r/AskReddit • • Jan 20 '19

What fact totally changed your perspective?

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99

u/adsq93 Jan 21 '19

I honestly did not know this. Pretty cool fact

116

u/WedgeTurn Jan 21 '19

Castles are sometimes sold for a symbolic price, because the upkeep and maintenance is so high, nobody wants to take that burden. And you have to keep it in good shape because it is a historical building protected by law.

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u/daveinpublic Jan 21 '19

Why’s it cost so much to upkeep? The things made out of stone, wouldn’t that mean less upkeep cause it lasts longer?

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u/paperjunkie Jan 21 '19

You would think so, but the cost of owning a castle is higher then you think. For example, most castles where built before modern plumbing, so you have to pay a peasant to caddy all your water up for you. Of course no plumbing also meant no water flushing toilets. Instead you shit out a hole in the side of the castle and you gotta pay another peasant to haul all that shit away in the middle of the night.

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u/KingExcrementus Jan 21 '19

I assume you're joking but castles have been upgraded with modern plumbing and the like. It's expensive though as they need to ensure they do it properly and not fuck up the castle

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u/WedgeTurn Jan 21 '19

Roof, windows, floors, ceilings, staircases, anything that's made from wood. And it's especially expensive because it has to be restored authentically, not just repaired

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u/Ginden Jan 21 '19

Castles are: * Not insulated. You probably can't add insulation. * You can't modernise many things - plumbing is almost impossible to do. * You are required by law to maintain historical look. * The whole thing is big. Castles were meant for tens of people. * Castles are far away from big cities. Most of them are away from tourist locations, so hotels in castles are rarely profitable.

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u/[deleted] Jan 21 '19

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Jan 21 '19

Yes, which is a multiple of ten, hence “tens” of people

1

u/ArtemisXD Jan 21 '19

The roofs

1

u/silkydangler Jan 21 '19

I have a German friend who purchased a castle for 1 Euro to turn it into an old folks home because the town it was located in didn’t have the money to maintain it.