Buying a château in Burgundy: what to check first.

Contents

1. The building: roof, walls, timber
2. Listed buildings and protected surroundings
3. Running costs
4. Living there, letting, receiving guests
5. How I help
6. Frequently asked questions

In France, the word château covers very different properties: a medieval fortress, an 18th-century residence, a 19th-century country house with a park, or a manor (manoir, gentilhommière). Burgundy has many of them, often sold with outbuildings and land. Here is what to check before you fall in love.

The building: roof, walls, timber

• The roof comes first: slate or tiles over large surfaces, gutters, chimneys. Ask when it was last redone, and for the invoices.
• Walls and damp: look at the cellars, the base of the walls and the ground-floor rooms.
• Timber: beams, floors and roof frames. The termite report is compulsory in the areas designated by the prefecture.
• Windows and drainage: often the second budget after the roof.

For a large or old building, have it inspected by a specialist, an architect or a building surveyor, before signing the compromis, or agree with the seller on a condition in it.

Listed buildings and protected surroundings

A château can be listed as a historic monument (classé or inscrit). Works then require an authorisation and, for a classified monument, the supervision of the heritage services. Around a historic monument, exterior works also need the approval of the Architectes des Bâtiments de France. Specific tax rules exist for owners of historic monuments: your notaire or a tax adviser will tell you whether they apply.

Running costs

• Heating large volumes: ask for the actual consumption over several winters.
• Property tax (taxe foncière): ask for the last notice.
• Insurance for a historic building and its outbuildings.
• The park and the land: mowing, trees, walls, ponds.
• Maintenance: a reserve every year, for the roof, the windows and the unexpected.

Living there, letting, receiving guests

Many owners combine a family home with gîtes, guest rooms (chambres d'hôtes) or events such as weddings. Before you buy with that plan, check the local planning rules with the town hall, and the safety and accessibility rules for buildings open to the public. Income from guests can help with the costs, but it has to be studied with real figures, not hopes.

How I help

Every château I sell is filmed and photographed, with drone views of the roof, the park and the land, so you can judge it before travelling. I visit with you or for you, I gather the documents (surveys, invoices, tax notices) and I follow the sale with the notaire. Châteaux and prestige homes for sale (in French).

Frequently asked questions