Hello,
We're looking for someone to stay at our vacation home in France from early March-April 15(arrival date is very flexible but departure date must be no later than April 20th).
We'd like someone who can de-winterize the house (the pipes have been drained for the winter) and give it a good cleaning prior to April 20th. Also, we'd like the lawn mowed once or twice (as needed - lawnmower on site). Otherwise, there are no other duties (no pets, no house plants). Gardening would be appreciated but not required!
The house is located in a beautiful, rural, quiet area, close to a small town nearby (about 7 km/ 3 miles) where there are restaurants, 2 supermarkets, boulanger(bread shop), a 12th century church, wineries, a bank, the local square that holds markets each Saturday, and many other wonderful attractions. There's a lovely restaurant about 1/4 mile away where you can walk to get coffee, lunch, or dinner - all gourmet, locally grown/ produced food.
The house is perfect for writing, creating art, exploring the historical sites (Chinon, Saumur, Poitiers) and sampling the products of the local wineries. The area is relatively quiet in during the cold months, but starts to wake up in early April. There's also a great Olympic sized indoor pool nearby with a sauna and Jacuzzi...in case you need to warm up!
A car is a necessity if you want to do any exploring.
Utilities all included - free calls to the US/ France/ UK and highspeed wireless internet throughout the house. There is also a TV with a diverse selection of satellite channels. Heat for the first floor is with the wood stove, so must be familiar with wood stove use. Wood is not included with the house sit, so that will need to be purchased, but we can help coordinate delivery. Heat for the 2nd and 3rd floors is via electric wall-mounted radiators.
Must be able to use the stairs (bedrooms are on the 2nd and 3rd floors). There are several bikes available but tires will probably need to be inflated a bit after sitting all winter.
The house is located 2 hours south of Paris via the TGV. The nearest TGV station is either Poitiers or Chatellerault (both about 30 min away) where you can rent a car.
If you think this would suit you, please contact me.
Thanks!