French Chateau For Sale
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204 properties
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Authentic Chateau for sale with countryside view in Dunkirk, Hauts de France
Ref 251597
Listed as a Historic Monument is this spacious and elegant French Chateau, nestling in 4.5 hectares of glorious land, located in Dunkirk. Situated in the North of France, close to the sea, this s...
2,650,000 EUR
Spacious Chateau for sale with countryside view in Angers, Pays de la Loire
Ref 251596
Enjoying far reaching countryside views from its peaceful location near Angers, is this elegant and sophisticated classical French Chateau with outbuildings, nestling in 28 hectares of glorious lan...
1,650,000 EUR
Authentic 6 bedroom Chateau for sale with countryside view in Alencon, Normandy
Ref 251595
Elegant and very well presented 6 bedroom historical French Chateau with guest house, apartments and equestrian facilities, all nestling in 17 hectares of glorious land while enjoying far reaching ...
1,600,000 EUR
Income Potential 7 bedroom Chateau for sale with countryside view in Bourges, Centre Val de Loire
Ref 251594
Nestling in 13 hectares of glorious land with outbuildings is this beautifully renovated 7 bedroom historical Chateau located near Bourges. Situated In the heart of France, Berry, 280 km from Pari...
1,500,000 EUR
Project Castle for sale with countryside view in Lillebonne, Rouen, Normandy
Ref 251592
Wonderful opportunity to acquire a beautiful 19th Century French Chateau nestling in 3.5 acres of glorious land, while enjoying far reaching countryside views from its peaceful location in Lilebonn...
Enquire For Price
Renovated 11 bedroom Manor House for sale with countryside view in Chalais, Nouvelle Aquitaine
Ref 251552
A superbly renovated Chartreuse-style domaine, with twin tower features, offering a unique blend of rustic charm and modern comfort,tucked away in a picturesque small village in the Charente. Thi...
899,900 EUR
Grand 10 bedroom Chateau for sale with countryside view in Mont, Orthez, Nouvelle Aquitaine
Ref 251466
Nestling in over 6 acres of glorious land with beautiful gardens, pool and outbuildings, is this fabulous 10 bedroom medieval Chateau with one gite, enjoying far reaching countryside views from its...
675,000 EUR
Character 10 bedroom Chateau for sale in Mont, Orthez, Nouvelle Aquitaine
Ref 251465
Nestling in over 6 acres of glorious land with beautiful gardens, pool and outbuildings, is this fabulous 10 bedroom medieval Chateau with two gites, enjoying far reaching countryside views from it...
850,000 EUR
Wow factor 12 bedroom Chateau for sale with countryside view in Limoux, Occitanie
Ref 251422
Absolutely exquisite 12 bedroom Neo Classical historical Chateau with separate apartment, nestling in 2.5 acres of glorious landscaped gardens with pool, ideally located near all amenities in Limou...
1,100,000 EUR
Character 8 bedroom Manor House for sale with countryside view in Argenton sur Creuse, Centre Val de Loire
Ref 251399
Situated in a wonderful serene location opposite the river is this large manor house and equestrian estate. The elevated main manor needs renovations (subject to necessary permissions) but the se...
472,500 EUR
30 bedroom Chateau for sale with countryside view with Income Potential in Navarrenx, Nouvelle Aquitaine
Ref 251397
Situated on the outskirts of a peaceful Bearnaise village near Navarrenx, this delightful property creates its own private hamlet with a chateau, a maison-de-maitre, a barn, a shop and a huge priva...
1,250,000 EUR
Income Producing 16 bedroom Estate for sale with panoramic view in Lourmarin, Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur
Ref 251386
Outstanding historic property with vineyards in the Luberon, completely restored and with a unique character in Provence. Located on a plot of over 50 acres, in an exceptional environment, it prov...
9,575,000 EUR
Character 6 bedroom Manor House for sale with countryside view in Rouillac, Nouvelle Aquitaine
Ref 251339
Recommended
Impressive former cognac estate, set on the edge of a small hamlet and surrounded by vineyards and sweeping landscapes of Charente in a beautiful setting and providing a peaceful retreat. The b...
997,500 EUR
Income Potential 10 bedroom Chateau for sale with countryside view in Haute Vienne, Nouvelle Aquitaine
Ref 251310
Recommended
Beautifully renovated 3 storey, 10 bedroom historical Chateau with separate apartment, nestling in 27 hectares of glorious land with gardens, lake and outbuildings, while enjoying far reaching coun...
1,375,000 EUR
Income Potential 21 bedroom Chateau for sale with countryside view in Seilhac, Uzerche, Nouvelle Aquitaine
Ref 251301
Wonderful opportunity to acquire an exquisite 3 storey, 14 bedroom historical stone castle with three gites, all nestling in over 12 hectares of glorious land with gardens, lake, woods and fruit tr...
2,496,000 EUR
Renovated 4 bedroom Chateau for sale with countryside view in Saint Emilion, Nouvelle Aquitaine
Ref 251041
Beautiful family-size chateau with Medieval origins, providing an exceptional place to live in a historic and natural setting, full of charm and history. Set in almost 6 acres of land, the estat...
2,340,425 EUR
Character 4 bedroom Chalet for sale in 1650 Moriond, Courchevel, Auvergne Rhone Alpes
Ref 250879
Stylishly renovated 4 bedroom luxury Chalet with garden, enjoying breathtaking mountain views from its ideal location near the slopes and all amenities in Courchevel Moriond. Situated in a small h...
1,399,000 EUR
Character 15 bedroom Chateau for sale with countryside view in Blois, Centre Val de Loire
Ref 250868
Enchanting French chateau in a delightful wooded estate near Blois. This spacious property dates back to the Sixteenth and Nineteenth Century with 4 separate guest lodges in wooded parkland of 19...
1,960,000 EUR
Character 6 bedroom Chateau for sale with panoramic view in Calviac en Perigord, Nouvelle Aquitaine
Ref 250776
Recommended
Charming Medieval chateau, full of character and and ancient grandeur, in a hamlet just 15 minutes from Sarlat. Set in 6,064m2 of land and dating back to the 13th Century, this noble stone castle...
503,500 EUR
Character 6 bedroom Manor House for sale with countryside view in Bergerac, Nouvelle Aquitaine
Ref 250668
Charming Eighteenth Century manor house with pool, gite and outbuildings, set in over 3 acres close to Bergerac with pretty views. This private property has much to offer. It is accessed by a wro...
960,000 EUR
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Area Guide

