Section 04
What it costs every year
Before a single euro of revenue, this is what the estate consumes. Figures are annual, in euros, for a property of this type in Deux-Sèvres: the low column assumes careful owner-managed running, the high column assumes full commercial operation and honest provisioning. The most commonly forgotten lines — sinking fund, moat, runway mowing, ERP compliance — are included deliberately.
Low estimate
€124,690
Owner-managed, disciplined
Central planning figure
€250,095
What to budget
High estimate
€375,500
Full commercial operation
What the seller actually pays today
Declared by the vendor, 25 August 2026
These are his own out-of-pocket running costs for the estate as he uses it now — part-time private occupancy plus the existing gîte. He suggested adding 30% "to be on the safe side", so both columns are shown. Note what is not in his list: building repairs, the capex sinking fund, moat works, accountancy, compliance and any staff. That is the gap between a private owner's cash costs and a real ownership budget.
Seller's figures, net of solar
€26,540 – €30,040
As declared
With his own +30% buffer
€35,702 – €40,252
Prudent version of the same list
Missing from his list
€76,050
Fabric, reserves, admin — see below
| Seller's line | Declared | +30% |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | €3,500 | €4,550 |
| Water | €1,000 | €1,300 |
| Exterior maintenance (forest, runway, garden) | €5,000 – €8,000 | €6,500 – €10,400 |
| Taxe foncière | €4,940 | €6,422 |
| Insurance (château + farmhouse) | €6,600 | €8,580 |
| Diesel — heating and tractors | €2,500 – €3,000 | €3,250 – €3,900 |
| Pool maintenance and products | €2,000 | €2,600 |
| Interior cleaning | €5,000 | €6,500 |
| Solar electricity sold to the grid (income) | −€4,000 | −€4,000 |
| Net annual cash cost | €26,540 – €30,040 | €35,702 – €40,252 |
- Good news: the fixed, unavoidable lines are cheaper than a château of this size usually implies — €4,940 of taxe foncière and €6,600 of insurance are modest, and €4,000 a year of solar income quietly pays the water and pool bills.
- The catch: €5,000–€8,000 of exterior maintenance reflects an owner on his own tractor. Contract 53.4 ha with three runways out and that line alone triples.
- Ask for the invoices. Twelve months of EDF, insurance, fuel and the solar feed-in contract — and confirm the feed-in tariff transfers with the sale.
Fixed & unavoidable
€18,190 – €43,000 per year
| Cost line | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
Taxe foncière Seller-declared €4,940 (Aug 2026). Rises with commercial reclassification and any conversions. | €4,940 | €6,400 |
Insurance (buildings, liability, aviation) Seller-declared €6,600 for château + farmhouse today. Commercial use, public access and aviation liability roughly double a private policy. | €6,600 | €14,000 |
Electricity — whole estate Seller-declared €3,500 at current (light) occupancy. Guest occupancy, pool heating and laundry push this well past €5k. | €3,500 | €6,500 |
Diesel — heating & tractors Seller-declared €2,500–€3,000 as a part-time home. Heating a 753 m² château through a full winter with guests is the single most under-declared line. | €2,500 | €6,000 |
Heating & energy — gîte DPE B, heat pump. Cheap — the gîte is the efficient asset. | €950 | €2,200 |
Solar panel electricity sold (income, offsets costs) Seller-declared €4,000/yr sold to the grid. Verify the contract, its remaining term and whether it transfers with the sale. | -€4,000 | -€4,000 |
Water, waste & septic servicing Seller-declared €1,000. Pool top-up, guest laundry and periodic septic emptying add up fast once you let. | €1,000 | €4,500 |
Internet, telephony, subscriptions Guest-grade wifi across a 750 m² stone building needs mesh/fibre investment. | €900 | €2,400 |
Accountant, legal & company costs Higher if you operate via an SCI/SARL de famille with commercial activity. | €1,800 | €5,000 |
Maintenance
€28,000 – €79,500 per year
| Cost line | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
Grounds, forest, runway & park upkeep (53.4 ha) Seller-declared €5,000–€8,000 doing much of it himself. If you contract it out, mowing 3 runways plus park and forest is €15k–€20k. | €5,000 | €20,000 |
Interior cleaning Seller-declared €5,000 for base housekeeping of the occupied areas — before any guest changeovers, which are costed separately below. | €5,000 | €9,000 |
Building maintenance & running repairs Not in the seller's list — he reports out-of-pocket running costs only. Rule of thumb 1–1.5% of building value per year even with roofs done. | €12,000 | €30,000 |
Moat & pond management Silt, banks, weed and water level. Dredging is episodic but brutal (€30k+) — provision for it. | €2,000 | €8,000 |
Pool & pool house Seller-declared €2,000 in maintenance and products; more if heated or commercially used. | €2,000 | €4,500 |
Airfield: tower, hangar, markings Runway mowing sits in the grounds line above; this is hangar doors, windsock, markings and regulatory upkeep. | €2,000 | €8,000 |
Operating (if commercial)
€53,500 – €188,000 per year
| Cost line | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
Heritage/technical inspections & compliance ERP fire and electrical checks, lift inspection, legionella, kitchen hygiene (HACCP). | €1,500 | €6,000 |
Staff (couple + seasonal) One live-in couple ≈€60k–€75k loaded. Weddings and a restaurant push this well past €100k. | €45,000 | €130,000 |
Marketing, OTA commissions & website Booking.com/Airbnb take 15–18%; wedding platforms and photography are front-loaded. | €4,000 | €30,000 |
Linen, cleaning, guest consumables Scales directly with occupied room-nights. | €3,000 | €22,000 |
Reserves
€25,000 – €65,000 per year
| Cost line | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
Capex sinking fund Non-negotiable on a 1735 building. Roof done ≠ no capex: chapel, outbuildings, glazing, heating conversion. | €20,000 | €50,000 |
Contingency / unknowns Storm damage, tree fall, boiler failure, a bad DGAC year. | €5,000 | €15,000 |
The three rules of thumb
- 1–1.5% of building value per year in maintenance, forever, even when the roof has just been redone. On this estate that is €18k–€28k.
- Never live without a sinking fund. A 1735 building fails episodically, not gradually: a moat wall, a chimney stack, a boiler. €20k–€50k a year set aside is what separates owners who keep châteaux from owners who sell them.
- Labour is the real cost, not stone. 54 hectares with three runways is a permanent job. Either you do it, or you pay €45k–€130k a year for someone who does.