Shaun Parker asked:


Always put your money into bricks and mortar mgrandparents used to say to me. With the population exploding with immigrants and new properties springing up in the smallest of building plots with ever increasing prices, it’s not so easy to get a foothold on the property market.

To find an investment property is equally as difficult as just finding the standard two up, two down to live in. With a shortage of available properties, many people are looking into alternative properties to invest in.

House boats, lighthouses and ex local authority buildings are quite common purchases when looking for somewhere different to live. But how about considering a castle? Forget Count Dracula. Castles are not the cold, austere places that fiction portrays them to be. They have been home to families since the beginning of their existence and most have been updated along the way to provide modern facilities.

Castles of various different sizes, prices and states of repair are available in the UK, Scotland and are in abundance in Europe. Not just a place to live but also a way of earning a living, many have been converted to hotels with conference facilities.

Privately owned castles often hold functions and weddings and these can be made a speciality for a very comfortable income.

But to start with let’s take a look at the purchase of a castle as an investment property.

There are many companies around who, for a reasonable fee, will assist you in finding your dream property, particularly in Europe where castles are in abundance.

Since the fall of the Berlin wall, many areas and opportunities have opened up for people wishing to own beautiful old properties set in some of the most outstanding landscapes in the world and stuffed with history.

Companies in Germany will assist with your purchase of a castle and its renovations from your first inkling of interest through to completion of any repairs and even management of turning it into the business that will pay for the building itself.

Once you express an interest in buying a castle, they will establish what size of property you are looking for, your budget and what type of business you would like it to evolve into. They will then compose a list of possible properties. Parts of the package they provide are available separately but if you are a novice at this then it is wise to use an expert.

They will take you on a viewing trip around the castles, are able to consult on purchase, condition and renovation including all costings. They will research the costs in conjunction with the purchase such as notary and attorney costs, official permits and licensing costs.

The right help is also available to assist with grant applications in the case of renovations that need to come in line with standards set by Denkmalshutz (Departments of Historic Preservation). You can request that they develop and draw up architectural plans and that they oversee all works on your castle. Particularly helpful if you cannot be in the country all the time.

A castle is, no doubt, a major purchase but as it can be your truly impressive home as well as your business it is certainly worth considering as an investment property.

For the smaller budget with the same big ideas, a converted church is also a sound investment property. Unusual properties hold their value better than the average property. Many churches in and around the UK have already been converted but there are usually around a thousand or more churches on the UK property market at any one given time, in various states of repair and conversion.

It is important to look into any covenants that may come with the purchase of a dis-used church. It doesn’t happen very often but in the past some Methodist churches were sold on the strict provision that no alcohol would ever be consumed on the premises!

On a much smaller scale than a castle, the purchase of a church will still provide you with the history of an old building. With details such as large stained glass windows, gothic arches, high vaulted ceilings, elaborate stonework and bell towers you still get the authentic feel as well as the accompanying grandeur but without the price tag of a castle.

If you’re looking for a worthwhile investment property, you could do worse than opt for a castle or church.



BARTON

Shaun Parker asked:


Having been involved in property renovation in Britain for many years now and building up a business that was making a good profit each year I thought it was the time for expansion. Seemingly the time was ripe for it on the continent and especially in Germany. I had seen that the German government was paying subsidies of as much as thirty and forty percent for the renovation of its castles and manor houses.

There were a ready number of these manor houses and castles that had fallen into disrepair during the East German communist period and now the government wanted them restored to their previous splendour. An added bonus was that they also gave the VAT back on building supplies making this a business opportunity that could not be passed up. I decided to fly to Germany and use a car hire service to gain transport so I could visit a few potential properties.

Picking up the vehicle from the car hire company could not have been easier; it was really true what they said about German efficiency. Naturally the car was a huge saloon car with so much technical wizardry that it made my head spin, I expected no less in Germany.

The autobahns were a fun distraction as I sped through the countryside of Southern Germany on the way to meet my estate agent, he had prepared a selection of dilapidated manor houses for me to look at and despite sending me the pictures over the internet I felt I had to see them in person to gain a real idea of the work involved in restoring them.

As I pulled up to the estate agents office he was waiting and asked where I had hired the car from, on telling him he advised using a more reputable car hire firm on my next trip as he had heard nightmare stories from this particular company.

As we toured the picturesque towns of Germany and viewed many houses it was greatly impressed on me how much of a good business opportunity this was. It looked as if I would be using car hire services on a regular basis. There were many British businessmen who would love to have a second home in the heart of Bavaria, not to mention the domestic market to those rich car company executives.

A seventeenth century manor house named Castle Lauterbach was how I would start this business, although not a castle in the classic sense it had real character, a balcony hanging over the grand entrance and with a little work my team could restore its interior to the standard of three centuries earlier. I was beginning to become increasingly excited about this business venture as it would surely be a good earner and guarantee me frequent trips to Germany.

After a few more days sampling the delights that Germany had to offer, I headed back to the airport and returned the saloon. At the car hire desk they offered me a frequent user package, ignoring my estate agents advice I signed up. After all his business was selling houses, choosing a car was something I could do myself and I had had no problems with this car hire company so why change it.

I would be using the service regularly as I saw this being a good venture. With the help that the German government were offering I could restore properties at a fraction of what it would cost in Britain, I do not think anyone with a sense of business savvy could ignore such an opportunity. These castles in Germany would make me a rich man.



DARIN