Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
27 Sep 2023
Feedback
33
Email verified
Country info
Badges (3)
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Details
Description
We are a family of four who moved from London to Gotland 10 years ago. Marei is a heritage scientist working for the Swedish National Heritage Board. Steve is a musician working freelance. Our boys aged 12 and 15, have a different interests, including, music, dance and football, and they both love meeting new people. We spent the last two years living in Germany and have recently returned to our life on Gotland.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
A chance to learn alongside us about building, growing, gardening and more. We are an English German family, who also speak Swedish quite well, so there is plenty of chance to hone your language skills. It's also a musical house with a lot of instruments and opportunities to play. We are a vegetarian house and we all enjoy cooking and eating good food so there are a lot of chances to share ideas and recipes. In the autumn we press as much apple juice as we can, cook jams, pickle vegetables etc. and at other times of the year we brew beer and fruit wine.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We are looking for people to come and stay to help out in the garden and around the house and who feel comfortable joining in the family life as well as feeling free to do their own thing. We have a large garden which is quite wild in places, we are trying to tame it a little whilst re-establishing our vegetable garden. We will soon have chickens again so some help collecting eggs, feeding, cleaning out will be needed. We are also renovating a guest room in the main house and painting inside and outside. We have two boys aged 12 and 15 who love guests, they can very much look after themselves but enjoy socialising, playing board games and sports. In past summers we have turned our barn into a performance / gallery space and we are looking to do something similar again.
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Swedish: Fluent
French: Beginner
Accommodation
Guest room with double bed, wardrobe, shelves, desk, shared bathroom and access to the whole house. You are more than welcome to join us for all meals, we don't have any meat in the house, all food is vegetarian and sometimes vegan.
What else ...
Gotland is a beautiful, peaceful island, good for exploring by car or bike. We live in the middle making it easy to get to the east and west coasts. There are plenty of good beaches, forest walks and ancient sites to visit. Visby is a picturesque medieval town 15km away, full of bars and restaurants with a real buzz in the summer months. Bike will always be available, and there may be chance to use the car, there is also a limited bus connection taking 20mins to Visby.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
Host ref number: 698745464349
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
+8
Feedback (14)
11 Jun 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Regina & Heinz-Günter)
Regina & Heinz-Günter stayed with us for month in early spring and helped out on lots of different jobs. They sanded floors, painted, scraped off old paint, worked in the garden, put up wall paper in the living room and other jobs too. They were excellent guests, easy to be around, helpful and good with our two boys. They are especially skilled at… read more
(Excellent
)
11 Nov 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (Cordula & Matthias)
Cordula and Mattias came to stay with us for a few weeks and September. They are a lovely couple, very friendly and easy going and fitted into the family easily. As it was apple season they mostly spent their time pressing apple juice (many, many litres of it!) for which we are very grateful. They are very helpful and interesting people, were good… read more
(Excellent
)
3 Nov 2022
Left by Workawayer (Stefan) for host
You can't do anything wrong staying with Marei, Steve, Arno and Elmar!
They are an open hearted and lovely family absolutely willing to integrate you not only in their day to day life and activities, but to be a member of their family!
To experience their level of trust, flexibility, humor and calmness made every minute of my stay wonderful.
It… read more
They are an open hearted and lovely family absolutely willing to integrate you not only in their day to day life and activities, but to be a member of their family!
To experience their level of trust, flexibility, humor and calmness made every minute of my stay wonderful.
