‘Castle Impossible’ Daphne & Ian Reckert’s Net Worth

When you inherit a 500-year-old French castle, the question isn’t whether you can afford it—it’s whether you can afford not to try. HGTV stars Daphne Reckert and Ian Figueira have drawn viewers into their ambitious renovation of a centuries-old chateau in France, but their exact financial worth remains a mystery. Despite fan curiosity about how the couple funds their massive restoration project, neither Daphne nor Ian has publicly disclosed their net worth.

What is clear, however, is that the couple has found creative ways to tackle substantial renovation costs and pay off enormous debts. When they inherited the Château de Lésigny from Daphne’s grandfather in 2020, they also inherited a staggering $1 million tax bill to the French government, according to Country Living.

Rather than walk away from the 133-acre estate that once hosted King Louis XIII, the couple committed their life savings to preserving Daphne’s family legacy. Before becoming castle owners, they had planned a drastically different lifestyle, purchasing a tiny home in California, suggesting that their pre-inheritance wealth was modest.

While specific details about their financial background aren’t public record, their previous plans and current lifestyle choices offer clues. Daphne had earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Conservation Resource Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, while Ian worked two jobs as backup support for their original modest housing plans.

The massive property includes not just the four-story main structure, but also a lodge, farmhouse, 28 horse stables, a dove tower, and a woodland cabin spread across more than 130 acres. Managing such an extensive estate requires significant ongoing investment beyond the initial inheritance costs.

Wedding Business Funds Castle Dreams

The couple’s primary income source comes from operating the chateau as a wedding venue, a business Daphne inherited from her grandfather. When she took over, she aggressively expanded the wedding operations, successfully tripling their annual bookings to approximately 80 weddings per year, TV Insider notes.

“The fact that we were able to figure stuff out was an absolute surprise to us,” Daphne told Collider, acknowledging that managing such a complex operation exceeded their initial expectations. The wedding revenue has proven crucial for covering ongoing restoration expenses and maintaining the property.

Their HGTV show, “Castle Impossible,” likely provides additional income, although specific contract details haven’t been disclosed. The series documents their journey transforming over 20 rooms while dealing with structural challenges, insect infestations, and the complexities of modernizing a building that predates electricity and indoor plumbing.

Creative Solutions for Massive Expenses

The couple’s financial strategy appears focused on maximizing revenue from existing assets rather than relying on substantial personal wealth. Beyond weddings, the chateau has served as a filming location for more than 50 French productions, providing another income stream that helps offset renovation costs, TV Insider reports.

Ian’s renovation background and Daphne’s conservation studies have allowed them to tackle many projects themselves, reducing labor costs that could easily spiral out of control when working on a historic property. However, they’ve admitted that certain specialized work requires professional expertise, particularly when dealing with centuries-old structural elements.

The couple maintains realistic expectations about their timeline and budget. “Hopefully we’ll have it done within the next 100 years or so,” Daphne joked to Collider.

Their YouTube channel also generates income while documenting their renovation journey, though this represents a smaller revenue stream compared to their wedding business and television work. The multiple income streams seem necessary to fund their massive renovation project while preserving the castle’s historic character.