Joff Hatfield-Powell is the executive producer of TV show Chateau DIY and co-author of book Money Maker, alongside our resident valuer and columnist, Dan Hatfield’s.
Below, he reveals what he has learnt from producing the show and whether you should really get involved in buying a French castle…
Property investment is something many This is Money readers will be all too familiar with, but did you know that you could buy a castle in France for the average price of a UK home?
In September 2024, the average price of a house in England was £309,000 (up £8,000 from the earlier year according to the ONS) and that same amount of money in France could make you the King or Queen of your very own castle.
As the executive producer of Channel 4’s smash hit, Chateau DIY, I have seen so many intrepid people invest in chateaux.
But whilst the relatively low initial outlay may sound tempting, turning this investment into a profit will take more than just a bit of elbow grease.
Chateau DIY launched on Channel 4 in 2021 following the huge success of Escape to the Chateau and Escape to the Chateau DIY. Both tiles were created by Spark Media Partners, the production entity founded by Mark Baker and Steve Havers.
They, along with series director Paul Compton and head of production Helen Morrell, developed and produced the first seasons of the primetime hit and the daytime spin-off which continued for seven and three seasons, respectively.
Kings of the castle: Terry and Ashley, two of the buyers featured in Channel 4’s Chateau DIY At Christmas, which follows more ambitious people renovating castles in France
In 2020 I worked with Channel 4 to rebrand the daytime title to celebrate a wealth of new, brave people giving up their lives in the UK and investing their life savings into these magnificent properties.
But for anyone whose watched the show, owning and renovating these enormous properties comes at quite the cost.
So, is the investment likely to yield you a profitable return? The short answer is yes – but only if you’re prepared to put in a lot of demanding work, and even more investment, when you get the keys to your castle.
Across our beautiful series, we’ve seen families purchase properties for under £200,000.
The reason you can snap up such a steal is generally down to a social shift in the French population who over the last few decades have been seen to move towards buying new builds that don’t attract the large maintenance costs that chateaux demand.
As us Britons have such a keen interest in heritage and history, it’s no surprise that we’ve been arriving in our droves to snap up a bargain in the hope it could be transformed into a profitable business and lucrative investment at the point of future sale.
But now for the reality check. If you’re lucky enough to secure a French chateau for the average price of a UK home, it’s likely you’ll need to spend not only more cash on the restoration of the castle, but also human hours and hard labour on the work needed to lovingly restore these historical properties.
Don’t get me wrong, I have seen people purchase chateaux for a couple of hundred thousand and then sell them on for millions – but I have also seen people attempt to renovate and invest in these castles but simply not be able to keep up with the scale of work needed to turn them into profitable businesses and assets.
Imposing: French chateaux – like this one featured in the upcoming series – can be magnificent and come with dramatic scenery
A lot of work: The character properties have sometimes been neglected for decades
Know what you’re getting into: Most owners need to start a business to fund the renovations
Whilst the thought of buying these properties at such a low price point is appealing, it means that they have often been uninhabited for decades resulting in poor insulation, damaged roofs and general neglect. It can take a lot of money and effort to restore them into something that will make you a profit.
Everyone who has and still does appear in Chateau DIY, must do the majority of the renovation work themselves – mainly because the cost of outsourcing the work to contractors is too expensive and would diminish any profitable return.
This work can include everything from bedroom restoration, building event spaces, installing new bathrooms and kitchens, and landscaping perfectly manicured formal gardens.
Often the chatelains must raise money to be able to re-invest it into further renovation works, as these vast properties can rarely be private residencies unless you have very deep pockets.
Making it work: Stephanie is another of the buyers featured in Chateau DIY
In order to make it work, most become luxury holiday rentals and wedding and events businesses. You need to juggle both the business and restoration side of owning these castles for both parts to work in harmony, and provide the luxury setting for the business to generate the cash to pay for further renovation.
It’s a very big ask, but if you’ve got the business acumen and the practical skills to invest in such an ambitious property renovation, it can yield a very big pay day from your original outlay.
And if you didn’t want to sell, you could live the rest of your time as a King or Queen of your very own castle.
The latest series of Chateau DIY At Christmas, which follows more ambitious people renovating castles in France in time for some festive merriment, launches on Channel 4 on Monday 16 December and is aired everyday that week at 4pm. All seasons of Chateau DIY are available on Channel 4’s streaming platform with series 8 launching in 2025.
Ambitions: Tim and Krys are another couple embarking on a French castle renovation
Christmas cracker: Janet and Philip will also be documenting their French property journey
Five tips if you’re tempted to buy a chateau
• First and foremost, know your intention and the legal requirements. Post-Brexit, you can only spend 90 days out of each 180 in a European country if you are not relocating permanently.
If you’re retiring to live in a chateau in France, you’ll have to prove you have money in your bank to support your lifestyle. If you’re moving out to run the chateau as a business, you’ll have to supply a business plan to prove income and then secure a Carte de Sejour which is a 10-year visa to live and work in the country.
• If you are buying the chateau to set up a business, you will need to register this business and get all relevant licenses and visas approved, whether running the chateau as a chamber d’hôte (B&B) or an events venue.
On top of this you will also need to check which liquor and food licenses may be applicable.
Get a survey: It is vital to be aware of any hidden issues with these historic homes
Buyer beware: Unlike in the UK, exchanging on a property in France means the vendor is contractually obliged to sell it to you
• Use a local agent on the ground in France to view and find you the chateau of your dreams.
If you’re in the UK, a French agent knows the local areas and can view multiple properties for you without incurring travel costs for you from the offset.
You will pay them a fee, but it will save you time and money in the long run and ultimately, they take a commission on any property you offer on regardless.
• When you have found your dream castle, make sure you get a detailed, structural survey completed on the property.
These historic buildings can often have a multitude of hidden issues that can quickly become very expensive to rectify post completion.
Check sewage, electric supply, the roof, flooring and any water damage to the building. Also be sure of what your land perimeters are and any right of access across this land.
• Unlike in the UK, once you have exchanged on a property in France the vendor is contractually obliged to sell the property to you.
So before you exchange, make sure you are aware of all the taxes, fees, visa requirements and licenses you will need for whatever purpose you are buying the chateau for.
As a footnote, I also advise learning the language for a more comfortable life in France.