Own a French Chateau Home for $113,650

By Ronan McMahon

Château Les Forges is a striking example of a French manor…

The house has a castle-like appearance, with two large wings framing a central core, giving it a sense of formality and grandeur.

Tall dormer windows deliver light to the interior, while above, pitched roofs rise steeply in the traditional French style. On the second floor, a large terrace provides views of the vast, manicured grounds.

This is a stunning, stately property. And today it also boasts a range of modern amenities, including a heated swimming pool, two tennis courts, and a 27-hole golf course that has a clubhouse and bar/restaurant.

Yet, recently you could own a stunning apartment there for just €99,950 ($111,200)…

Located in western France’s Deux-Sèvres department, Château Les Forges is set on an estate of 21 acres.

The river city of Poitiers, with its Romanesque architecture, is a 40-minute drive east (Poitiers is just 90 minutes from Paris by high-speed train). The historic port city of La Rochelle, with its glorious Atlantic beaches, is about 90 minutes southwest.

Stunning stately homes like Château Les Forges dot the countryside of France. According to various counts, there are more than 40,000 châteaux in the country. Since the mid- to late 20th century, a considerable number of them have been subdivided to create apartment/condo communities. That means owning within a French chateau or on its grounds can be shockingly affordable…if you know where to look.

Like the one-bed, one-bath apartment that was recently for sale in Château Les Forges.

Listed for just €99,950 ($113,650), the apartment that was for sale is in a building that was once the stables. That building has been meticulously preserved and renovated, and now houses two attractive apartments.

This one spans 807 square feet and has a living room with chestnut floor, fireplace, wooden ceiling beams, and French doors with access to both a terrace area and gardens. There’s also a kitchen with all modern appliances, and a wooden staircase leading up to a bedroom that has a Juliette balcony with views over the château grounds.

As an owner here, you get access to the estate’s amenities. That’s a sensational opportunity when you consider the lifestyle…

Days spent strolling the fairways of the lush, expansive golf course…lounging by the heated pool in front of the chateau…playing tennis in the warm summer sunshine…walking the expansive grounds…visiting local medieval villages to enjoy coffee and pastries in ancient squares…

All for less than $112,000.

With a 30-year mortgage of 80% at 3.6% interest (the average rate in France), that’s only around €361 ($410) per month.

And you don’t even have to pay utility bills…

Ownership of the 21-acre grounds is shared among the 27 home-owners who have apartments here. This ownership comes with a quarterly maintenance fee of €1,800 ($2,050). That pays for your utilities and a full-time caretaker to maintain the pool and grounds.

At about $510 per month, this fee is not insignificant. But look at all you get… And when compared to the HOA fees you’ll pay in communities in U.S. states like Florida, which can often top $1,000 per month, it’s very reasonable…particularly given the size of the grounds and the upkeep necessary on a historic property like this.

As an international real estate investor, this is a fascinating listing to me…and it highlights just how affordably you can get amazing lifestyle opportunities in attractive destinations in Europe.

As I say, opportunities to live in a chateau like this can be quite accessible. Here are a few more examples…

This two-bed apartment spanning 1,100 square feet is in an absolutely stunning historic chateau set on 16 acres in the central Loire Valley. It’s on the market for €197,640 ($224,650). And you’d have golf, historic villages, and the renowned Loire wine-growing region on your doorstep.

In the Aquitaine region in the south west of France, there’s a two-bed, two-bath, modern apartment within this chateau…

Located about 40 minutes from Biarritz, the chateau is in a quiet woodland setting. The apartment has a bright living room with views of the grounds, a kitchen, a pantry, and a shower room. And residents have access to the private swimming pool and the wooded parkland that surrounds the chateau. You’re also just an hour’s drive from the Spanish border.

This apartment is listed for €174,000 ($197,900).

Sure, in major European cities like London, Paris, Barcelona, Lisbon, Dublin, etc., you’ll typically need a big bank balance to afford a nice property that offers an incredible lifestyle.

But look outside popular tourist hotspots and the major economic centers, and you’ll find that countries like France, Spain, and Portugal are home to thousands of picturesque towns and villages where the pace of life is slower and property prices can be amazingly affordable.

Even a relatively small budget can deliver an incredible home. And if you have a bigger budget, the kinds of homes you can get can be mind-blowing…

Consider that, according to Zillow, the median list price for a home in California right now is $788,920 (and that number is rising). Well, for hundreds of thousands of dollars less than this amount, you could own this magnificent mansion…

My team came across a listing for a stunning four-bed, three-bath home in the charming bastide town in the Landes, in southwest France, just 30 minutes from the city of Pau. Set across over 2,700 square feet of living space, the mansion was originally built in the 1860s but has been restored and modernized, and has new bespoke bathrooms, kitchen, and double glazing.

There’s also a private enclosed garden to the rear with an inground pool and a pretty covered terrace. The asking price is €499,500 ($568,500).

Again, if we look at what that money will buy you in the U.S….well, it’s about the same as the average value of a typical single-family home in New Jersey (which is $554,480, according to the Federal Reserve).   

All this is to say that, no matter what your budget, if you look in the right spots overseas, you’ll find truly life-changing opportunities.