A 41-room castle in New York in need of major repairs is listed for sale at just under $100,000.

Knight

Well-known Member
Interesting how value is determined.

A 41-room castle in Elmira, New York, has been placed on the market for $99,000.

While the mansard-style home is uninhabitable and in need of repairs, it has unique features.

Take a look inside the 8,282-square-foot mansion filled with Gothic embellishments.


https://www.yahoo.com/news/41-room-castle-york-major-144226850.html
 

I wouldn't care if I was the richest person in the world, I never would want to live in a castle. They strike me as cold and impersonal. And someone could be squatting in another part of the house...how would you know? :D Whoever buys that will have their work cut out for them...well whatever team they get to refurbish the house. The outside reminds me of something you'd see in a horror/ghost movie.
 
That place is an architectural gem and should be preserved. Some old places around here that are far less interesting create a good tourist draw. when refurbished to a period look inside and out. Other towns have taken old gems and used them as historical society offices and museums, often charging fees to tour the structure.
 
If that "Castle" is structurally sound, $100K would be a bargain. Even if a person put another 100K, or more, into it to bring it up to current codes, it might bring a nice profit, given today's housing prices. But then, "location" also is a factor....if there aren't a lot of facilities...major stores, hospitals, etc., nearby, there probably wouldn't be many people interested in putting a bunch of money into it.
 
If that "Castle" is structurally sound, $100K would be a bargain. Even if a person put another 100K, or more, into it to bring it up to current codes, it might bring a nice profit, given today's housing prices. But then, "location" also is a factor....if there aren't a lot of facilities...major stores, hospitals, etc., nearby, there probably wouldn't be many people interested in putting a bunch of money into
 
Between the taxes in NYS,which no doubt will be rising after COVID did its number on the economy...
I can’t imagine what the heating bills would look like in the winter months!
Even the wealthy have some common sense.
 
I am astonished that some mega-rich American hasn't bought this magnificent building.
The ironic thing is, if that building were here in the UK, then it probably would have been dismantled stone by stone and shipped over to the US by some very wealth American, just like many other structures have. :)
 
#1 problem is that it's in a registered historical district. I believe that adds mucho $$$$$ to the renovation and a lot of delays, because whatever one does has to be approved by an outside committee. It's one of the reasons a lot of historic buildings don't sell quickly: experienced buyers know a historic designation is a landmine of bureaucracy.

#2 is that what looks like a good # of valuable built-ins, such as paneling and cabinetry, seems to have stripped out already. You'll also have hazardous waste abatement issues to deal with.

#3 is good contractors - and you'd need a good one, experienced in historical reconstruction. Those folks are already booked solid and never cheap.

#4 is the sheer cost of building materials with today's supply chain chaos. That house clearly needs everything, including wiring, plumbing, sewer, etc. The number of bathrooms is inadequate and would require adding at least 3-4 more.

Add in the period-appropriate detailing required and I wouldn't be surprised that even if one didn't count one's labor, restoration could cost close to $300K-400K+ and take at least 2-3 years.

To spend half a million on a house one wouldn't be able to live in for approximately 2 yrs minimum, would be a labor of love.

Gorgeous, but as an investment it's a black hole and a loss, pure and simple.
 
#1 problem is that it's in a registered historical district. I believe that adds mucho $$$$$ to the renovation and a lot of delays, because whatever one does has to be approved by an outside committee. It's one of the reasons a lot of historic buildings don't sell quickly: experienced buyers know a historic designation is a landmine of bureaucracy.

#2 is that what looks like a good # of valuable built-ins, such as paneling and cabinetry, seems to have stripped out already. You'll also have hazardous waste abatement issues to deal with.

#3 is good contractors - and you'd need a good one, experienced in historical reconstruction. Those folks are already booked solid and never cheap.

#4 is the sheer cost of building materials with today's supply chain chaos. That house clearly needs everything, including wiring, plumbing, sewer, etc. The number of bathrooms is inadequate and would require adding at least 3-4 more.

Add in the period-appropriate detailing required and I wouldn't be surprised that even if one didn't count one's labor, restoration could cost close to $300K-400K+ and take at least 2-3 years.

To spend half a million on a house one wouldn't be able to live in for approximately 2 yrs minimum, would be a labor of love.

Gorgeous, but as an investment it's a black hole and a loss, pure and simple.
Better than the uselessness of taking a plane almost into space, 🤦🏻‍♀️
 
upstate-homes-for-sale-elmira-chemung-county-615-columbia-street-1879-litho.jpg

https://www.brownstoner.com/upstate...ale-elmira-615-columbia-street-webber-castle/
 


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