By Kate Stanton
Business reporter.
The image is from Stephanie Jarvis.
The image caption is.
She bought the chateau 16 years ago, but only started making money in 2020.
She credits the video sharing site with saving her chateau.
She bought the home in 2005 after pooling resources with a friend.
They were able to raise money by selling their two-bedroom London flats and buying a cheap French castle.
The chateau was to be turned into a bed and breakfast and used for events.
Ms Jarvis admits that she didn't factor in how much it would cost to maintain the building. "I didn't know how much money it would take to run," says the 50-year-old.
The chateau business had yet to make a profit by the start of 2020. France went into a state of lock down after the Covid-19 pandemic arrived.
The image is from Chateau du Puy Vidal.
The image caption is.
Chateau du Puy Vidal is one of 40,000 castles in France.
The bed and breakfast was going to be profitable for the first time, but everything was canceled. I had nothing to do.
Then she had a wave. She has been posting video diaries about her life at the castle on her YouTube channel, The Chateau Diaries. She liked talking to the camera about her home after appearing in a TV show called Escape to the Chateau.
With the Pandemic shutting down everything else, Ms Jarvis decided to make and publish such videos on a daily basic and see how it goes.
She was surprised that her channel went up from 10,000 subscribers to 173,000 today.
She made a lot of money from the advertisements on her videos because of this.
The image is from Stephanie Jarvis.
The image caption is.
On most days, she speaks to her followers on the internet.
She says it was "unbelievable" that it went so fast. A lot of people were looking to see how other people were handling it.
The channel gives people hope that they don't need to follow a traditional path, and that they can still make something happen with their lives.
The revenue from the bed and breakfast and the income from the video sharing website will allow Ms. Jarvis to pay four staff to work at the castle.
She got more money from a Patreon account last year. Ms Jarvis' subscribers can pay for access to exclusive, extra video content on the platform. It is said to make about £25,000 per month.
British designer Anna Mayrhofer and her husband Philipp are making videos about owning a chateau.
Anna Mayrhofer's image was the source.
The image caption is.
Anna and Philipp lived in Paris.
They used the money from the sale of their Parisian apartment to purchase their chateau in Normandy. They underestimated the total cost of the renovations that the property would need.
The couple started to post videos at the end of 2020 in order to promote their bed and breakfast when the Pandemic ended.
The How To Renovate A Chateau channel has 133,000 subscribers and brings in regular advertising revenue.
"We didn't know that this could become an income stream as important as the guesthouse," says Mr Mayrhofer. "But we get more and more advertising money, and it became almost like a salary."
The couple launched a Patreon account, which has more than 750 subscribers. The guesthouse side of the business might be slowed down by Mr Mayrhofer and Anna because they are so busy making video content.
We enjoy making videos. He says it's fun to do.
Anna Mayrhofer's image was the source.
The image caption is.
Anna and Philipp Mayrhofer own a chateau in Normandy.
chateaux dotted across France are sold by a Paris-based estate agent. He says that one in good condition costs between 800,000 and 1,500,000. It is possible that cheaper properties will end up costing more in the long term.
Buying a French chateau shouldn't be seen as a way to make money. Buying a chateau will not make you rich.
He says that owning a chateau is a way of life, and that many buyers care less about the return on their investment, and more about the emotional journey of restoring an old property and the dream of living in one.
chateaux are the cheapest real estate in France, especially when compared to the cost of a Parisian apartment, according to him. The Pandemic has made people want to leave France's big cities.
The price of French chateaux has gone up since the start of the Pandemic, according to fellow estate agent,Christophe Chassin.
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"We made a lot of sales over the past year, mostly to overseas clients," says Mr Chassin, who sells mostly to overseas clients. We are having a hard time renewing our portfolio of properties.
Julia Leach, an American, bought a chateau from Mr. Chassin over the past year.
The 30-year-old was inspired to purchase one after becoming an avid viewer of The Chateau Diaries.
The slower pace of life ofStephanie's videos tugged at my heart, as I was immersed in the hustle and work culture I was immersed in.
In April 2021, Ms Leach, her partner, sister, and their parents pooled their financial resources to buy the chateau for 2m.
Julia Leach is the image source.
The image caption is.
Julia wanted to move to France for a quieter life.
The castle will be turned into a studio facility for filmmakers by Ms. Leach. Lady of the Chateau is a YouTube channel that has over 12,000 subscribers.
She can spend up to 60 hours a week filming and editing videos. She says there's nothing else she would rather be doing. I feel more connected to the chateau in a positive way.
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