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Last replied
14 Nov 2024
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Description
Hello! we have just moved to France after 5 years in Spain and need workawayers again, this time for a big renovation project.
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Hi there!
We are Hermine and Paul, a French-Irish couple who have just bought an old farm in southwestern France (near Tarbes) after living in rural Spain and before that in Bavaria, Germany.
We visited and lived in many different places. Former Workawayers ourselves, we helped people in Spain, Italy, Germany, USA, Morocco… We enjoyed our time very much and are now happy to be hosts!
We live with our 3 rescue kitties from Spain (Tokio, Minky and Bombon), so this workaway isn't suitable for you if you are allergic to cats.
THE HELP WE NEED:
We moved into our current house in June 2024 and it needs a complete renovation. We have a long list of tasks we could use some help for, such as:
- Removing wall tiles and wallpaper
- Wall painting
- Furniture dismantling
- Floor sanding
- Emptying and cleaning the old stables
- Clearing up the land (get rid of the waste left behind by the former owners, clear brambles, cut trees…)
- General cleaning tasks
- Helping with daily chores and cooking
and probably more :)
If you have experience with renovation projects that would be a big plus. We are happy to welcome complete beginners though, as long as you are motivated and hard working.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
We are open to all profiles, no matter the age, race, background, gender, nationality, etc! You just need to be motivated and not scared of getting a little dirty :) We can host solo travellers or couples / friends (as long as you don't mind sharing a double bed)
Some basic English skills would be helpful.
It would be very useful if you had your own vehicle, but it isn't mandatory. You're welcome to borrow our car when we are not using it (or our bikes if you're not scared of hills)
WHAT WE PROVIDE:
You will stay in a double bedroom with a shared bathroom and shared kitchen. The house will be a bit dusty from the renovation works, but the mattresses are brand new and the hot shower works well. We are in the process of getting a septic tank fitted. For now we are using a chemical toilet, but it is as comfortable as a conventional one.
We are happy to provide all the groceries. We are vegetarian but have no problem with our guests buying and cooking meat. We usually take turns in cooking dinners.
We have a good internet connexion that enables working from home, having Zoom calls and watching series in streaming without issues.
The house is located in a tiny village called Luc, close to the Pyrenees. The nearest cities are Tarbes (20mins), Lourdes (30mins), Bagnères de Bigorre (15mins). The closest airport is Lourdes-Tarbes-Pyrénées, about 25mins drive from home.
The area is great for hiking, cycling, (trail) running.
You will have a couple days of rest a week that you could use to chill out, enjoy the spa town of Bagnères, hike in the mountains, visit the beautiful cities of Lourdes, Toulouse or Pau.
We expect you to work roughly 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. The work schedule is flexible and can be discussed when you come (no problem if you'd like to take your rest days during the weekend and/or the week, or if you need to be on your laptop at certain times of the day for example)
WHEN:
Any duration between 2 days and 2 weeks at a time would work for us.
We have some availability pretty much every month, get in touch with us to talk about the details.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Hermine & Paul
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Help around the house
House sitting
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are both open minded and eager to learn about other people's culture, way of life, language, cooking, experiences.
You could use your stay to improve your French and/or your English.
Help
See above:
Help us getting rid of the 70s wallpaper and transform this old farm into a home :)
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
Italian: Beginner
Accommodation
Double bedroom with small balcony and access to the whole house.
Possibility to park a camper van.
What else ...
So many things to do in the Hautes-Pyrénées. Great place for nature lovers and sports enthusiasts. We're also quite close to Lourdes and its sanctuary, and not too far from the beautiful cities of Toulouse and Pau. The town of Bagnères de Bigorre is also lovely.
Public transport isn't the best around here, but we could pick you up from Tarbes-Lourdes airport and give you rides/lend you our car when possible.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have fibre internet and it's been working quite well. We have Zoom calls and stream Netflix on a regular basis without problems.
Space for parking camper vans
You can park your campervan in front of our house.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Feedback (11)
Moreover, their house is super cozy and well-equipped. We had no problem with working… read more
They're very nice people, the communication was easy and they did an great job. Our house was clean when we returned, and all our cats loved them! We didn't spend much time together unfortunately, but enough to see that they are reliable,… read more
They are great to have around. They are interesting, smart, chilled out, open and very funny people. They are very sociable but… read more
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
Moreover, their house is super cozy and well-equipped. We had no problem with working… read more
They're very nice people, the communication was easy and they did an great job. Our house was clean when we returned, and all our cats loved them! We didn't spend much time together unfortunately, but enough to see that they are reliable,… read more
They are great to have around. They are interesting, smart, chilled out, open and very funny people. They are very sociable but… read more
Firstly, thank you both for trusting us with your fur babies, your house and your car! We miss your cats so much! Bombon,… read more
We didn't get to meet them in person, but the communication with them was great and they did an amazing job. They took really good care of our house and plants, and I know our kitties were very well treated too.
We came back to a house that was… read more
The kitties absolutely loved her - she went above and beyond to make sure they were ok and did a lot more than what we… read more
The different facets of their… read more
We asked him to help us with some DIY on the first week (building and fitting shelves made of pallets in our shed).… read more
(If you like cats you are… read more
Amirlan impressed us with her brilliant work ethic, practicality and, last but not least, amazing cooking. She's hardworking, proactive and learns fast. Jack was not always as practical but would tackle every new task with enthusiasm and energy, even… read more
Both are easy going and nice to be around. They have a very positive mindset and are hard working.
They helped us in many tasks, from dry stone wall building in the heat, planting seeds, setting up a watering system in the vegetable garden, harvesting… read more
Sterre and Lucky were absolutely amazing workawayers. They achieved a lot in a couple weeks and we are very grateful they chose to stay at our place.
They are super reliable and can work autonomously - we asked them to rebuild a workshop on their own, using local material like wood and bamboo (caña)… read more
They made us feel welcomed from the beginning and are very kind and open people. They shared lots of stories about their many travel and workaway experiences, and how they broke out of the system, which we really enjoyed… read more
She's very easy going, nice to chat with and has a good sense of humour :)
It was no issue at all for her to adapt to our off grid lifestyle (saving water as much as possible, reducing use of electricity after nightfall...) She is also a hard worker and helped us so much… read more
