A sign of inner riches…

When I was 16, my father, who was reluctant to burden us with a large family property in the Ain, asked our opinion as to whether he should sell, My sisters and I refused as one.

 It was his way of teaching us how much effort it would take to preserve the place. Several decades later, we may well ask ourselves whether or not we were right to hang on to this family pile – this throwback to a bygone era? Would we respond in the same way today, given that the government has chosen to exempt works of art preserved in chests, while taxing living heritage properties?

The answer is clearly yes, but on three conditions.

 First of all, you have to be prepared to accept the huge amount of time such a property requires: repairing a gutter in three days will certainly set you back, but the consequences of repairing it six months later will be much more dramatic! Next, accept the material choices involved: new ladders for the roofs have to trump that trip to the Seychelles… Finally, learn how to anticipate and prepare for what comes next: I was lucky enough to be responsible for that when I was in my thirties. Back then we made up in energy for what we lacked in money.

 If you can fulfil these conditions, what could be better than a family pile, representing permanence and stability in an era which has lost its traditional points of reference? What better way of ensuring a lasting legacy beyond our own days? What could possibly give a better sense of a job well done?

 So the answer is yes: a family property is the intelligent choice. Even if it doesn’t add to your wealth, it will quickly become a sign of inner riches.