Help with construction work, a tiny house, the vegetable garden and learning English in the beautiful Ardennes, Belgium

Availability

  2025 

 Min stay requested: No minimum

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    Update (21-06-22)
    In the next few weeks, we will be working on the house: mainly siding (slate and wood) and interior painting.
    If you want to learn siding techniques, Yann is a good teacher and will be happy to pass on his knowledge.
    For painting we prefer natural and homemade paints.
    Looking forward to meeting you :)

    Notification: we can no longer change the title of our ad:
    We have to clarify that the Tiny house project is on pause and we unfortunately no longer have the land on which we had our vegetable garden, so we can no longer invest in the garden.
    Life is calling us to other projects.

    A more accurate title for our announcement would be: "Help with construction work and learning English in the beautiful Ardenne, Belgium" :)


    Hi,
    We are Yann and Annabelle and we live in a small village in the Belgian Ardennes with our 3 children aged 5, 8 and 11.
    Yann is a roofer, loves woodwork and is good at many things. Annabelle has retired from teaching and is looking for her own way. And our children are discovering life in an alternative school.
    We don't have any animals at the moment and we have a vegetable garden and a small greenhouse.

    When we have free time, we like to go for a walk in the forest, spend an afternoon in the river in the forest, build a "hut", go on nice bike rides, visit our beautiful region, share a board game, ...

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

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

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    We enjoy meeting new people, chatting, sharing stories and experiences, curious to meet people from all walks of life and cultures.

    We think Workaway is a great way to meet people from all over the world. We would have loved to travel around the world. It hasn't happened yet, but we can welcome the world into our home :)

    We like to discuss around an aperitif (the occasion to make discover our good Belgian and local beers), to exchange, to grow in the respect of each one.

    Many subjects interest us such as ecology, autonomy, Life, alternative care, spirituality and energy.

  • Projects involving children

    Projects involving children

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

  • Help

    Help

    We have several projects for these next months :)

    English! We would really like to progress in this language :)

    Finish the different works of our house: bathroom, paintings, exterior wood and slate siding, ... Also, interior design and decoration, always in a max of recuperation and reuse of objects.

    And then fitting out a van, to go on a trip around Europe

    If you are competent in the realization of plans, calculation of loads, ... we are interested :)
    Also interested in learning how to handle everything that is video, photo or video editing, use of software and creation of a website.

    In short, there are many types of help available depending on what you like to do, or what you want to discover;

    It can also be helping inside, as well as taking care of the meals, if you like that.

    As mentioned above, we would like to learn English and have our girls discover the language in a fun way. The "help" could also be through activities with our girls, baking, crafts, games, walks, ... in English!
    We are also ok for a language exchange, if you want to learn French.

    Whatever help you can give will be appreciated.

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    French: Fluent
    English: Beginner

    This host offers a language exchange
    We can teach you French. On our side, we would like to learn English and why not discover other languages :)

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    Our house is not huge, but we have a room on the top floor where you can sleep. There is a bed for 2 people.
    The bathroom is shared by everyone and will have to be shared.

    We have a small garden, where we can also put a tent.

    For the food, we consume mainly local products, in season and cultivated in the respect of the nature. We eat very little meat or fish and there is always a vegetarian alternative.

    We do not welcome pot smokers and smoking is not allowed in the house.
    We can accommodate a family with a child, but we have to see if this is suitable for the place.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    We live in a village of 1000 inhabitants, quite quiet, with food shops, organic grocery shop, pharmacy, bookshop, café, restaurants, bank, doctors, ...

    The train station of Gedinne is 3 km from our house and is on the Brussels-Arlon axis. We can also lend you a bicycle.

    We are a few kilometres from the Croix-Scaille massif.

    From a cultural point of view, we are quite close to Bouillon (30km) and its medieval castle; Dinant (40km), an atypical town with its citadel; Han-sur-Lesse (30km) with its cave and its animal park.
    Also close to the beautiful Semois valley and the Lesse valley.
    If you come to us, I think it is above all for the nature.
    We are quite far from the big cities.

    We don't have television, but we have lots of books.
    There is also a beautiful little cinema in our village.
    We have internet in the house, by cable, but the wifi is voluntarily disabled.

    If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

  • 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

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

Host ref number: 158425466657

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Photos

The image depicts a family of five posing for a photo in front of a trellis covered in green leaves, with a house visible in the background.
The image shows a group of people riding bikes, with a mix of adults and children, all wearing helmets and enjoying the outdoors on a sunny day. The scene is peaceful and idyllic.
The image depicts a man and three children sitting on a wooden bench, surrounded by winter gear, with a ladder and bicycle visible in the background, all set against a beige wall.
The image shows a family of four posing for a photo on a mountain, with a frozen lake in the background and a forest in the distance. The family is dressed in warm clothing.
The image depicts a vibrant urban garden, featuring a diverse array of plants and trees, with a mix of greenery and hardscapes, showcasing a thriving outdoor space.
The image depicts a vibrant garden with a diverse array of plants, showcasing a variety of greenery and foliage, with a mix of trees, shrubs, and grasses in a well-manicured outdoor setting.
The image depicts a backyard with a wooden fence, featuring a table and chairs, a tree, and a fence, with a grassy area and a few trees in the background.

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