How to buy your own castle
According to the popular saying, your home is your castle wherever you live. But there are some crucial differences.
Your studio apartment doesn't have its own drawbridge, turrets or a moat, for example. And in the event of a robot revolt or zombie attack, it's not going to provide you with the same protection as a real-life citadel.
Owning a castle is also the mark that a knight is chivalrous, noble and has numerous wenches.
So if you harbor delusions of monarchy, how do you go about actually buying a castle?
Step One -- Where to Find One
You have two main choices: 1) Search out an existing castle or 2) Build your own.
Most Western-style castles can be found in Europe, and according to Alexander V.G. Kraft, President of Sotheby's International France, the most popular regions are the Loire Valley and Burgundy regions of France.
Kraft, who is the author of an upcoming manual for the wealthy, "Living in Luxury," says a starter castle of about 4,000 square feet can be had for just under US$1 million. On the other hand, a palace of 20,000 to 40,000 square feet -- with some serious acreage to boot -- can run you closer to US$20-$30 million.
If you don't want to decamp to the land of haughty frogs, you can still build your own castle closer to home.
According to CastleMagic's Roger DeClements, there is serious demand for new citadels in space-friendly states like Texas, as well as further afield in Australia and the U.K. But building your own castle could cost you even more than an old one. A new castle costs approximately US$325 per square foot and takes about twice as long as a normal new construction home to build. That doesn't even factor in the time it takes to customize your own throne.
Step Two -- Making It Livable
Finding your castle might be easy, but making it habitable will not be.
Kraft cautions potential castle buyers to have reasonable expectations about the facilities. "You may have dozens or hundreds of bedrooms, but only two bathrooms," he says. You may also need to install a new kitchen and central heating, "as they usually tend to be outdated or non-existent."
Utility bills are also going to be an issue. "As a rule of thumb, smaller castles will usually come with a maintenance bill of around $3,100 to 4,700 per month."
And the larger the keep, the costlier the upkeep.
"A wood-burning fireplace may make part of one room inhabitable, but if you have 20 bedrooms and at least five very big reception rooms (which tends to be the minimum), you have at least 25 to 30 fireplaces to run ... constantly."
Step Three -- Optional Extras
Owning a castle is pointless unless you can swim in the moat, frolic in the vineyard and throw local scallywags in the dungeon. But even these most basic castle features are going to be costly and hard to install, Kraft says.
"In some regions such as Burgundy, the Bordeaux and Loire regions, even smaller castles may have some vineyards," he says. But outside of those areas, you're going to need land, time, money and staff to get your vineyard to produce more than headaches and bills.
Step Four -- What Else Do I Need to Know?
For all these complications, you can still, in theory, do anything you want to your castle -- right?
Wrong. If your castle is a historical landmark, you might be required to keep it in a certain state of (dis)repair to satisfy local laws and regulations. (In short, that underground go-kart track may not be entirely historically accurate.)
But there is an upside. In some places there may be state subsidies or tax breaks you can claim in order to help with maintenance and upkeep.
Conclusion
If you really, really have to live in a castle, then it's certainly possible. Given a little time and effort ,you'll be standing on the ramparts flying your coat of arms, eating a roast turkey leg and drinking a goblet of the local ale.
But be aware -- it's going to cost you time and money, and on balance it may be best to wait until after society crumbles to run inside and pull up the drawbridge.
Source Reference:
http://www.asylum.com/2008/10/09/how-to-buy-your-own-castle/
