If we asked you which Selling Sunset real estate agent owns a castle, we bet you’d guess Christine Quinn — and you’d be right. Quinn’s husband, tech entrepreneur Christian Richard (you probably remember him from Quinn’s gothic winter wonderland-themed wedding that closed out Season 3), has a family castle in Burgundy, the heart of French wine country. So naturally, Quinn can now offer advice on what it takes to actually own a castle. Quinn’s know-how may have come in handy in another corner of the Netflix Cinematic Universe, A Castle for Christmas, when Sophie (Brooke Shields) decides to buy the castle in rural Scotland where her family once served as groundskeepers. While Sophie’s impulse is certainly an understandable — and romantic — one, the castle’s longtime owner, Myles (Cary Elwes), warns her that without constant care, it will “crumble like an oat cake in the rain.”

So did Sophie make a good decision? 

“The first thing [buyers] should do is they should view it as a piece of art,” Quinn says. “You’re buying history.” 

Of course, buying history also means maintaining a legacy, and that can get complicated. Historic properties can come with restrictions on whether their owners can build anything on the site, Quinn says, so permits might be required and property taxes could go up. 

“Other things that I would look for: How much work do you have to put into the property? Because things get really expensive,” Quinn says. “Is it sloped? Is it flat land? Are there trees that you're going to have to cut down? If so, how much is that going to set you back?”

Another thing to remember about buying a castle is that they tend to be, well, old. So, Quinn says, you’re going to have to ask: “Are there cables for Wi-Fi? Are you able to run piping for running water?” 

That said, don’t worry, because there are castles in good shape that just need some minor tweaks. And the farther away from cities and main roads you’re willing to go, the better the deals. But what does that actually mean, price-wise?

“Let’s say we’re talking about France, because I know France pretty well,” Quinn says. “If you’re looking at Provence, you’re talking about land that can start at $10 million — just for the land. I’ve seen castles that are in the middle of nowhere that haven't been touched in years, and you can purchase [them] for anywhere from $5 million to $10 million for a good-quality castle. I mean, yes, these things need renovation, for sure, and don’t have microwaves or a refrigerator or a television. But I think those are small costs.” Which, compared to spending eight figures on the castle itself, is certainly true.

Fortunately, once you’ve laid out all that cash for the purchase, that’s when you can start shaping the property as you wish.

Quinn says there’s one thing every new castle owner needs to know: “Maintenance is the most important thing. You literally have to find a caretaker for the property, like in Beauty and the Beast.”

“Oh yeah, absolutely,” Richard says. “Absolutely. If not two. But yes.”

Or, instead of a handyman, you could luck out like Sophie did and wind up with a duke like Myles to help you with castle upkeep and a smooth transition into your very own fairy-tale ending.