Be part of reviving our home in Dordogne, France

Details

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  Description

  --- Who We Are & What We Offer ---
  
  Hi, we’re Scott and Alex, originally Australian and French. After living and working around the world for 2 decades, we ended up renovating an abandoned property in Montenegro, and now we’re starting a new challenge:
  
  Giving back to a stunning abandoned stone estate in Dordogne its original beauty!
  It is nestled on one hectare of land bordering a forest. The property includes several dwellings with many bedrooms and bathrooms, hasn’t been lived in for five years, is cluttered with the previous owner’s belongings, and has a few leaks. Our goal is to restore it to the beauty it truly deserves and we'd love to share a part of this journey with you!
  
  We are learning every day how to live closer to the land and become more sustainable. In Montenegro, we lived a semi off-grid and active lifestyle, that we shared with many WorkAway and friends from around the world. We enjoy cooking good food from scratch, playing music (Scott plays guitar, and we love jamming together), exploring the outdoors through walks, wild swimming, or simply relaxing in peaceful natural surroundings.
  
  Dordogne is one of the most beautiful regions of France, known for its stunning medieval villages, lively markets, rich gastronomy, history, nature, and culture. The area also has a vibrant international community, which we really enjoy being part of!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Sustainability

  

  Self development

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  Pets

  

  Farming

  

  Events & social

  

  Culture

  

  Charity work

  

  Plant care

  

  Photography

  

  Music

  

  History

  

  Gardening

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Carpentry

  

  Books

  

  Art & design

  

  Architecture

  

  Animals

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Winter sports

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Nature

  

  Adventure sports
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We truly love the Workaway concept and have been hosting guests for eight years now (you can find our Workaway profile in Montenegro by searching for 'house sitting montenegro' on Workaway website.)
  
  Sharing skills, life perspectives, cultures, and experiences — sometimes playing music together, exploring the area, and swapping stories and laughs — is something we really cherish. On top of that, Workaway guests help us tackle big projects, keeping us motivated as we make progress and enjoy the results together. Over the years, we’ve made lifelong friends among the wonderful people we’ve hosted.
  
  We’re open to learning anything new and enjoy passing on our skills and life stories to our guests:
  
  Scott is handy with tools, enjoys playing guitar and singing, and knows quite a bit about plants and wildlife from spending time outdoors. He’s trained in carpentry and engineering, can do some welding, and has an interest in history and archaeology—plus, he brings a relaxed Aussie sense of humor.
  
  Alexandra is creative and loves looking after her Montenegrin chickens and rabbits, and work in the garden. She spends time painting, trying out new crafts, fixing things, and decorating. She has a background in project management, and environmental work (Zero Waste NGO and social enterprise creations).

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  It was love at first sight. Then, on second sight, we realized this gorgeous property—abandoned for five years—needs a serious dose of TLC: cleaning, painting, sanding, moving furniture, gardening, weeding, moving stuff around, decorating, and basically turning chaos into charm. It's always a rewarding process to see an abandonned place turning day by day into a jem!
  
  --- How We Work ---
  
  We plan to work roughly from 10 am to 1 pm, take a lunch break, then work again from 2 pm to 4 pm, about five days a week—depending on how intense the work is, the weather, etc
  
  Once or twice a week, we take an afternoon off to go explore the area or go on a walk or picnic together.
  
  For short-term stays, Scott usually cooks delicious dinners that we share together in the big house. Lunches are simple—think wraps and such—and we provide breakfast supplies for our Workaway guests in their own house.
  
  For longer stays, we typically give our Workaway guests a weekly allowance so they can cook for themselves in their kitchen. We also invite each other to dinner several times a week to eat together!
  
  And those who don’t cook? Well, they do the dishes! (Alexandra included)😜
  
  We provide three meals a day or a food allowance on working days. Guests are welcome to stay in the guest house on their days off and take care of their own meals.
  
  Scott is famous for cooking incredibly tasty, flavorful meals! Most are not vegetarian, so if you’re vegetarian, you’ll probably cook for yourself—but of course, we can still eat together!
  
  --- Who We Are Looking For ---
  
  We are seeking Workawayers who are genuinely interested in our project and eager to discover and share our alternative lifestyle. You should enjoy working both outdoors and indoors and not be afraid of a few insects or thorny bushes! :-)
  
  We prefer couples/duo's, as they tend to be more independent, and those with their own transportation for the same reason—but this is not an absolute requirement!
  
  Ideally, we welcome Workawayers with some life experience (minimum 25 years old), who are self-motivated, have good problem-solving skills, and possess a fair amount of common sense. We also love those with music and/or singing skills! :-)
  
  We always appreciate guests with handy skills like woodworking, as we often have small projects that need the right expertise, but this is not essential.
  
  We’re looking for Workawayers who speak English well enough to have meaningful conversations, since Scott doesn’t speak French very well yet, and it’s much nicer for everyone to be able to chat together! :-)
  
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  Does is sound appealing to you? Send us a message telling us what are your motivations to apply, skills you can share and availability to be with us.
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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  You will stay in the guest house, which has 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and its own equipped kitchen and living-room. We will be heating ourselves with firewood in the winter, the chimney is located in the living area.
  
  ---What To Take With You ---
  
  OCTOBER - MAY
  good rainproof jacket and shoes
  warm clothes for chill evenings
  slippers for indoors
  torch (headlight recommended)
  
  JUNE - SEPTEMBER
  hat or clothes that protect you from the sun
  good pair of shoes to work outdoors
  slippers for indoors
  torch (headlight recommended)

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  What else ...

  There is a small train station just 10 minutes dirve form the property, and we'll run errands to the nearby towns and villages regularly.
  
  We don’t smoke and aren’t keen on cigarette smoke, but we can welcome discreet occasional smokers.
  
  There won’t be internet access at the start of the project, so make sure you have internet in your phone before you arrive if you need it.
  
  If you have a van, we can find a spot on the land where you can park it.

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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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  Space for parking camper vans

  We don't have internet access yet, so it would be good for you to have a French (e-)SIM card if you wish to be connected during your stay. We have space for one campervan outside, and use of a bathroom inside one house.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

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