Go green
The fact that more and more city dwellers dream of a return to the land and the countryside may be part of the reasons for this change. However, this is certainly not the only criterion which allows the castles to get back into the race. Still according to Thibault de Saint Vincent, prices have fallen, given the fact that this market was truly devastated. However, he dares to think that this period is well over.
Apparently, the first shudders had already been felt before the health crisis. But clearly, confinement has accentuated this phenomenon and this trend. The countryside has emerged as a more pleasant setting and offering a better quality of life for the whole family.
By refocusing most of us on essential values, of which nature is a part… Castles have emerged as a refuge and a certain desire to cling to the earth. This is what explains Bertrand Couturié, director of Properties and Châteaux. Of course, lovers of old stones and history can not help but be seduced too.
Daniel Féau’s subsidiary, Belles Demeures de France, has sold a few castles, benefiting from a good Internet connection and not too far from the TGV, in Provence.
Is there a telework effect?
More and more people dream of a pied-à-terre outside the big cities. The pandemic has made it possible to develop teleworking. People interested in castles are, therefore, younger. And if they covet a castle, it is not necessarily to make it a second home, but often to work from this luxurious setting, whether full or part time.
The châteaux in the Pays de la Loire or near Deauville find their buyers more easily. But the more rural places are the object of a certain craze, which changes completely since they were shunned before. This is how the Breton market has made a big leap forward after having been severely affected in recent years.
How and where to become lords?
Do you want to taste the pleasure of living in an exceptional setting by choosing a castle? The regions containing the most castles are Midi-Pyrénées, Aquitaine and Pays de la Loire. However, you will easily find many advertisements for these properties in Rhône-Alpes, Center, Languedoc-Roussillon and Poitou-Charentes. If you’re lucky enough to have a bigger budget, look for that rare gem in Île-de-France or Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. Prices vary between 3.5 and 4 million euros. Whoever wants to become a squire!
Maintenance costs: a barrier to purchasing
Professionals have understood that there will be no explosion in the market. The causes are numerous:
The younger generations prefer the house by the sea or the chalet in the mountains.
The economic crisis, which is likely to affect a large number of people, will certainly affect this market. Finally, you do not buy a castle easily, because its maintenance requires an investment in terms of time and financial level which is very important and almost endless. This can dampen buyers’ ambitions.