A turreted French chateau in central-eastern France is on sale for €400,000 at auction, after having been run as an elderly care home since 1956.
Bids are set to start at €400,000, and the auction will take place from May 3-5. Viewing is required.
The 1,820m2 property in Mâcon (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté) sits within eight hectares of land. It is currently owned by the Centre hospitalier de Mâcon and Hospices civils de Mâcon.
The sale is being managed by Agorastore, an auction brokerage that specialises in the sale of public goods.
Zacharie Grumberg, director of Agorastore Immobilier, told Le Figaro: “With auctions, a visit to the site is compulsory and we will act transparently. [The auction] is presented as a competition through bids from potential buyers whose highest bid is presented to the seller.
“The seller then chooses the bid that seems the most appropriate."
Alain Boissau, director of the Centre Hospitalier de Mâcon, said that he has no particular requirements for the offer, and just wants to choose “the best”. He said that the chateau could be used for anything from “gites, a restaurant, or for personal use”.
Pic: Agorastore.fr
The chateau is made of stone, and has a main building plus some outbuildings. It has a kitchen, living room, laundry room, smoking room, dining room, office, and a chapel. There is also 112m2 of attic space that could be converted into more living space.
The building has turrets, and extensive wood panelling and wallpaper inside, as well as some impressive stained glass in the roof.
However, the age of the property means it contains lead and asbestos, which will need to be dealt with safely by the new owner.
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A full gallery of photos of the chateau, and all the details of the property and auction can be seen on the online listing here.
From care home to auction
The Centre hospitalier had initially intended to renovate the chateau at the end of 2019, to adapt the outdated care home (Ehpad) into a more modern and accessible centre.
However, the project was considered to be too difficult, especially as the building does not have a lift.
Mr Boissau said: “There were still dormitories with two, three or four beds, with only a washbasin in a corner, and toilets and showers on the landing. It was no longer up to the standard of comfort required for an Ehpad.”
As a result, the health authority decided to build an entirely new building a few kilometres away for the care home, and put the chateau on sale at auction.
The sale was delayed by the Covid crisis, but is now going ahead. Those interested in bidding can register for a viewing on the Agorastore website.