Living the dream of owning a large, spectacular and historic building in many countries can often be somewhat difficult to realise. Not so, France. Almost every department has its share of imposing tower-topped chateaux dominating the landscape, if no longer the people. From long-forgotten manorial houses to the very largest monastic and secular palaces, a French chateau offers a vision of mystique and romance that perhaps the more solidly defensive English castles cannot touch.

Why buy a French Chateau?

At present, large estates are offering superb value for money compared to other prestige property around the world. Boasting acres of land, lakes, outbuildings and their own capacious floor spaces, a French chateau gives one the opportunity and space to choose how to live and work. Taking the figure of 1 Million Euros as an example, a French chateau costing this will far outweigh, in real terms, the real estate offered by other luxury and prestige property of the same price. In many locations, you are paying for exactly that - location - and will no doubt be jostling with other similar properties for the best view. A French chateau offers the rare ability to look out from your window and survey no land but your own.

The rise in disposable income and the freedom to travel between countries ensures that there is strong interest in buying such property for a family home or a tourism business - perhaps for fishing, an equestrian school, hunting, outdoor sports, walking or wildlife watching. The fairytale bulk of a French chateau is also one of its main attractions, particularly for weddings or hotel accommodation. What bride would not wish to be married within an ancient chapel bathed by soft light streaming through its stained glass windows, then withdraw across the lawn to the main building with its ornate decoration a background to the big day and the sounds of history echoing from its walls?

Many such properties also have existing income from timber or wine production.

French chateau types

If you are looking to buy a French chateau, be it for pleasure or business, we have many beautiful properties to choose from with prices of approximately 300,000 EUR to over 20 Million EUR. These properties take many forms, from smaller Logis and manor houses to fortified farmsteads and enormous stately homes encompassing many hectares of land with woods, lakes, guest houses and outbuildings.

