California family's decision to sell-up gorgeous La Jolla home and splurge $2.6m on stunning French chateau goes horribly wrong By Bethan Sexton For Dailymail.Com Published: 00:43 EDT, 22 September 2024 | Updated: 01:00 EDT, 22 September 2024 e-mail View comments A California family who decided to sell up their San Diego home and splurge $2.
6 million on a French chateau are now struggling to keep their dream alive. Julia Leach, 33, and Caroline Ibarra, 37, have been besieged by problems ever since they purchased the stunning Château de Puy Vidal in Charente. The couple relocated with Julia's parents and sister in hopes of escaping the rat race and renovating the 750-year-old chateau into their dream home.
But no sooner had they been handed the keys, the family were deluged with issues including backed up sewage pipes, heavy storms and even a small earthquake . They're now struggling to make the castle pay - and could even be deported if they fail to meet minimum income requirements for French visa holders. Instead of living la vie en rose, 'it was more like crushing responsibility and panic,' Leach told the Wall Street Journal.
A California family who decided to sell up their San Diego home and splurge $2.6 million on a French chateau are now struggling to keep their dream alive While gorgeous, the chateau has proved to be a money pit that the family are struggling to turn a profit on And while they offer up the chateau for 'immersive retreats' through their venture Lady of.