Help with gardening and DIY in my little cottage at Lake Iseo, Northern Italy

Details

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  Description

  My name is Laura. I worked at the university as a lecturer of the Italian language for several years. Currently, I work in a different field, but I am also studying environmental psychology.
  Last year (2023), in November, I bought this cottage at the lake, half concrete made (ground floor), and half wooden made (first floor). It's my first "sweet home" and a peaceful place to stay and to study, far away from the traffic and the noises of the town. For me, this cottage is a little paradise and shortly, I would like to use it for some social purpose like a "summer camp" for young people with special needs (autistic or Asperger teenagers, for example).
  I've just finished (at the end of June) renovating the wooden first floor of the cottage. However, some little things remain to be done, as painting the balcony fence.
  There is also still a lot to do on the ground floor, where there is the basement with a large room (to be painted) + a laundry (to be painted) + a bathroom (to be fixed), and in the "non-garden" (to be revolutioned). Well, currently it is a super steep piece of land, more than a garden. There are some olive trees to take care of, and a lot of bushes to cut. I would need some help cutting grass, bushes, and trees, but also with (simple) stair construction.
  A person who knows about green maintenance/gardening would be very welcome; the land shape (so steep!) is not simple to cope with.
  Behind the cottage there is a forest, and in a 20-minute walk, Lake Iseo with its mountains, Montisola island in the middle, and a lot of lovely places to visit.
  Sulzano, the village where it is located, is a good starting point to explore Lake Iseo, Franciacorta, ValCamonica, the Alps, and the Lombardy region.
  At the lake, you can enjoy fish cuisine, canoeing, cycling, warm temperatures from April to October, and many many one-day trips around the lake.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Lessons in Italian language or Japanese language (if requested), cooking together some recipes, suggestions about the places to visit in the surroundings.

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  Help

  Tree&bush cutting, olive trees' care, gardening (grass cutting, managing invasive plants, simple stairs building, mainly), repairings here and there, painting the iron-made frame/structure of the terrace/balcony, the groundfloor's inner walls, and other little things related to the daily maintenance of the cottage.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Italian: Fluent
  Japanese: Fluent
  English: 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

  The cottage has a bedroom for my family and a bedroom for a guest (1 single bed). There is a bathroom on the first floor, where the family lives, and a bathroom on the ground floor, that can be used during the summer. On the first floor, there is also a large terrace with a panoramic view of the lake and the mountains, a kitchen, a sitting space, and my studying space. The workawayer can cook on his/her own or together with me from Friday to Monday. I work for 3 days per week far away from the place, and I am away from home on those days. So the lunch and the dinner too in those days should be arranged by the guest himself/herself, autonomously.
  I am at the cottage from Friday to Monday to take care of it.
  The guest-workawayer should have a certain grade of autonomy. And I would like that he/she to help me with cooking and cleaning too, because my impression about some previous experiences is that my guests thought to be in a five-star hotel...but it is not...I need help with daily things too like cooking and cleaning.
  I am not a super chatty person but I would love to help my guest with his/her learning of Italian and enjoying his/her company while we work together at the cottage.

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  What else ...

  One day or half day trips around Lake Iseo and Lombardy region, canoa, cycling, visiting Montisola Island in the middle of the lake, Lovere willage, called "the pearl of Lake Iseo", the Zone Natural Park or Torbiere Natural Park and so on.
  The nearest airport is Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport (1 hour by car).

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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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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  Hours expected

  4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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