(Click here to go back to step one, how to find a castle to buy.)

Step Two -- Making It Livable

Finding your castle might be easy, but making it habitable will not be.

Kraft cautions potential castle buyers to have reasonable expectations about the facilities. "You may have dozens or hundreds of bedrooms, but only two bathrooms," he says. You may also need to install a new kitchen and central heating, "as they usually tend to be outdated or non-existent."

Utility bills are also going to be an issue. "As a rule of thumb, smaller castles will usually come with a maintenance bill of around $3,100 to 4,700 per month."

And the larger the keep, the costlier the upkeep.

"A wood-burning fireplace may make part of one room inhabitable, but if you have 20 bedrooms and at least five very big reception rooms (which tends to be the minimum), you have at least 25 to 30 fireplaces to run ... constantly."

Step Three -- Optional Extras

Owning a castle is pointless unless you can swim in the moat, frolic in the vineyard and throw local scallywags in the dungeon. But even these most basic castle features are going to be costly and hard to install, Kraft says.

"In some regions such as Burgundy, the Bordeaux and Loire regions, even smaller castles may have some vineyards," he says. But outside of those areas, you're going to need land, time, money and staff to get your vineyard to produce more than headaches and bills.

Step Four -- What Else Do I Need to Know?

For all these complications, you can still, in theory, do anything you want to your castle -- right?

Wrong. If your castle is a historical landmark, you might be required to keep it in a certain state of (dis)repair to satisfy local laws and regulations. (In short, that underground go-kart track may not be entirely historically accurate.)

But there is an upside. In some places there may be state subsidies or tax breaks you can claim in order to help with maintenance and upkeep.

Conclusion

If you really, really have to live in a castle, then it's certainly possible. Given a little time and effort ,you'll be standing on the ramparts flying your coat of arms, eating a roast turkey leg and drinking a goblet of the local ale.

But be aware -- it's going to cost you time and money, and on balance it may be best to wait until after society crumbles to run inside and pull up the drawbridge.

Reporting by Brett Widness. Brett Widness is an editor with AOL's real estate channel and a licensed agent in Virginia. Find homes for sale, foreclosures, home values, real estate finance and apartments at AOL real estate.

(Click here to go back to step one, how to find a castle to buy.)

How to Buy A Castle

    Walton Castle, Somerset, UK This castle, built in 1620, features eight bedrooms, a pool, maid's quarters and an ocean view. But according to Viviun.com, it would set you back around £4.5 million, or $9 million, to make it your own.

    http://www.viviun.com/AD-105928/

    The Chateau Chanzé is restored in renaissance style, surrounded by 5 hectares of its own ground and features a heated swimming pool. Located near Angers in France, this little baby will set you back 2.37 million Euro, or $3.3 million.

    http://castles.glo-con.com

    This restored medieval castle is apparently on sale in Spain, but the site carlosmorante-castles.com that advertises it is fairly light on details -- like price, number of bedrooms or how many ghosts live on the grounds. Looks pretty though.

    www.carlosmorante-castles.com

    This renovated castle is nestled in the kingdom of New Jersey, and has an asking price of $4.8 million. Built in 1902, Kip's Castle is a medieval-style mansion on 10.5 wooded acres overlooking the New York City skyline. Although built at the turn-of-the-century, Kip's Castle and the surrounding property been immaculately preserved and successfully converted.

    Viviun.com

    According to the listing on Viviun.com, this is a 500-year-old tower and olive oil mill, 70 miles from Dubrovnik in Croatia. Judging by the power lines and street lamps, it's probably not the idyllic countryside wilderness that you're expecting.

    Viviun.com

    This moated castle near Munich in Germany features more than 20 bedrooms and will cost you $2.3 million Euro, or about $3.29 million. Alligators are not included.

    Viviun.com

    This is a restored and, presumably, inordinately expensive castle in Brittany, France.

    Cabinet Martin SIR

    Many owners and buyers of castles hold their privacy very dear, so you won't be able to just walk into your local real estate agent and order one up. Sometimes you need to do a little digging.

    Cabinet Martin SIR

    What's a castle without two football-pitch sized gardens sitting out front?

    Cabinet Martin SIR

    If that moat goes all around the castle, then this little chateau in Burgundy, France, may have found itself a buyer.

    Sotheby's International Realty