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Host rating
80 %
Last replied
25 Mar 2024
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Description
This is a beautiful house far from the strains of civilisation. I came here when I was struggling to make enough money to live in the UK. From 2015 - 2019 I stayed in the house working online as a freelancer (so yes, there is very good WiFi) made paintings, played music and learned to speak Bulgarian. My friend had bought the house when planning to emigrate but got trapped in the UK so I went out there and took his place.
Our current custodian Tom has had to move on due to a family emergency, and we are looking for friendly folks to care for and look after this Bulgarian house. We can offer free rent in exchange for bills and upkeep of the property. We are happy to discuss ideas for updating the property also and are particularly keen to hear from artists and musicians as would be keen to develop it into an art project space.
It is a beautiful house in a village in Bulgaria, where I lived using bicycle, buses and trains as my only transport. Yes that includes trips back to the UK! While I was living here, collaborating with Workawayers we turned the house into an all seasons retreat, so the space is ready to house anyone who would benefit from a quiet reflective space. It offers people with low income the opportunity to escape the strains of everyday life to focus on creative and practical projects. So I'm particularly interested in Workawayers who are looking for a longer term stay where they can really get stuck in to developing the house and calling it home.
The garden has good soil and makes use of compost, so it's quite unstoppable. There are detailed instructions about keeping the space watered and weeded. It's easy to set up nice veg patches in the spring and there are lots of natural marrows and pumpkins in the autumn! A very committed Workawayer built a sheltered roof section in 2018 because I wanted to turn the barns into the main creative studio zone. This project is still possible so if someone likes the sound of continuing with this and turning it into proper art studios, great!
I want other people to call this place home, enjoy the garden and feel free to make additions and adjustments, this home is an ongoing project and is comfortable for anyone who wants to escape city life and work online. All work at the house is voluntary and visitors are free to do as much or as little as they like.
In the village I created a community public art project with the locals: Karantsi Brick Project.
My UK based community Interest project became surprisingly popular so I passed the baton to Tom, who ran his fire eating business in the space from 2020 - 2024.
I adopted some stray animals over the years, three dogs and a cat became my companions, it was idyllic! Tom looked after them following my departure and even found them all new homes, so if you have animals there won't be any territorial disputes.
It's even perfect for the snowy season if you're looking for a quiet and special place to sit out the winter. I have installed a full wood burner central heating system, a nice showering room and enough space to fit up to 5 people... There are three very comfortable bedrooms for people to live in. It is a great place to enjoy the isolation, but there are English speaking neighbours nearby who will hand you the keys. This space is adaptable to whatever dynamic makes people feel comfortable.
There are good bikes at the house too so cycling to Polski Trambesh and back will is a good habit to get into.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
I know some good Bulgarian teachers in Veliko Tarnavo. The villagers are friendly so I believe language skills will increase the comfort of your experience.
Help
The space is wonderful for people to enjoy being away from the city, working or making art in a beautiful quiet place, so please put the giant garden (which has periodically become overgrown throughout my time here) to some practical use. The house and garden is looked after by those who live here to help the place to grow with them. Tom did some amazing electrical and and building work since 2020. There are barns where you can build art studios if you're someone with experience and would like a project!
Languages spoken
Bulgarian: Fluent
English: Fluent
Accommodation
This is a two bedroom house with a kitchen and a garage and many other rooms ready to be made useful.
What else ...
There are many ancient sites, waterfalls and monasteries within cycling distance. In the greenest country you can imagine! The house is in cycling distance from Polski Trambesh, where there is a train and bus station and a huge market every Wednesday. I survived here for four years without a car, taking the hour and a half walk to and from the town while simultaneously taking audio Bulgarian lessons. It's a lot easier with a car!
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
The WiFi connection worked fine throughout my stay from 2015 - 2019. When Tom came he set up a far better and cheaper system. It used to cost me 40 lv per month (20,45 Euro, £17.50) so it's cheaper than that and I'll give you all the login information when you agree to stay.
Space for parking camper vans
There's a big garage, any size of van should be fine but the roads in the village aren't great.
Can possibly accept pets
Definitely. There are amazing walks all around the village and a very good vet in Polski Trambesh.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
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I was fortunate to be there with Xavier too. Xavier is a brilliant , creative cook who was always willing to help me out with anything I asked of him.
Dan takes care of animals that have been treated poorly in the past… read more
It is a great project that Dan is doing there and everybody can express himself in a best positive way by doing the thing that… read more
in the month he was there but he met a close friend of mine and was kind and friendly.
I got great feedback from my friends in the… read more