It… read more
31 Oct 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (Stefan)
Stefan came to stay with us for two weeks in October and it was a real pleasure for us to have him around. He helped out in the garden weeding the roses and the strawberries and adding compost which meant filling wheelbarrow upon wheelbarrow with horse poo and pushing it quite a long way, very hard work! He also helped with some building work and… read more
(Excellent
)
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
+8
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
11 Jun 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Regina & Heinz-Günter)
Regina & Heinz-Günter stayed with us for month in early spring and helped out on lots of different jobs. They sanded floors, painted, scraped off old paint, worked in the garden, put up wall paper in the living room and other jobs too. They were excellent guests, easy to be around, helpful and good with our two boys. They are especially skilled at… read more
(Excellent)
11 Nov 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (Cordula & Matthias)
Cordula and Mattias came to stay with us for a few weeks and September. They are a lovely couple, very friendly and easy going and fitted into the family easily. As it was apple season they mostly spent their time pressing apple juice (many, many litres of it!) for which we are very grateful. They are very helpful and interesting people, were good… read more
(Excellent)
3 Nov 2022
Left by Workawayer (Stefan) for host
You can't do anything wrong staying with Marei, Steve, Arno and Elmar!
They are an open hearted and lovely family absolutely willing to integrate you not only in their day to day life and activities, but to be a member of their family!
To experience their level of trust, flexibility, humor and calmness made every minute of my stay wonderful.
It… read more
They are an open hearted and lovely family absolutely willing to integrate you not only in their day to day life and activities, but to be a member of their family!
To experience their level of trust, flexibility, humor and calmness made every minute of my stay wonderful.
It… read more
31 Oct 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (Stefan)
Stefan came to stay with us for two weeks in October and it was a real pleasure for us to have him around. He helped out in the garden weeding the roses and the strawberries and adding compost which meant filling wheelbarrow upon wheelbarrow with horse poo and pushing it quite a long way, very hard work! He also helped with some building work and… read more
(Excellent)
24 Aug 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (Katharina)
Kathi and Linus stayed with us for a month and then came back for a further two weeks to house sit whilst we were away on holiday. They both made huge contributions whilst they were here through Linus's excellent DIY work and Kathi's fabulous gardening. They were also good to be around, very easy going and became involved in family life, helping… read more
(Excellent)
10 Jul 2022
Left by Workawayer (Katharina) for host
We stayed with Marei, Steve, Arno and Elmar for almost three weeks and really enjoyed our time at their wonderful place! They are very generous people, easy-going, open, and great to be around.
Our tasks included weeding, picking strawberries, taking care of the chickens (<3), taking the dog Otto for walks, go on little trips with the boys,… read more
Our tasks included weeding, picking strawberries, taking care of the chickens (<3), taking the dog Otto for walks, go on little trips with the boys,… read more
18 May 2022
Left by Workawayer (Henrike) for host
I stayed for about 4 weeks in April/May and had a wonderful time at Mareis and Steves. From the very beginning they made me feel very welcome and integrated. The whole family is very open and helpful and I was never afraid to ask any questions.
I enjoyed the work in the garden where I could choose from many different tasks, so I never got bored… read more
I enjoyed the work in the garden where I could choose from many different tasks, so I never got bored… read more
16 May 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (Henrike)
Henrike stayed with us for close to a month, she did a lot of work in the garden, preparing the beds, potting out seedlings, mowing the lawns and much more. She walked our dog often, helped around the house too, sometimes cooking dinner and occasionally looking after the boys. Henrike is super helpful, positive and can work independently. She is… read more
(Excellent)
26 Oct 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Stina)
Stina came to us with her friend Krissi and stayed for around 2 weeks in August. They were both nice to have around, they were helpful and polite and were not afraid to have a go and take some initiative. They helped out in the garden, painted one of our barns and were always up for playing a game or two. We would recommend hosting Stina (and… read more
(Excellent)
1 Sep 2021
Left by Workawayer (Stina) for host
We stayed with Marei and Steve for 3 Weeks in August and from day one we really felt super comfortable and welcomed!
We had really flexible working hours and didn't only enjoy the interesting conversations with them at the dinner table, playing board games and cooking together, but also our work there, wich included painting the barn, different… read more
We had really flexible working hours and didn't only enjoy the interesting conversations with them at the dinner table, playing board games and cooking together, but also our work there, wich included painting the barn, different… read more
26 Oct 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Carina)
It was nice to meet Carina and have her help out around the house and garden for a few weeks, she also spent some time with the boys and took our dog for walks too. Carina is easy going and talkative and nice to have around. We would recommend hosting Carina.
