Real Estate: Castles in Europe

asiufy

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Jul 8, 2011
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I've been there, in Trieste. It's gorgeous, and the setting, sublime.
 
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wisnon

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Dec 12, 2011
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Or this:
 

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Hear Here

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Feb 14, 2020
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Portsmouth, UK
Castle Drogo, Devon, England

The last castle to be built in England, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, gardens by Gertrude Jeykll and boyhood home of my godfather, Sir Cedric Drewe.

His father, Julius Drewe built the place after making his fortune importing tea and founding Home and Colonial Stores.

Originally designed to be 3 times the size but WW1 scuppered that mad plan. In 1974 the family gave the castle to the National Trust. It is open to the public and has recently completed massive restoration work.
Drogo 1.png Drogo 2.jpg Drogo 4.jpg Drogo 5.jpg
 
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Folsom

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I bet there is a rule of thumb like 10-30% of the price of the castle is the min yearly upkeep cost.
 

andromedaaudio

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Castle Drogo, Devon, England

The last castle to be built in England, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, gardens by Gertrude Jeykll and boyhood home of my godfather, Sir Cedric Drewe.

His father, Julius Drewe built the place after making his fortune importing tea and founding Home and Colonial Stores.

Originally designed to be 3 times the size but WW1 scuppered that mad plan. In 1974 the family gave the castle to the National Trust. It is open to the public and has recently completed massive restoration work.
View attachment 69948 View attachment 69949 View attachment 69950 View attachment 69951


Looks like it has a low noisefloor .
In the middle of nowhere
 

Hear Here

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Feb 14, 2020
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I bet there is a rule of thumb like 10-30% of the price of the castle is the min yearly upkeep cost.
It was built of local granite with flat roofs in one of the most exposed spots on Dartmoor, Devon. Apparently it leaked badly from Day 1.

I think you're estimate of repair costs may be a little light. I've just found these 2 Youtube videos. The first is an aerial view of the countryside around and the castle covered with scaffolding. The second is a description of the sort of problem the National Trust was trying to fix.


 

Folsom

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Repair? I'd file it under yearly upkeep, all in for everything.

I was worried my guess for a "rule of thumb" was too low.
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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I can tell you, the amount of stuff that needs to be done to a plain and simple Lol Victorian Chapel, which isn't listed, still takes forever and costs a small fortune. Quadruple it...at the very least...if it was Listed.
 

Hear Here

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Feb 14, 2020
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Very true. I've never lived in a listed house, but descendants of my umpteenth times great grandparents chose to abandon their vast Tudor pile in Lancashire as it was becoming impossible to maintain. This was because, over the centuries, coal had been discovered below its land, then canals and later railways were built to move the coal and the poor house was suffering from subsidence, its lake sank and became polluted, its oaks died and the increasing grottiness of its surroundings.

Eventually Agecroft Hall was put up for auction in the 1920s, bought by an American, dismantled, crated, shipped across the Atlantic and re-erected in a much smaller form on the banks of the James River in Richmond, Virginia. Claimed as the oldest non-native house in America, it was later given to the city and is now open to the public as a museum with regular events such as jousting and medieval banquets. How things have changed since my ancestors built the house in the 15th century.

Not exactly a castle and no longer in Europe, but perhaps of interest to Americans, particularly those from Virginia. I only found the sepia photo today - it shows the workmen who re-built the house in 1929 in Richmond. The colour ones are of Agrcroft Hall in its rebuilt state.
Agecroft 2.jpg Agecroft 3.jpg Agecroft 4.jpg Agecroft 10.jpg Agecroft 12.jpg
 
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howiebrou

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I can tell you, the amount of stuff that needs to be done to a plain and simple Lol Victorian Chapel, which isn't listed, still takes forever and costs a small fortune. Quadruple it...at the very least...if it was Listed.
No kidding. I am renovating my London house from around 1860 and soon I will need to sell off my system to help pay for it...
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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No kidding. I am renovating my London house from around 1860 and soon I will need to sell off my system to help pay for it...
You're joking? My sacrifice is having to stick w my Zus Lol. I certainly can't dive deep into a new ocean for quite a while. Our chapel is about as poor at thermal insulation as you can imagine, I need to spend pretty big to address this. I can only be relieved Vicky (our pet name for Victoria Chapel 1861) isn't Listed.
 

howiebrou

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Jun 29, 2012
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You're joking? My sacrifice is having to stick w my Zus Lol. I certainly can't dive deep into a new ocean for quite a while. Our chapel is about as poor at thermal insulation as you can imagine, I need to spend pretty big to address this. I can only be relieved Vicky (our pet name for Victoria Chapel 1861) isn't Listed.
Well thank God mine is not listed either. But dry rot is a bugger...
 

AMR / iFi audio

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The negative cosequences of having your building listed are pretty straightforward. I am wondering what sort of benefits you get?
 

howiebrou

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The negative cosequences of having your building listed are pretty straightforward. I am wondering what sort of benefits you get?
It's not a benefit per se, but a listed building will likely have architectural, historical or cultural value that an unlisted building will not have. Some people like that.
 

AMR / iFi audio

Industry Expert
Aug 21, 2019
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It's not a benefit per se, but a listed building will likely have architectural, historical or cultural value that an unlisted building will not have. Some people like that.
I find this topic very interesting. I am going to dig deeper into what determines whether a building will or will not be listed.
 

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