A castle in France is cheaper than a house in Toronto
An Ontario resident chose a three-story estate near Poitiers after looking at Canadian prices.
Cheryl Bozinski was fascinated by European architecture from a young age, and when she grew up and thought about having her own home, she seriously considered options in France. Since Cheryl learned French in kindergarten and high school, she didn't have a language barrier problem.
After discovering that ancient châteaux in France sometimes cost half as much as similar homes in Toronto, Cheryl flew to Paris in 2019, rented a car and began driving around the country, checking out the estates. The 19th-century estate she liked was worth 850,000 euros — about $1.25 million CAD.
The three-story estate has 11 bedrooms, 3.7 m high ceilings, marble fireplaces and oak floors. The grounds include its own woods and ancient outbuildings dating back to the 1500s. The caretaker's cottage was rented by a man with a dog who looked after the empty estate.
Cheryl went to visit relatives on Prince Edward Island, looked at similar houses and lots there, and realized that a castle in France was not much more expensive. She ended up buying the chateau. She estimated that she needed to invest at least $500,000 CAD in renovations, but Cheryl could afford it.
What's the catch?
It may have taken Cheryl Bozinski a lot more money to repair the estate. Castles of this age are often in a state of disrepair, and many of them cannot be rebuilt.
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