Make new friends in beautiful countryside near Sommant, France

Infos

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  Description

  🌿 Create, Renovate & Enjoy Slow Life in the Morvan (Bourgogne, France)
  > LAST MINUTE > April / May
  
  Hi Workawayers!
  
  I’m Jeroen (35), Dutch architect, optimist by nature, and currently renovating a beautiful 100+ year old house in the hills of the Morvan Natural Park, central France.
  This place is peaceful, surrounded by valleys, cows, birds and big skies.
  
  It’s a project — but also a lifestyle choice. I’m building something slowly, consciously and with good energy.
  And I’d love to share that journey.
  
  
  👋 About Me
  
  I grew up between forest and lake in the Netherlands, spent years sailing, studied architecture and started my own practice in 2016.
  In 2023 I converted a camper van myself and drove to the most northern and southern tips of Europe. I love freedom, nature, design, meaningful conversations and new ideas.
  I’m social, calm, honest and very positive. I value depth over drama, connection over noise.
  Open-minded and LGBTQ+ friendly 🏳️‍🌈
  
  
  🏡 The Project
  
  In April 2024 I bought this countryside house with 5500m² of garden.
  
  My vision:
  • Renovate the interior step by step
  • Create a beautiful vegetable garden
  • Build a chicken coop
  • Maintain fruit trees
  • Turn this into a warm, welcoming place
  
  This is not a fast renovation. It’s thoughtful, hands-on and collaborative.
  
  
  🤝 Who I’m Looking For
  
  People who are:
  • Kind & emotionally mature
  • Positive and proactive
  • Responsible and independent
  • Not afraid of physical work
  • Interested in learning and sharing skills
  
  Experience with DIY, gardening or cooking is a big plus.
  
  This is ideal for people who enjoy:
  – Slow countryside life
  – Helping with their hands
  – Shared dinners outside
  – Meaningful conversations
  – Being part of something evolving
  
  
  🛠️ What We’ll Work On (April – October 2026)
  
  Main projects:
  • Gardening & trimming
  • DIY / renovation help
  • Cooking (we rotate)
  
  Side projects:
  • Vegetable garden
  • Chicken coop
  • Fruit tree maintenance
  
  I prefer to do tasks together as much as possible — sharing skills and learning from each other.
  
  
  🍽️ Daily Life
  
  • 3 vegetarian meals per day (you don’t have to be vegetarian)
  • Cooking is shared
  • Supermarket trips twice a week
  • Work rhythm: approx. 4–5 hours/day, 5 days/week
  
  The house is liveable during renovation.
  
  Sleeping options:
  • Two bedrooms + separate bathroom
  • Garden space for tent and camper van
  • Small renovated retro caravan (185x100 bed)
  
  I can pick you up in Autun (71400).
  TGV to Le Creusot is easy.
  Having a car is helpful but not required.
  
  
  🌞 The Atmosphere
  
  Evenings are often outside, with shared dinners, conversations and sunsets over the valley.
  This is not a party place.
  It’s a calm, creative, grounded environment.
  If you’re looking for connection, purpose, nature and good energy — you’ll probably feel at home here.
  
  
  📩 If This Resonates
  
  Send me a message and tell me:
  • Who you are
  • What motivates you
  • What skills you bring
  • Why this place speaks to you
  
  Looking forward to meeting beautiful souls in 2026.
  
  All the best,
  Jeroen

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Pratique d’une langue

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Entretien général
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  Centres d’intérêt

  

  Films et télé

  

  Culture

  

  Bénévolat

  

  Technologie

  

  Végétarien ou végan

  

  Vie en van

  

  Dev. durable

  

  Dev. personnel

  

  LGBT+

  

  Soin des plantes

  

  Auto-stop

  

  Langues

  

  Jardinage

  

  Dessin et peinture

  

  Bricolage / artisanat

  

  Cuisine et alimentation

  

  Menuiserie

  

  Livres

  

  Art et design

  

  Architecture

  

  Animaux

  

  Yoga / bien-être

  

  Voile / bateau

  

  Sports d'aventure

  

  Sports nautiques

  

  Activités en plein air

  

  Nature

  

  Montagne

  

  Camping

  

  Plage
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  I enjoy cultural exchange and meaningful conversations with people from around the world.
  As an architect, I can share practical knowledge about construction, renovation and designing (floor) plans — and involve you in the creative process behind building projects.

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  Aide

  🛠️ April – October 2026
  
  Main projects:
  • Gardening & trimming
  • DIY / renovation
  • Cooking (we rotate)
  
  Side projects:
  • Vegetable garden
  • Chicken coop
  • Fruit tree maintenance
  
  I prefer to do tasks together as much as possible — sharing skills and learning from each other.

• 

  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Hollandais: Courant
  Allemand: Débutant
  Français: Débutant

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  I’m mostly interested in learning French. But I also like to teach English or Dutch.
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  Hébergement

  You’ll have your own private bedroom upstairs in the house, with access to a separate bathroom.
  If you prefer more independence, you can stay in the renovated retro caravan in the garden, set up your own tent, or park your camper van on the property.
  
  Breakfast and lunch are flexible — you can have them whenever it suits you.
  Dinner is shared and one of the nicest moments of the day: we cook (often together), eat outside when the weather allows, and take time to connect.
  
  I usually go grocery shopping twice a week and you’re welcome to join. If you need something specific, you can also go yourself.

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  Autres infos...

  Nearby is the beautiful historic town of Autun, where you’ll find all the facilities you might need — shops, cafés, markets and impressive Roman architecture.
  
  The Morvan Natural Park offers wonderful hiking trails right from the area, with forests, hills and wide views.
  
  There are also several lovely swimming lakes close by, including Lac des Settons, perfect for a refreshing swim, relaxing afternoon or small outdoor adventure.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

  💻 Digital Nomads Welcome. The house has optical fiber WiFi, providing fast and reliable internet for remote work, video calls and streaming. There is also strong mobile phone reception in and around the house. If you’re working online, you’ll have a quiet and peaceful environment — ideal for focused work, with nature just outside your door.

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  🚐 Space for Camper Vans & cars. There are several flat areas in the garden where you can park your camper van. At the moment, there are no external water or electricity hook-ups available. However, you’re of course welcome to use the facilities inside the house. It’s a peaceful, green spot with plenty of space and beautiful views — perfect if you enjoy simple countryside living.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

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  Mes animaux

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