SPECIAL EDITION: Lord of Your Castle

Wouldn’t you love to be a “chatelain” or “chatelaine?” The chatelain and chatelaine are the owners or lords of a château, just in case you didn’t know what the words mean. And you can be the Lord of the Castle…for as little as 25,000€ (per share).

I know it sounds too good to be true! But, the Château Sainte Marie du Mont is a Fractional Ownership Property with six bedrooms and six bathrooms on the outskirts of the historic medieval village of Sainte Marie du Mont in Normandy that will certainly make you feel as if you are truly the lord of the manor for the precious time you spend there, completely hassle-free.

We are lucky to have a few shares available for sale from private owners of this magnificent 14th/16th-century towered château comprised of a sitting room, study, dining room, kitchen, morning room and Grand Hall with minstrel gallery, six bedrooms and six bathrooms situated over six acres of well planned and maintained grounds overlooking open countryside and including a boules court and a substantial apple orchard.

Again, it sounds too good to be true, but it is true. It was outstandingly restored and beautifully furnished, and is within walking distance to a wonderful family run restaurant, is only three miles from the sea and the D-Day landings at Utah beach with its long sandy beaches, famous for the D-Day landings and now renown for its mussel and oyster beds. This is one of the spots where the movie “The Longest Day” was filmed. The village is picturesque perfect with a variety of local shops for everyday needs, a bar, café and a family-run hotel/restaurant. The ancient church “Notre-Dame” is the focal point of the village life.

The house, contents and grounds are owned by the company Château Sainte Marie du Mont Ltd and you could be the owner of a share of four weeks, or 1/13 of the company. Residency is exclusive. When you are in residence at this splendid château, you are Lord of the Castle.

The château is a magnificent building whose origins date back to the 14th-century. It was originally the farm building complex of a mediaeval château, which no longer exists, set over three acres of land on the edge of the village square. It is a veritable haven of tranquility and the perfect place to relax away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Outside a terrace looks eastwards over the well-planned and maintained gardens towards the sea. There is a huge lawn for all the family to enjoy and there is also an orchard with a ‘boules’ court — a perfect place to picnic.
 
The property’s in-house design team carefully researched and planned to the last detail the interiors of the château ensuring that it is in keeping with the period of the property. Kitchens are the heart of any house and naturally many of the owners want to experience the gastronomic delicacies of the area first hand. To accommodate even the most discerning chef, the château has a large well-equipped kitchen and here was paid special attention to the design and the high standard of equipment: A large stove, microwave, fridge, dishwasher and plenty of cupboard space. All the family will fit around the large dining table adjacent to the kitchen, allowing the chefs to join in with the conversation. There is also a utility room with a larder fridge and washing machine.

For more formal dining, the impressive Grand Hall, heated by a log-burning stove with its minstrel gallery and many candles make it perfect for celebrating a special occasion or a well-deserved holiday treat.

There are six beautiful bedrooms at Le Château, all of which sleep two comfortably. Four of them have their own en-suite bathrooms and three of the large bedrooms have an additional day bed to accommodate an extra person. There are three tower bedrooms, accessed from the spiral staircase, a delightful room for older children with three single beds and two large double rooms, perfect for young families.
 
The accommodations are generous covering 600 square meters. The rooms are all large, yet well-proportioned — the morning room is light and airy, the perfect place to have a morning coffee and contemplate the day, or relax in the afternoon sunshine with a café crème, cup of tea and French patisseries. In the colder months, you will want to snuggle up in the warm and cozy living room with its large open fireplace, three comfortable settees and satellite TV with English-language channels. Next to the living room, the study can keep the children safely entertained with books, videos and games and has a further bed settee, which can sleep an additional two guests.

The property is professionally managed and therefore you need only to arrive with your belongings for your stay. The maintenance and upkeep, gardening, cleaning and weekly change-over is handled by a local service company. Everything else is taken care of for you,

making it hassle-free.

There are 50 weeks covered by shares, the other two weeks in the year being used for maintenance and upkeep of the property. Usage of the property allows you one week per quarter and it rotates by one week each year. There is an annual meeting at which matters of common interest are discussed, decisions made and the

expenditures reviewed and budget agreed upon. There is a shareholders committee, elected by the shareholders, which deals with issues and oversees implementing decisions.

The costs of running the château are covered in an additional service charge, shared between the shareholders based on the number of weeks owned. This covers:

 •   French Property taxes
 •   Insurances
 •   Utility bills – oil for central heating, water and electricity
 •   General maintenance, redecorating, cleaning and gardening
 •   Refuse collection
 •   Fire wood

In addition, shareholders have agreed to provide a reserve fund for depreciation by an annual charge for the replacement of equipment, appliances, bedding etc. In total the annual cost for per share week is approx. 1,300€

Shared ownership offers huge advantages. When you are at the château you can have quality time with family and friends in a magnificent environment at a reasonable cost and with no hassle. You can enjoy every minute and not have to be concerned with upkeep and maintenance and all the responsibilities that go along with a second or holiday home.

The château is always ready on your arrival. It will be clean and tidy after the housekeepers’ visit, the beds made and the central heating will make it pleasantly cozy. The kitchen will be spotless, ready for use and logs stacked in the fireplaces. Arrival to the château is simple by train to Carentan (made famous by the filming of “Private Ryan”) — only a 7-minute drive.

Currently for sale by a private owner are four weeks per year at 25,000€ per Share — a total purchase of 100,000€.

Download the brochure for full details of the purchase.

For more information about the château, visit Château Sainte Marie du Mont. For specific information about these shares, email [email protected]

A bientôt ,

  Adrian Leeds
  The Adrian Leeds Group

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