500,000 or less.
So if you’re dreaming of joining the lucky few whose homes boast vast rooms, gables, turrets, towers and moats, here are ten of the most affordable piles on the market in La Belle France.
Maison Saint-James
Saint-James, Normandy
The Spec: 3,000 sq ft; 11 bedrooms; third of an acre
A restored chateau, it was built on the foundations of a 200-year-old house which was destroyed by Allied bombing during the war. Until recently it was used as holiday accommodation and remains in good condition.
West-facing, it’s great for sunsets, and is located less than 20 miles from the fabled Mont St Michel Abbey, one of the most visited cultural sites in France.
Saint-James is a charming village where William the Conqueror built a fort in 1067 and spent happy days with his wife, Matilda of Flanders, and some of their nine children.
A separate guest studio, located nearby in the grounds of the maison could be rented out.
AGENT: French Entrée, www.frenchentree.com
Jardin de Cure
Totes, Normandy
The Spec: 4,500 sq ft; 13 bedrooms; five acres
Set in a beautiful park with ancient chestnut trees and a walled cottage garden, this 19th century stately home has been in the same family for the past 50 years and boasts oak parquet floors and high ceilings with ornate plasterwork in many of the reception rooms.
The property comes with a large outbuilding at the park entrance, which could be sold as a separate home, and is just a stroll from the village, while Normandy’s beautiful beaches are just 30 minutes’ drive away.
Much admired by villagers, the chateau was previously owned by the Mayor, but has since belonged to a French grandmother who raised her family there and feels it’s too big for her to manage.
AGENT: Leggett Prestige www.leggettprestige.com
Chateau Sable Sur Sarthe
Mayenne, Loire
The Spec: 4,305 sq ft; 11 bedrooms; seven acres
Listed as a historic monument, this early 17th century chateau comes with its own moat and sweeping driveway.
At this price, a full renovation is required, but there is a wealth of original features to work with, from limestone fireplaces to 19th century tiles, not to mention the vast 516 sq ft dining room.
AGENT: Groupe-Mercure www.groupe-mercure.com
Manoir Puy de Dome
Vall ee de la Sioule, Auvergne
The Spec: 2,475 sq ft; seven bedrooms; three quarters of an acre
This traditional chateau dates back to 1830, the year in which the conservative government of Charles X was overthrown by Louis Philippe I in what became known as the July Revolution.
There are high ceilings, marble fireplaces and a beautiful stone staircase to give you a sense of grand living. With a library, orangery, music room and four generously proportioned bathrooms, this has real Downton Abbey appeal.
Outside there are two garages and a stable. The large walled courtyard garden has potential to be turned into a rather grand Versailles style affair, complete with fountains and topiary.
AGENT: Proprieties de France www.proprietiesdefrance.com
Chateau de Giat
Giat, Auvergne
The Spec: 4,865 sq ft; six bedrooms; two acres
This 19th-century home is owned by descendants of French composer Hector Berlioz.
It features a wealth of lovely touches, from the stone staircase in the main hall and vast chandelier (which will remain in the sale) in the lounge to the artisan-carved spiral wood staircase to the top floor. There’s also a fabulous roof terrace, with far-reaching views.
AGENT: Hamptons International www.hamptons-international.com
Chateau de Niort
Niort: Poitou-Charentes
The Spec: 3,443 sq ft; seven bedrooms; half an acre.
Built in 1880 but fully renovated, this rather splendid home is being run as a b&b, with plenty of future bookings.
Should you choose to take over the business, you don’t even have to see much of your guests, as they have a separate guest lounge and two bedrooms in one wing.
Not a vast amount of land, but the gardens are pretty and the chateau is less than a mile from the nearest small town.
AGENT: Prestige property www.prestigeproperty.co.uk
Chateau Figeac
Figeac, La Lot
The Spec: 7,319 sq ft; six bedrooms; two-and-a-half acres of tree-lined grounds
If you like history then this is the place for you, as it’s a patchwork affair with 12th century foundations and two wings built in the 17th and 19th century respectively.
The 17th century tower has a 376 sq ft salon complete with balcony, should you wish to host a string quartet to entertain your guests.
Fully restored aside from one tower, there is, alas, no central heating for those chilly winter nights, although there are fireplaces aplenty. The pretty grounds have small outbuildings which also have potential for development.
AGENT: Groupe-Mercure
Manoir Rethel
Champagne, Ardenne
The Spec: 5,274 sq ft; three bedrooms; 4.7 acres.
A fortress built in 1659, the castle has been given listed status as its four ancient towers, in the shape of waterdrops, were deemed so unusual.
The roof has been fully restored, but if you’re dismayed by the lowly number of bedrooms, a third of the house remains unrenovated, so you could always create more.
The living room has a vast fireplace and separate salon. It’s also just 30 minutes from Epernay, heart of the champagne region of Reims.
AGENT: Groupe Mercure
Chateau Picardie
Abbeville, Picardie
The Spec: 5,274 sq ft; nine bedrooms; ten acres
Built in 1850, this beautiful 19th century chateau has remained in the same family ever since — that’s 165 years. It retains all its original features, from wood floors to marble fireplaces, but requires a bit of TLC.
Outside, the gardens/woodland are filled with ancient oak and beech trees once used as hideouts by German soldiers during the war.
A Chaussee Brunehaut, the French name for an ancient Roman road through the region and said to have been used by Julius Caesar, passes nearby the chateau, which lies 12 miles from the historic town of Abbeville.
The fact that it’s only 80 miles from Calais makes it a plausible weekend getaway destination.
AGENT: Leggett Prestige
Chateau Allier
Allier, Auvergne
The Spec: 6,458 sq ft; seven bedrooms; 14 acres
This 19th century chateau has the fairytale factor, with Disney-style turrets. The ground floor features a 300 sq ft south-facing terrace with stunning views over the Puy mountains.
It’s habitable and retains a lot of traditional features, from parquet floor to carved woodwork. A sweeping set of steps from the front door lead to your land, comprising beautiful meadows and woods bordering a river.
AGENT: Groupe-Mercure
