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Host rating
80 %
Last replied
5 Apr 2024
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Description
Hello! We are a family of four living near Victoria, BC in Central Saanich. I am a Social Worker in healthcare. My husband is a Shipwright (building and repairing wooden boats). Our oldest is in college this year and youngest is in high school. Our home often has people staying from all corners of the world. We have hosted international high school students for over fifteen years.
Our home is situated in the middle of beautiful farm fields but it's a short walk to local shops and buses to downtown Victoria or Sidney (25-30mins downtown by bus). A few of us like board games and we have a large collection of games! We have lots of musical instruments in the house. It's a busy household, so we're not able to be tour guides, but we do like to share all that our area has to offer and will happily support our guests in making the most of their time on the Island.
We have an average sized, no-frills, spare bedroom (with farm and ocean views). We could use some help with daily housework and help with the animals and the garden. Someone with landscaping experience would be appreciated; basically, there needs to be a willingness to dig in the dirt, haul some materials around and try to help us manage our outdoor space. We have animals: chickens, cats, and a dog. It's not a farm, just a fairly big yard and garden! Our animals are very friendly so this is a great place for someone looking for some good cat, dog, or chicken cuddles. ;)
We are also looking for a house/animal sitter for various times throughout the summer as we try to get away camping! Ideally, we'd have folks stay for at least a couple of weeks at a time.
Dates that we can host in 2024 are in the summer and fall, when much of the garden work is to be done, but other times of the year may work too...feel free to ask!
The room best suits a single traveler, but we may consider a couple if they are willing to live in a big canvas tent outdoors!Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practiceGardeningDIY and building projectsAnimal CareCreating/ Cooking family mealsHelp around the houseGeneral MaintenanceCultural exchange and learning opportunities
The Saanich Peninsula is one of the most beautiful places in the world and we love sharing our knowledge of the area and our home with fun, creative, and interesting travelers! A quick search of this area will show the myriad outdoor activities that the area has to offer. The Boulders Climbing Facility is nearby and we are on the Peninsula Rail Trail and near the Lochside Trail for cycling, running, horseback riding etc. Panorama Recreation Centre is not far away.
Help
Our backyard has had a recent overhaul (including a new hot tub!) and there are still sections to work on. Overgrown perennials need to be divided and moved, and trees and hedges pruned. Vegetable garden will need to be tended, weeded, maybe planted depending on time of year. In the house, there may be some small projects like painting.
Help with the daily housework would be greatly appreciated - dusting, vacuuming, dishes. Think of the things that a busy working mom hasn't had much time for lately! We're not necessarily looking for all of this in one person - these are just things that we would consider trading room and board for.Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
French: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
I would love to learn more and practice my Spanish!Accommodation
Small-Medium room with closet, double bed, desk, and bookshelf. Room is on the ground floor and has views over the farm fields to the ocean. It's a very quiet, dead-end street with a great community vibe. The workshop is attached to the house so there may be woodworking tools running during the day or early evening. We can discuss whether sharing meals and food works or not - we're open to either option. We eat quite healthy meals - vegetarian always available.
In Summer and early fall, the other option for accommodation is a "glamping" set up in the garden. This would be quieter and allow for more privacy.What else ...
We have over fifteen years of experience hosting international high school students. We've also hosted an Au Pair for a summer and an international house-sitter who chose to stay with us for a few months paying some rent and working locally. We've hosted Workawayers on and off for several years now. We're pretty flexible to terms; we have a room and are looking for a person that will be a good fit for our family for a cultural exchange. It's not a mellow house because we are in and out to work, with friends and family popping by regularly. It is a family home, so we prefer a single person who doesn't want to have groups of people over, parties, etc. We can't be tour guides the whole time, but we're happy to set our guests up to find adventure. Sadly, we don't have time to do most of the adventuring these days ourselves until we're on holiday!
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have unlimited, very fast WiFi. A previous Workaway found it a great place to work remotely.
Space for parking camper vans
Small van or camper can park on the street or driveway.
How many Workawayers can stay?
One
Hours expected
Maximum 4 hours a day, 5 days a week
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-Heather (and family)