Area: Umbria/ Tuscan border

Marcus is an Architect, Lucy an Artist, very late 30s. Plus 16 month Lola who is a joyful little soul. We are restoring a large old farmhouse and turning it into an artist's retreat, where people can come and learn many aspects of art from Lucy or visiting artists. Still much to do on the house, specifically including plastering and general tidying, also painting walls, a bit of carpentry making doors and a small wall section, then furnishing, veg patch and general gardening. Support making food etc is appreciated, and Lucy is happy most days to conjur up something tasty. Marcus really appreciates someone to work with, we both love getting to know our visitors, learning things and the general good feeling of reciprosity. It feels this house was meant to have more people in it as in the past it once functioned that way. All help needed asap please! We are very keen to have people now onwards. We are not available for June or second week in July. But we are working pretty hard up until then, after july we will calm down a bit. Lovely food guaranteed. Fancy an art or pasta or bread making lesson, or pizza made in the old bread oven? Come with us for trips into town for weekly markets. Our only animals are 4 freerange chickens we want to fence in a bit now.

Area: Brittany

Hi, I am James and along with my partner Jennie we have purchased a former lockeepers cottage on the edge of Lac de Guerledan in Brittany. The property itself has been empty for some years, formerly owned by EDF and is situated in a stunning rural location on the banks of small lake and close to the village. Saint Aignan is a very small community village with a bar, epicerie, church, marie and school. Lac de Guerledan is a very busy resort in the summer months for french families. There are numerous watersports, fishing, walking, cycling. We have Kayaks and bikes to use. With the limited facilities that we have, we will make you as comfortable as possible and hope that we both enjoy our time together.

Area: Algarve

We are a young couple doing up a traditional Portuguese house and working on a large veggie garden. We would love some help with the garden and with flower beds and the renovations to the house.

Area: Aosta Valley

We are a family with 2 children (13 and 2 years old). We live in Aosta Valley, (1441 m) where we run a camp. We are looking for a native English-speaking person for the month of July and August, to help us improve our English and for childcare. We are looking for a sociable person who loves the company, solar, positive that he wants to follow us in our daily routine meal preparation, child care, passseggiate, shopping .... with whom to converse. And 'this what we want to improve their English through mutual understanding. All in a dynamic, lively, welcoming what is the life of a small camping. La Thuile is 45 km from Aosta, less than 10Km from Mont Blanc, 160 km from Turin, 200 Km from Milan and 35 Km from Chamonix-Mont Blanc. It is a little mountain village in the middle of the Alps and in the summertime it get full of tourist and life. In the summertime it offers also hiking, trekking, mountain biking, climbing .... . all in a beautiful landscape and in a natural setting.

Area: Wales

We are a 10 acre smallholding in mid Wales. Two homes -myself Jules and husband Nick in one, and my daughter Rebbecca, and son in law Woef in the other. It`s a beautiful place - woods and fields full of wild flowers, a ceramic studio (available to those interested) a polytunnel with veg, gardens and a tree nursery (see website ). There are always lots of renovations to do, new plans and ideas, good conversation and laughter. We cook great food (one house vegetarian) and brew wonderful beer, so lots to do if it`s raining. We have no livestock at the moment, only 4 wonderful dogs - and a frisbee.