Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
7 May 2024
Reply rate
94.9 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
51
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Badges (3)
Details
Description
Bonjour!
We are a family of three: Pete (English/French), Emilie (14 years old), and Sidney (11 years old). Our home is a beautiful old chateau, nestled in 29 acres of meadow in the stunning Pyrenees mountains, only an hour and a half south of Toulouse.
We're looking for practical and hardworking individuals or couples to help us with a variety of tasks, including:
Plasterboarding
Clearing brambles/strimming
Rainwater collection on the solar panels
Weeding
Mowing lawns
Making the lawns and garden more maintainable
Planting for summer
Tidying the garden
Deep cleaning some rooms of the house
DIY/building work
Construction projects
Tending to our vegetable patch (weeding, turning soil, etc.)
We have two rooms available and are seeking individuals who enjoy physical work and being outdoors. You should also be comfortable around children, as our kids love interacting with our guests.
A little about us:
We finished renovating the interior of the chateau in 2009, and since then have focused on sustainability by installing solar panels for hot water and photovoltaic panels for electricity, as well as rainwater collection and composting. We use our own wood for cooking and heating in the winter, and enjoy eating fruits and vegetables from our garden in the summer months. Alongside working from home in IT, we also run a holiday rental cottage in the outbuilding near the chateau.
We can't wait to welcome you into our beautiful home and work alongside you to create something special.Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco ProjectsGardeningDIY and building projectsCreating/ Cooking family mealsHelp around the houseGeneral MaintenanceCultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are situated in a hamlet 10 minutes away from St Girons, the main local town, which has many shops, cafes and a great traditional farmer's market every Saturday.
In your spare time, you can enjoy the outdoor activities nearby (mountain walks, bike rides, gliding, climbing, caves, etc); check out the local antique shops, cheese shops etc or venture for a day out in Toulouse (direct bus from St Girons).
We have wi-fi, free international phone calls, can lend you a laptop and offer bicycles to get around.Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Gardening skills, DIY skills, English language. We expect you to participate in the daily light cleaning and washing up.
Must have full driving license and be prepared to drive in France.Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
German: BeginnerAccommodation
2 double bedrooms in the Château, each with a bathroom/washroom.
We offer food & accommodation, in fantastic surroundings. The food is home-cooked with local produces. As you'll live as part of our family, we expect you to participate in the daily light cleaning and washing up.What else ...
Direct bus from Toulouse train-station to St Girons, our local town.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
25 hours of work per week with 2 days off
Feedback (24)
We would defenetly go back there without any hesitation.
We wish you the best in your… read more
We had great fun and got loads done, it was only a shame she had to leave early
I can't express how much I liked this experience. Pete is an amazing host, he definitely has experience when it comes to hosting and almost everything else. His family is also very adorable and it's easy to feel at home.
The work was pleasant and fun, the… read more
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)
We would defenetly go back there without any hesitation.
We wish you the best in your… read more
We had great fun and got loads done, it was only a shame she had to leave early
I can't express how much I liked this experience. Pete is an amazing host, he definitely has experience when it comes to hosting and almost everything else. His family is also very adorable and it's easy to feel at home.
The work was pleasant and fun, the… read more
The surrounding area is quiet and really beautiful. I also enjoyed staying in the château.
The work was nice and not too much, I could learn a lot from Pete.
I was a great stay overall and I would definitely… read more
I spent a wonderful 10 days with Pete and his family in Chateau de Pouech in October 2022.
Most of the work involved gardening, including tidying up the vegetable patch in the garden. Pete is a brilliant cook and I always looked forward to his meals. There was another volunteer there at the time and we… read more
Their house is located in one of the most beautiful regions in France, and so far the most beautiful part of France I've been. Pete toured me around different villages, lent me their bikes, and one afternoon we did a short hike and ate… read more
It was such a… read more
It was quite physical hard work but he never complained and just got on with the tasks… read more
He’s very kind, hardworking, considerate, easy to… read more
It was such a pleasure hosting them! Both are hard-working, very easy to get on with, and such fun to have around! They fitted into our family life so easily and our kids… read more
Scott and Mark have a lot of energy, and eager to run or cycle even after hours of physical work! They were very… read more
He stayed with us for a couple of weeks; during that time he made wooden window sills for the entire soon-to-be guesthouse, and built a wooden airing cupboard. His carpentry… read more
Jake fitted, sanded and varnished an old oak-wooden floor, cleared up debris, etc. whilst Trelawny did a great job of sanding and painting.
They were very helpful in the kitchen,… read more
They stayed with us for 3 weeks; during that time Julie undercoated and… read more
The family are extremely welcoming and friendly - I was made to feel very at home immediately (even after Pete had to save me from a transport… read more
He helped with many tasks: chainsawing & splitting wood, removing ivy from our very tall walls, strimming and building plasterboard frames on rainy days.… read more
Their place is in a beautiful location and there is lots of scenery to be explored locally. St Girons has a really interesting market and I appreciated the couple of days out to places further… read more
From the very first moment they were very welcoming and friendly!
The food was very good and also beer and vine weren`t missing!
Dalila and Pete helped out with many good ideas and advices for the time off from work and took me and other workawayers skiing in der Pyrenees! that was great! I… read more
She has a great work ethic, even worked few hours before leaving to take her train back home!
She fitted into our family life straight away, and was brilliant with our kids.… read more
Karl has a great skills set and can turn his hand to many things. It was so great to have him around plasterboarding all the difficult areas, such as ceilings… read more
He’s friendly, calm, considerate and super easy to get on with! Solo was lovely with the kids, very… read more
I can thoroughly… read more
She fitted into our family life straight away,… read more
He worked regardless of the weather conditions, which was very… read more