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House and garden sit our urban oasis in Victoria, Vancouver Island, Canada

  • Favourited 497 times
  • Last activity: 18 Mar 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    For spring:

    We need help with yard clean up, gardening tasks, working compost, weeding, pruning etc, as well as house work (prepping for exterior painting) and home and storage organization. For those who enjoy children and are fluent in French we hope that you could speak/play in French with the kids or help with homework. (Not mandatory!) We are just finishing a major kitchen reno and almost there. Folks with building , painting or any trades skills are so welcome!


    Hi! Meet our busy and loving little family of four. Bijan is a fun loving father and an open minded college Economics instructor who loves tech, a good discussion and is always happy to practice his Spanish and French. Renée is an energetic extroverted birth doula, accessibility researcher and yoga instructor. We both love to cook and share house hold responsibility. Renée has an unpredictable birth work schedule and also works several evenings a week teaching. Our children are Ezra and Arya, 11 and 10 and we a have a shy cat Kali, and our joyful dog Toto. The kids are very active and love arts and crafts, playing and cracking jokes. We are very open to new people and have very big personalities. If you are flexible, open-minded and enjoy family life and good food please check us out and send us a message. Our home is cozy and we have a lot of on-going projects and need help with seasonal chores as well as day to day tasks like the dishes. We invite those who are open to becoming a part of the family for the duration of their stay. We especially welcome those who are good at organizational tasks!

    For spring and summer we are looking for people who like children, pets, enjoy yard work, cleaning, organizing and can happily work outside with any weather. We are specifically looking for help with building projects, painting and landscaping. We request that you come prepared to work, with rain gear, proper foot wear etc, of course we have a couple of extra work shoes and gloves but consider the jobs you may be doing. Due to Renée's unpredictable schedule the hours expected may need to be different day to day but this rarely happens. We respect your free time and will only ask this if we need to, and will always make it work.

    You are our ideal candidate if you have some life experience, you are organized, independent and self directed. For the fall and winter time we will need some help with larger jobs and some of this work is better for two people, such as moving compost, digging out berry bushes, planting and transplanting as well as some deep spring cleaning. For much of this work you can organize your day according to your own preference but we do prioritize dinner with our family and appreciate having guests joining us for this meal when possible. We also appreciate having some time as a family so we do not expect to spend all of our free time together!

    We have a small 10/10 cabin in the back of the yard that is private and ideal for those who enjoy their own space. The bed is a double and it is cozy and quiet. The photo here shows an additional bed that can be added for small families but this is usually open floor space. The bathroom and other facilities are in the main house but the guest house has a strong good wifi connection. You are welcome to pee in the trees..it's that private!

    We prefer stays of at least two weeks and would love some longer but are flexible for the right person/people!

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Language practice
    Teaching
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    Babysitting and creative play
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
    Help with Computers/ Internet
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    People who stay with us enjoy our interest in their lives, global issues and enjoy being a real part of our family. This means coming with us on outings if desired, learning about gardening, cheese making, food preservation and whatever else we are up to. Weather and time permitting we try to get out into nature and include our volunteers in this experience. Everyone that has come has focused on different tasks. We enjoy discussions, games, outdoor activities and a large part of our life is about producing and preserving food for our family (and you) to enjoy.

  • Projects involving children

    Projects involving children

    This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

  • Help

    Help

    We live in a small home with a large yard and garden that continues to expand. We have eleven fruit trees. We always need help with mulching, pruning, weeding, planting and harvesting, depending on the season. We also have two growing energetic children. We may ask helpers to babysit or assist with child and pet care when we get to know you. The kids are older now so this is just really handing out so they are not home alone as they are mostly self sufficient. We are interested in help interacting and sharing culture and language with all of us. In our home you will be a part of the family, this means that help takes many forms. You will be a part of the family and pitch in where ever and however needed. Usually there is a small task, a larger task and some daily chores. We also would love to have some french speaking guests to share the language with our kids who attend a French school. We try to keep a list of a variety of jobs so that volunteers can select something they enjoy doing. We do not expect everyone to be a fit with our children, but enjoying children is a necessary quality for this placement. We love your stories, playfulness and energy that you bring into the home, as this above all else is about a cultural exchange between you and our family. We look forward to meeting you!

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    English: Fluent
    Italian: Intermediate
    Spanish: Beginner
    French: Beginner

    This host offers a language exchange
    This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
    You can contact them directly for more information.

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    A queen size bed upstairs in our home or a double bed bunk in our guest house outside, accommodation depends on our family situation. We have a single shared bathroom downstairs.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    Victoria has many amazing sites, both natural and historic. There are art museums, stunning gardens, many city parks, as well as amazing islands and provincial parks to explore. From downtown you can take tours of the city, go whale watching or travel to see the wild west coast of Vancouver Island in Tofino or go to Seattle on the Clipper. Vancouver Island is a scenic wonderland! I have lived here for 21 years and there are still islands and epic beaches I have not yet seen.

  • 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

    This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    This host can provide space for campervans.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Host ref number: 784664773269

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