(Excellent)
28 Jul 2021
Left by Workawayer (Carina) for host
I've stayed with Steve and Marei for 10 days. It was a lovely experience and I really enjoyed my stay. I was able to see the Island and got to know the family. Thank you so much , I am so grateful for everything and can totally recommend it to other workaway's.
6 Jul 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Aurélie)
Aurelie is a very nice person to have around, she is happy and gentle and kind and we all enjoyed having her here. Aurelie was happy to work and had no problems doing whichever task we set which included working in the garden, cooking painting and walking the dog. We recommend hosting Aurelie as your workaway.
(Excellent)
6 Jul 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Veronika)
Veronika is a very happy, helpful and positive person. She is very easy to get along with and has a good sense of humour. Her attitude towards work is excellent and she always made a good job of whatever we asked of her. The whole family enjoyed having her here, our dog in particular! We recommend hosting Veronika as a workaway.
(Excellent)
30 Jun 2021
Left by Workawayer (Veronika) for host
I had a lovely week with Steve, Marei, Arno and Elma. I felt welcome from the first moment I arrived. The work was really nice, I liked spending time with the boys, walking Otto around the pond and helping out at the barn. I’m really grateful that you showed me around beautiful Gotland. I wish I could have stayed longer.
Thank you for everything.
Thank you for everything.
20 May 2021
Left by Workawayer (Josephine & Luis) for host
Marei, Steve, Arno and Elmar are amazing and loving people. We felt very welcome in their home like it was our own and enjoyed every single day of our stay on Gotland.
In the mornings we woke up and enjoyed the fresh bread Steve baked and listened to his trumpet play. With Marei we often worked in the garden or on the field. She explained us a… read more
In the mornings we woke up and enjoyed the fresh bread Steve baked and listened to his trumpet play. With Marei we often worked in the garden or on the field. She explained us a… read more
18 Apr 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Josephine & Luis)
Jose has been with us for a few weeks with two friends, other workaways with their own profile, Basti and Rike, I mention this as they are travelling together at the moment so this review is in a way for all of them. They have been excellent guests, pro-active, enthusiastic, energetic and hard working. All three are super easy to get along with… read more
(Excellent)
18 Apr 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Bastian)
Basti has been with us for a few weeks with two friends, other workaways with their own profile, Jose and Rike, I mention this as they are travelling together at the moment so this review is in a way for all of them. They have been excellent guests, pro-active, enthusiastic, energetic and hard working. All three are super easy to get along with… read more
(Excellent)
13 Feb 2021
Left by Workawayer (Seb & Camille) for host
We spent 3 weeks at Steve and Marei's place and time flew by. We worked mostly in the garden and also a bit renovating a smaller house, and collecting tiles, lots of tiles ^^ We enjoyed everything! It was really easy going. The kids are fun to hang around with and we loved playing boardgames together. We also went on a nice trip to the beach! We… read more
23 Jan 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Seb & Camille)
Seb and Camille stayed with us for a few weeks in the autumn. They did a lot of work in the garden, harvesting the last apples, preparing the beds for winter, moving and spreading compost and lots of other tasks. They are good workers and nice people too, friendly and easy to be around and our boys really liked them too. We definitely recommend… read more
(Excellent)
23 Jan 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Tiphaine)
Tiphaine stayed with us for a few weeks in the autumn. She helped out around the house, in the garden, and spent time with the kids and the dog. She is very easy to get along with, friendly, nice to chat to, positive and always up for helping with whatever needs doing. We enjoyed hosting her and we definitely recommend her as a workaway.
