Whether you want a romantic château or a luxury manor, we’ve found the French château for you! And some of them are less expensive than you might think.
Since the launch of the Channel 4 show Escape to the Château and its sister show Château DIY, we’ve fantasised about buying and renovating our own crumbling French fortress.
There are a wide range of castles and mansions for sale in France in varying states of repair. If you don’t fancy a time-consuming reno project, there are also plenty of châteaux in excellent condition that you could move into straight away.
If your budget doesn’t stretch to a whole château, the good news is that you can buy an apartment within a castle for under £200,000 ($25,8475). However, you need to watch out for hefty service charges for the maintenance of the château and its grounds.
When buying a château, there’s a lot to think about: do you want to live near a town or transport connections? Are you up for an intensive restoration project or would you rather just move into a recently renovated château? Are you happy to maintain a large estate or would you prefer somewhere with less land? These are all important factors to consider when making your decision.
Mike Braunholtz of Prestige Properties says: ‘Across France there is a wide variation in the age, size and style of châteaux and these factors determine the degree of investment needed for the upkeep of buildings and grounds. Ideally you want the previous owner to have restored major parts of the buildings such as the roof.
‘Hundreds of acres of suitable land is often a big bonus as it can provide a rental income from local farmers that may offset the cost of necessary improvements. Another source of income is unused outbuildings that could be turned into further guest accommodation or gites, chambre d’hôte, etc, to provide further income streams to support the estate.’
If you’re not a fluent French speaker, you should consider hiring a translator to take the stress out of the buying process.
We’ve found châteaux for sale to suit a variety of budgets, whether you’re looking for the castle of your dreams or you just want to snoop around some beautiful properties (we’re not judging!), there’s something for everyone.
French chateau for sale under £500,000
Chateau for sale in Hautes-Pyrénées
This beautiful 4-bed chateau is on sale for just €412,000 (£346,325). This sleepy chateau might be small, but it has lots of period features like exposed beams and an original stone sink.
Outside, there’s a swimming pool so you can take a refreshing dip on hot summer days, as well as a courtyard and walled garden with a pear tree.
It’s just 20 minutes away from the nearby town of Lannemezan and has high-speed internet, so you can relax without feeling cut off from the rest of the world.
Chateaux to buy for under £1m
Chateau close to Nontron in the Dordogne
//image credit// my-french-house.com
Is there anything more magical than a chateau with its own rose garden? There are around 400 rose bushes in the garden at this chateau in the Dordogne. It’s situated on a hill close to the town centre of Nontron, but feels a world apart.
The chateau is for sale for (€630,000 or £530,000) and it’s fully furnished, so you could move in straight away!
16th and 20th century castle in Nouvelle Aquitaine
Parts of this enchanting chateau in Nouvelle Aquitaine date back to the 16th century! With seven bedrooms, there’s lots of space for family and friends to visit.
The best part of this chateau (on sale for €689,000 or £579,772) is its grounds, which include ponds, woodland, a swimming pool, and well-kept French gardens.
Chateau in Nontron, Aquitaine
Start over in this fairytale chateau set in a tiny hamlet within the Dordogne Perigord National Park. Parts of this ancient castle date back to the 13th century and it still has several original features including stone floors, a fireplace in the former chapel and a spiral staircase within the tower.
If you’re looking for a chateau that doesn’t need a huge amount of DIY work, this could be the one for you!
This rural chateau is on sale for €636,000 (£515,140).
Chateaux to buy if you win the lottery
19th century gothic chateau
This 19th century gothic chateau has it all: sweeping staircases, turrets, meadows and beautifully refurbished rooms. And, if you’re someone who loves a DIY project, there’s a guest house (currently with no roof) and outbuildings you can bring back to life.
All this could be yours for €1,750,000 (£1,472,572). You’ll definitely feel like the king or queen of the castle!
15th century chateau near Perigueux
This 15th century chateau is surrounded by woodland, making it a peaceful place to live. It has a romantic feel and comes with its own gardens, springs, a pond, barns and even a farmhouse.
Step through the historic stone archway into the courtyard and you’ll feel as though you’ve travelled back in time.
This ancient castle would set you back €1,575,000 (£,1,325,315).
Chateau near Gard
This stunning chateau in the South of France was built in the 12th or 13th century, so it’s the perfect home for history buffs! As well as an enviable swimming pool, this chateau comes with vaulted ceilings, a billiards room, a walled garden and there’s even an orchard.
It’s currently on the market for €1,480,000 (£1,245,375).
Chateau in the Loire Valley
This impressive chateau in the Loire Valley comes with a few surprises, including ancient troglodyte caves, a wine cellar and wine press, a goat shed and an aviary.
The chateau dates back to the 13th and 16th centuries and still has lots of fascinating historical features, but has been beautifully restored. There are 12 bedrooms for family or guests, a spacious grand salon and seven bathrooms. In the summer, you could enjoy the pool and in the winter you could stay cosy beside the woodburner in the living room with a good book.
It’s on sale for €1,159,000 or £1,371,700.
Chateau in Lectoure, Occitanie
If you’re a fan of shows like Chateau DIY and want a home that’s also a business, you should look for somewhere like this 700-year-old chateau in Occitanie. There’s 11 bedrooms and outbuildings that could be converted if you got planning permission.
There are tonnes of original features you’ll love, such as spiral staircases, a crenellated gatehouse and vaulted wine cellars.
Sadly these amazing features don’t come cheap and you’ll need €3,705,000 (£3,186,300) to buy the chateau before you’ve even started any renovations.
Chateau with a vineyard
Grow your own grapes and make wine at this fabulous 19th century chateau in Carcassonne. The chateau’s vineyard produces Malpère wine, which is a regional speciality, and covers 70 hectares.
If that’s not enough, the recently renovated castle comes with a pool and four apartments that are currently being rented out.
All this could be yours if you have €3,848,000 (£3,237,976) to spare!
14th century chateau
We could lose hours in the library at this quaint 14th century chateau! This castle has been sensitively restored to preserve its character, so you’d feel at home as soon as you moved in.
It has everything you could possibly want from your dream French chateau: swimming pool? Check. Moat? Check. Impressive tree-lined driveway? Check.
To make this castle yours, you’d need to have €1,470,000 (£1,236,960).
Chateau in Pont du Gard
This chateau is in a very special location: it’s right next to the Roman viaduct of Pont du Gard, which is a UNESCO world heritage site built in the 1st century AD.
The chateau has an incredible history and famous guests include Catherine de Medici and King Louis XIII. There’s a fortified Templar farm, a mill, an orangerie and a swimming pool.
It’s in need of some restoration, but it would be hugely satisfying to bring this ancient building back to life and turn it into a home. The castle is on the market for a staggering €9,900,000 (£8,330,553).
