Castles are often listed as national treasures, historic sites, or cultural monuments. But occasionally—every once upon a time—they’re listed as properties for purchase.
When a listing appears, it presents buyers with an opportunity to experience castle living in a home steeped in lore and legend. Of course, one of the reasons why privately or publicly held luxury castles come up for sale is because they can be expensive in their updates and upkeep.
Depending on their origins and prior use, castles may require repairs, plumbing, and electricity, and maintenance can be costly. You might want to renovate an old medieval floorpan to create separate rooms, or widen some of those notoriously narrow fortress windows—but if the castle has protected status you’ll need special permissions, along with potentially having to source highly specific materials.
As a result, real estate experts advise that not just anyone should purchase a castle, especially if it’s in need of renovations; they purposefully seek buyers who have the patience, passion, and finances to make the fairytale a reality. But if you are such a buyer, these truly are unique homes fit for royalty.
