Join us in our home and help with renovations in Le Beugnon, France

Details

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  Description

  An Aussie, a Geordie and a Ginger Cat embark on a new chapter in Deux-Sevres France to renovate 3 houses and 0.7 hectares of garden with additional outbuildings to create an inviting and relaxing complex of Gites for our future business and lifestyle.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We are still learning about the area having just moved here but there is a lot to discover locally and some lovely towns and villages to explore with the usual French gastronomic markets and a rich history. The house is in a very peaceful rural location so is a fantastic opportunity to relax and enjoy the nature that is all around. As we are keen to explore the area we would be happy to drive to different locations locally or if you are a keen cyclist we have seen lots of cyclists and routes in the area. We speak English and I am TEFL qualified so can help non-English speakers to learn language skills. We are a well travelled couple and love to exchange stories and experiences.

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  Projects involving children

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

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  Help

  Gardening : we need to clear a lot of overgrown weeds and saplings from the garden, there is also a lot of dead planting to clear away from the outside of the cottages, we would like to reinstate the allotment.
  General maintenance : clear out outbuildings, tidy up external paths and terraces, clean up and make safe pool area as well as emptying and cleaning out the pool.
  DIY : upgrade a bathroom with new fittings and tiling, replace a kitchen with new doors and benchtop, general decorating and painting inside and out, various garden projects - building pergolas, outdoor seating areas, planters, pizza oven etc. There is a lot to do so any help would be much appreciated sometimes just having an extra pair of hands is enough to get a job done quickly.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Intermediate

  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.
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  Accommodation

  An en-suite bedroom in our house. We are happy to provide food as I love to cook but if you bring your own recipes and skills with you we can adapt to any dietary requirements and love to learn. Our kitchen is currently very basic and there is some decorating to be done in the main house but it is comfortable and cosy.

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  What else ...

  In Deux-Sevres the main city is Niort which has SNCF trains direct from Paris - this is approx 30 mins away from us and we can collect you from the station. If you have your own transport we have plenty of parking and it will give you the freedom to explore in your time off. Puy du Fou is approx 30 mins away and is an amazing place to visit. There are all sorts of interesting places locally from the Marais Poitevin Nature reserve, authentic French markets, Chateaux, picturesque villages and towns and just over 1h to La Rochelle and the coast. You can also easily get to Futuroscope or to the Loire Valley to explore the famous Chateaux and Wineries.
  We are an Aussie and a Geordie who have been married for 16 years, we ran our own Organic Fruit and Veg delivery company for 7 years in the UK and then started to look for our french project once we sold the business. We had an allotment for over 10 years in our home town of Huddersfield and are really looking forward to seeing what we can grow in Deux-Sevres with the longer and sunnier days. We are pretty laid back and flexible, we would like to welcome a workaway who wants to spend time with us on the working days doing various projects, but equally if you want to have some time just getting on with something in the peace and quiet we can work with that too. Our expectation is that we will eat together on the working days and then you can do your own thing on the days off (but again we can be flexible).
  We do have a ginger cat called Leon who is very friendly and inquisitive.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have room for any size motorhome please contact us to discuss details.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

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