A chateau, because of its size and history, usually has over 1 hectare of land - usually this is much more, even with lower budget examples. While there is a limited supply of French chateaux that are up for sale at any given time, there is likely to be a great variety. You may wish to buy a large building with little land to make your money go further. Or you may wish to buy a smaller Logis-style property, but utilise the land for horses, hunting or wildlife. However, there are many examples of chateaux for sale on the market with a large floor space and several dozen hectares, but they are understandably more expensive but not overly so. 1 million EUR can easily buy you 500m2 of floor space on several levels plus 20 hectares of land.

Whether a chateau dates from the 10th or 20th century, it will have its own style and history of decoration. Some can be a mix of styles from different periods as fashion and the owner's availability of funds changed. Other examples of French chateaux appear not to have changed since they were built. Many were built in the early 19th century as France became more dominant and wealthy. There are similarities between properties in that you are likely to find original features such as stone fireplace, parquet flooring, mouldings and carvings dotted around the rooms.

Where to buy a French chateau for sale

You can buy a French chateau in all states of preservation; from windowless shells requiring total renovation, to those requiring part-decoration, to immaculate 19th century bourgeois stately homes, the amount you will need to spend will depend on how much work you are willing to undertake. Being large properties, renovations can be very costly and time-consuming but need not be outside the budget of most serious buyers if planned correctly. Typically, to arrive at a habitable building you will need to spend around a total of around 500,000 Euros, whether you opt to renovate or buy an already renovated example.

Obviously, the more you spend to begin with, the larger the chateau, outbuildings and land you will acquire. While not always true, like most things it is usually sound advice to spend more at the outset to buy a good example than spend money creating one. In other words, it is better to let the previous owner use their money and time!

Our portfolio includes a great selection of French chateaux for sale in many areas of France. The Loire valley and the nearby departments offer particularly good investment opportunities for the chateau property buyer and we have over 30 examples in the Indre-et-Loire, Loir et Cher, Indre, Maine et Loire and Seine et Marne alone. Other good 'populations' exist in the Parisian departments and the south east, south west and north east areas of France. The market is remarkably fluid below 1.5 Million euros, with highly desirable properties changing hands within weeks of being offered for sale. This compares favourably with other prestige markets with regards to 'on-market' times.

Buying a Property in France

1. Signing the Agreement (Compris)

On finding a property you wish to purchase you will need to negotiate the terms, price and conditions of the sale with the owner.

The next step, once you are in agreement, is to sign the preliminary contract (Compromis de Vente). This is a legal document and after ten days will be binding on both parties. Rules change frequently in France and it is best to consult with your notary about when this period starts. Generally the compris will be signed in France with the Agent.

Variants can be included in the compris, for example an Acte (clause) can be added if the name or names to go on the title deed have not been finalised. If a mortgage will be required to purchase the property, the details for this, including the name of the mortgage company, must be on the compris.

2. Paying the Deposit

Generally the deposit will be 10% of the agreed purchase price. This will normally be paid to the notaire. There are exceptions to this, if the agent holds a carte professionelle, is bonded and fully registered then you may pay them, but do not hand over the deposit to anyone else. If for some reason the purchase does not go through, for example, if you write to the notaire and the agent that you do not wish to go continue with the purchase before the contract is binding (within seven days of signing the compris), then your deposit would be repaid. This would also apply if a condition had not been met, or the mayor or S.A.F.E.R. (a government agency that has the right of first purchase on most rural property that comes onto the market in France) could oblige the purchaser to give way. If you decide after the seven days 'cooling off' period that you do not wish to complete the purchase and pull out of the sale you would lose your deposit. If however the vendor pulls out of the sale then you will receive your deposit back plus the same amount from the vendor.

3. On Completion

Generally it will take around two or three months to complete the purchase.

During this time the balance of the purchase money must be paid into the account of the notaire, this must be done well ahead of the completion date. The notaire will prepare the documents, check that the deed of sale (Acte de Vente) is in order and have the legal title ready to be signed over. It is possible to have someone sign on your behalf if you give them power of attorney. An interpreter may be of use at this point if your French is not very good and many Notaires will suggest (or insist) that an interpreter is with you.

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