Cultural exchange in a strawbales family house in Baal, Belgium

Profile information

  • rating

    Host rating

    100 %

  • Last replied

    Last replied

    11 Dec 2025

  • Reply rate

    Reply rate

    100.0 %

    Usually responds within 1 day

  • feedbacks

    Feedback

    95

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    Facebook verified

  • Email verified

    Email verified

Country info

If you are not an EU Citizen and planning to visit Belgium to work, volunteer or study, YOU WILL NEED THE CORRECT VISA. To find out more information please contact the embassy in your home country BEFORE travelling.

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Availability

  2025 

 Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    We are a Belgian family of 7, our sons are 26, 24, 18 ,18 and 15years. The two oldest boys are living on there own now. We are living on the countryside. We bought our house after returning from almost 4 years of living in South-Africa , where we volunteered for a Belgian NGO. Our family is growing with our two foster boys from Ukraine. We chose the most ecological and budget-friendly option to live together. We are using straw bales to make our house ready for the climate changes. If you want to learn and experience what is a budget and ecological way of living, we can exchange our experiences and learn from yours.
    We want to exchange our culture and experiences with new people from all around the world. During summer you'll find here a nice community of people living together.We had a wonderful time with workawayers in the last past years. In the feedbacks you can read more about past years.
    Have a look at our Facebook and Instagram page -ask me for the link.
    You find a lot of photos on our family, house and garden

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
  • Interests

    Interests

    Pets
    Architecture
    Camping
    Nature
    Yoga / Wellness
    Vegetarian or vegan
    Technology
    Sustainability
    Self development
    Politics / Social justice
    Movies & TV
    LGBTQ
    Culture
    Charity work
    Languages
    History
    Drawing & painting
    Cooking & food
    Carpentry
    Art & design
    Books
    Plant care
    Gardening
    DIY & crafts
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    After a good day of work, have some wine or a beer, and discuss life and the world. We traveled a lot ourselves, the best moments were the moments we stayed with families and close to local people. It broadened our view on the world.
    This is an opportunity for travelers that are interested in strawbales and clay building techniques! We take turns cooking, so we can experience dishes from all around the world :) You are welcome in our family, and we can exchange a lot.

  • Help

    Help

    You will help in and around the house, in the vegetable garden,
    You will cook family meals and help to keep the community places clean

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent
    French: Fluent
    Dutch: Fluent
    Russian: Fluent
    Ukrainian: Fluent
    Polish: Intermediate
    Spanish: Beginner

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    We provide 2 small caravans and 3 tents in the backyard, with electricity. We have also a camping car with 2 rooms each for 2 persons We provide meals at our place, toilet and shower is in the house. There is also a fireplace. We have extended the wifi up to the backyard .
    We provide for each person a good mattress and pillow ,extra blanket. So we make sure that you feel comfortable when the weather is not very good.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    We are in a rural area, but there are good transportation connections close, bus connections at 1 kms, train station at 4 km, you can use a bike (it's flat here). Just 35 mins by train to Leuven, Antwerp, Mechelen, Aarschot, Heist op den berg. 1 h30 minutes to Brussels ,Liege, Hasselt .Ghent/Bruges in 2 hours. There is a lot to discover in those cities!
    So if you want to take a day off, no problem, We will mostly be busy in the mornings and have free time in the afternoon, have dinner in the evening. During the weekends we are not working

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Can host digital nomads

    Can host digital nomads

    We extend the WiFi to the back of the garden so no problem to have internet during your stay

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    We have enough place to park a motorhome, only the entrance is limited,so vehicles up to about 6-8 metres long (there is a short turn to enter the place). Until the end of may we can host one person or a couple in a room inside the house

  • Can possibly accept pets

    Can possibly accept pets

    We don't have a fence around our house , but pets are welcome , we have one cat

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

  • My animals / pets

    My animals / pets

    Nelson

Host ref number: 751297158521

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Photos

A woman stands inside a partially constructed building, smiling and giving thumbs up. She wears gloves, jeans, and a blue jacket; construction materials and tools surround her.
A man kneels on the floor in a partially constructed room, working with wood and tools. He smiles at the camera, surrounded by construction materials.
A man in work clothes and gloves holds a handful of mud or plaster, standing near a window with plastic coverings, next to a dirty bucket.
This image shows a window set in a wall made of straw bales and wooden supports, indicating an eco-friendly or natural building under construction or renovation.
A smiling person with long hair and glasses is working with white bricks indoors, wearing a maroon shirt and showing tattoos on their arms.
The image depicts a group of six people gathered around a wooden table, toasting with glasses of wine and beer, exuding a joyful and celebratory atmosphere.
The image depicts a serene backyard scene with a camper, wooden furniture, and a fire pit, surrounded by trees and sunflowers on a sunny day.

Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host

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Feedback

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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)

Cultural exchange:
(5.0)

Communication:
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Join us in our ecological lifestyle, home and gardening projects in Zoutleeuw, Belgium
Join our family, living in the heart of Ghent City, Belgium