(Excellent)
9 Dec 2020
Left by Workawayer (Tiphaine) for host
For my first experience on workaway, I stayed 3 weeks in Ekeby with this family and what a great experience it was ! Steve and Marei are really welcoming, they will make you feel comfortable in their home. They are really kind people, open-minded, helpful with english (I still try to improve myself with "th" sound) and flexible with the working… read more
27 Jul 2020
Left by host for Workawayer (Sebastian)
Seb is super helpful and very easy to get along with. we all enjoyed having him here. He worked really well alone even though I know he would have liked a little more company, (we were a little busy with our own work) but nevertheless he worked hard and made a good job of whatever was asked of him. He would often say "just tell me how to do it and… read more
(Excellent)
2 Jul 2020
Left by Workawayer (Sebastian) for host
I spend 20 days with this amazing family. I did a few jobs there help with the strawberries, potatoes, weeding, shoveling compost, covering the strawberries, cutting the grass, taking apart the little house. In our free time we went to do some trekking to ruins, swimming in the beach, go to friends for dinner or fika, play with the boys Arno, Elma… read more
19 Jun 2020
Left by Workawayer (Claude) for host
Vi talade på norska-svenska, och jag är inte god att skriva på engelska, så det blir här på "svorska"! Jag kom till Steve och Marei först for två veckor. Men så gillade jag dem så mycket, med pojkarna Elmar och Arno och med alla gästerna som kom på besök (och så måste jag inte glömma hönorna!), att jag stannade fem veckor. Det är INTE sant, som… read more
19 Jun 2020
Left by host for Workawayer (Claude)
We are very happy to have met Claude. Claude was easy to be around, an interesting man with a lot of experience of people and the world. He worked super hard (a little too hard!) and worked well too. He offered ideas, suggestions and solutions and was very happy to work on his own and get things done. He was very good with our two boys and became… read more
(Excellent)
17 Oct 2019
Left by Workawayer (Charlotte & Larissa) for host
In September 2019 we spent three weeks with this lovely family. From the beginning we felt really comfortable. We felt like they didn't only see us as workawayers but as a part of their family, that works independently.
Our jobs included picking tomatoes, courgettes and raspberries, splitting and stacking the wood as well as cooking marmelade,… read more
29 Sep 2019
Left by host for Workawayer (Charlotte & Larissa)
Larissa and Charlotte stayed with us for three weeks and were perfect workaway guests. They had no problem working on whatever jobs we gave them which included chopping, stacking and moving wood, harvesting vegetables, playing with the boys, cleaning the chicken house, cooking and more. They were both happy and enthusiastic and we would recommend… read more
(Excellent)
29 Sep 2019
Left by host for Workawayer (Josua)
We were very happy with Josua as a workaway. He is easy going, relaxed and worked hard at whatever job we gave him and best of all was happy and confident to make his own decisions. He has good skills as an artist and painted a few signs for our art gallery/concert hall and our little vegetable shop, signs which will be used for a long time I'm… read more
(Excellent)
29 Sep 2019
Left by host for Workawayer (Anuleena)
It was great having Anuleena stay with us. She helped out a lot around the house and the garden and was very happy to do so. She is a gentle person, very polite, interesting, helpful, enthusiastic, patient and easy to be around and both our boys loved spending time with her. We would absolutely recommend hosting Anuleena.
(Excellent)
24 Sep 2019
Left by Workawayer (Anuleena) for host
I had a fantastic stay at their house! This family is very friendly and welcoming and I felt comfortable asking anything I needed help with. Perfect Workaway hosts for anyone who loves exploring the world. Not only a great cultural experience, but I also learned a lot about gardening, sustainability and country living. I visited Visby multiple… read more
26 Aug 2018
Left by Workawayer (Thorben & Tanja) for host
A big thanks to Marei and Steve! We had three wonderful weeks with Steve, Marei and their kids. We enjoyed helping them with work in the garden, painting outdoor furniture and prepearing a family celebration. You can also look forward to have a great time with Steve's and Marei's children - be prepared to play a lot of football and to answer smart… read more
4 Aug 2018
Left by host for Workawayer (Thorben & Tanja)
Tanja and Thorben were / are the perfect workaway guests, they worked hard and with enthusiasm, were confident in making their own decisions about how things should be done and always had suggestions for things they may do or help with. They are good company, good cooks, incredibly helpful, considerate, conscientious, our children fell in love… read more
(Excellent)
