Butrón castle auction in Spain offers buyers a chance to live like royalty

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/25/butron-castle-auction-spain-sale

Version 0 of 1.

For more than 700 years, Butrón castle has housed Spanish nobility including lords and a marquis. Now the exclusive Basque Country property will become home to the highest online bidder.

Billed as the only romantic-style castle on sale in Spain, bidding in the month-long internet auction is open to anyone willing to fork out at least€3.5m. The highest bidder will walk away with the keys to the five-storey, 2,400 square metre property in Gatika, a quaint village 11 miles from Bilbao.

With its majestic four towers, the castle’s grounds span an impressive 35,000 square metres. The property comprises a courtyard, chapel and a grand room for banquets and receptions. Other facilities – such as the water well and dungeon – hint at its long history.

Butrón castle, constructed in the mid-13th century, was at the centre of a power struggle between noble families for more than 300 years, according to Irene Valbuena from BNP Paribas Real Estate, which is handling the sale. “There are other castles for sale around the world, but this one is quite unique,” she said.

The property, which was abandoned in the 16th century, was restored in the late 1800s by Francisco de Cubas y González-Montes, who remodelled it using a combination of romantic and medieval elements.

The castle was renovated again in the 1990s to include modern amenities such as a lift and heating. While Valbuena confessed she never seen an electricity or gas bill for the property, she conceded “it probably could be a bit costly”.

Despite its size, there are just two bathrooms in the property. Those who hope to change this fact be warned: the castle has been designated as a national monument so any modifications must first be approved by the regional government.

Butrón castle is owned by Inbisa, a Spanish real estate and construction company, which purchased the property in 2005 when its previous owners, who turned the castle into a wedding venue, went bankrupt.

But the estate agents have high hopes for the property. “With this auction, we’re trying to give the sale a more international character,” Valbuena said. “We’re reaching out to hotel groups and to individuals who want to treat themselves.”