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Host rating
80 %
Last replied
30 Mar 2025
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Details
Description
** Update Spring 2025 : we have a room available from beginning of May onwards, for Spring/Summer…**
We propose nice accomodation in Lille (very convenient location very, very close to the center and all amenities), in a large room and in a flat share of 3 rooms located on the top of our family house. You will have your independance as well as interactions with our family and your 2 flatmates. We need rather little help compared to other workaway places, therefore the volunteer will buy and cook his/her food in his/her kitchen.
Ideal for someone (or a family, a couple, 2-3 friends) who wants to learn/practice French (possibly French roomates + Summer French course 5 min walk form home - it’s called Alliance française Lille Summer intensive French course in July - many options available - details on their website, many cultural and international activities), or who will start studying in Lille in September and needs time to visit and find a flat.
There aren't many hours of tasks and it's flexible as about when to do them so perfect for someone who needs to study in a language school, or works from home (desk and wifi available), or studies, or have a creative activity, or needs to escape form home after all this covid difficulties, or plans to explore !
We are a French family of 4 (but in July and August 23 the kids won't be much at home):
> Ronan & Claire, 40 years old, passionated about food, wine, books, crafts, flee markets, ecology, languages, education, economics, getting together with families and friends. Our hobbies are related to food, wine, crafts, children, friends and family, local tourism, decorating our house... Ronan runs often and will be happy to recommend itineraries.
> Charles, 10 years old, passionated about books, geography, playmobils, history, books, roller skating, books, climbing, outdoor games, and did I mention books ?
> Abigael, 7 years old, found of climbing, drawing, roller skating, gardening, jokes, and books too !
> + on the independant 2nd floor where you'd live, you would share with 2 other persons in the 2 other rooms. In May it'll be Alberto, 35 years old ingeneer from Spain, and Jo-Anne, 23 years old medical student from the Netherlands.
We've practiced and enjoyed other hosting platforms before we had a family, we've also both lived abroad, and are happy to now welcome the world in our house (we see Workaway somewhere between c.surfing and au-pair : ideal for families like us who would be happy to be given a hand, while sharing culture and house and nice time with people, with flexibility) !
At that moment of our family life we unfortunately don't have a lot of time to share with workawayers. Still we are hosting with pleasure and are available most days for a chat and occasionaly share meals, just note that staying at our place is better for someone independant or who is not looking for daily social interaction with the family. (although social interaction can be found with the 2nd floor roommates :-))
Plus the house is very well located to add social life : language lessons/swaps ? meetings with other internationals ? Cultural or sport activities... we can give advice about about these).
We can give you more details and discuss all that before commiting to each other of course.
.. lovely update 2021 : proving that an active social life is possible living at ours, we are SO HAPPY to announce that a workaway volunteer who came from South America some months in 2019 met a fantastic local while staying at ours and they have now been married for a couple of years !!! Workaway and Northern France magic <3 <3 <3 félicitations Paula et Gauthier!!
keywords just in case: baby-sitting, wood, canguro, madera, cocer, niños, jardin, Ukraine, frances, autonomia, autonomous, réfugié, langues, coudre, enfants, cuidar, travail du bois, menuisier, peinture, pintar, rangement, ménage, limpieza, ville, ciudad, intercambio, swaps, bricolage, réparation, jardin, construire, peinture, livres, books, libros.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
The house has more than 100 years old and is full of charm ! It is very confortable as the main renovation works are done. There's a small quiet garden.
OUR HOUSE IN LILLE
We live very close to the center town and to a tube station, « Fives » (2 min walk). Many facilities and cultural places are also very close (3-8 min walk) : bakeries, farmers markets, supermarkets, nice library, swimming pool, little parcs, yoga classes, museums, music and art classes, LANGUAGE CLASSES 5 min walk away (French and English - see Alliance française and Centre culturel britannique)....
The location of the house (2 min walk form the tube station - 2/3 tube stations to the very center) is perfect to quickly go to university, to the center of Lille and to the train station, to the numerous cultural places (theaters, opera, "maison folie", etc. etc.), shopping centers etc.
LILLE, VIBRANT CULTURAL CITY
Lille (among France’s 10 biggest cities), is a big vibrant city with many students, many free cultural activities, languages swaps and language schools, nice museums, many concerts venues, many great ways of learning French and the French way of living.
WE LIVE IN THE HEART OF EUROPE !
Another great asset : Lille is amazingly located to visit Europe and enjoy nature !
- The sea > 1 h by train or driving
- Paris > 1 h by train (from central Lille to central Paris)
- London > 1h30 by train (from central Lille to central London)
- The Uk (Kent) > 1 h by train, 3 h driving + ferry
- Belgium > less than 30 min drive or train ; Brussels at 40 min by train ; Bruges rather close too
- The Netherdlands > 2 h by train or driving
- Germany > 2 h by train or driving
- beautiful French regions such as Normandy, Brittany > 2-5 h by train
- southern France > 3-4 h by train !
WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO
- allow you to have your own space and privacy : the room is on the top floor and well separated with our family floors
- give you advice on how to best enjoy Lille (we've been here for a while and love and know well the city)
- lend you some books
- help you with your French if wanted
- introduce you to our favorite local dishes and products
- teach you about wine
- keep practising English or Spanish, or learn some words of another language
- ...get a medal for writing the longest Workaway profile ever !!! (Claire is always happy to notice in your message that you've read it all and understood + or - what we're looking for !)
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We need a little bit of help in the house (nice big old house that we are renovating). Looking for someone rather independant, and why not a couple, or friends ! We would also be happy to host a family.
Someone from abroad, or a French. The most important is that we get on well !
OUR NEEDS
Depending on what your skills are and on our needs when you'll be there, we need :
- help with CLEANING (spring cleaning for instance)
- WOODWORK/carpentry to build some shelves if you have that talent
- help decorating some parts of the house (PAINTING furniture or walls)
- we would be happy to host someone who knows well plants, sewing, embroidery, upholstery, furniture restoration, lampshade making...
- BABY SITTING sometime (if you are happy to and experienced; mostly in May-June 2025 (in July and August the kids will be at their grandparents a lot)
TASKS AND MEALS
There is a 2nd kitchen and a 2nd bathroom on "your" floor (a floor dedicated to guests/to the 2 very nice students we host in the school year), so we propose a light workaway : 12 h/ week, with flexibility about when to help) in exchange for the accomodation and the use of that kitchen and bathroom. This means you'll have independance, but also that you'll have to buy and cook your food.
We can also discuss this, make an other arrangement and provide food if you need.
OUR HABITS AND WAY OF LIVING
- As a family with young children, we generally go to bed (and are up) early. Hosts can of course sleep later/go out as long as they aren't too noisy...
- We love great quality food and are wine lovers and Ronan is a wine connoiser (but without excessive consumption), we don't smoke/do drugs and smoking isn't permitted in the house (smoking is in the garden).
- We try to have a sustainable way of living
- There is always someone around the house if you need it as Ronan works from home
- No car nor driving licence needed (all very accessible by foot, bike, tube, train, bus).
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
We would love to keep practising Spanish and English, and/or learn some words of another language. Happy, too, to speack French with you and teach nice anecdots or subtilities of our language !
Accommodation
1 or 2 private bedrooms, sometimes 3 are available in our house in Spring-Summer (beginning of May-end of August). In the University year (Sept to May or June) there is generally no room available, but see calendar.
"Your" room is on a separate floor, on top of the house, where there are 3 bedrooms + 1 bathroom + 1 kitchen. In the school year 2 /3 rooms are rent to 2/3 friendly and easy going student.
We prefer not to share all the meals together (remember French have specific habits with meals :) - and it's an important moment we share as a family). As you'll have your own kitchen that should be easy ! And we like to think that some workawayers are happy to have their independance that way. Of course some occasional meals can be shared for you to taste our favorite dishes and specialities or to allow us to taste yours and to have nice moments together !
What else ...
Feel free to contact us to know more about us, what we offer, and about the house (we can send photos, translate parts of thé description into French or Spanish, give infos on some activities in Lille for instance).
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Decent wifi connexion
Can possibly accept pets
We live in a city and the house isn't perfect at all for an animal, but at the same time our kids are afraid of dogs, and we know that getting to know an adorable dog would help them, so why not thinking of it !
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (18)
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(4.7)
Communication:
(5.0)
She completed each missions we gave her with energy, a positive state of mind, care for details, always a smile, and her French is très bon! Oh and she bakes very well. Looking for a… read more
Claire's place is a 20 minute walk from Veiux-Lille, one the most attractive parts of Lille, at least from my point of view. The house is very cool and stylish and the room that I stayed at, was very comfortable.
In terms of the tasks, they were fair and easy. I did… read more
The first thing I received from the family was a note on the desk welcoming me, some cookies and fruit in case I arrived hungry.
They are a phenomenal family, you really have a great time with them, they are very willing to help you with anything you… read more
We helped painting walls and renovating some of the decoration. The amount of work is really light, only 10 hours per week, and we could… read more
We are happy to have him as a neighbour now that he has settled ! à… read more
Hope you find some nice Workawayers to fulfill the next parts of your stairwell-project.
Greet Charles from me and maybe ... once upon a time ... I… read more
I recommend them 100% !!!
I really hope to see you again… read more
I definitely recommend… read more
She is a reliable person, willing to help, discreet and respectful, clean, flexible, smily, and good at languages !
We recomend her !!
They were very nice hosts and workers, we recomend them !
Merci Beaucoup :D
It was a good first WKW experience, and we recommend you to host her !
