Barjols

Deliver and collect us to/from the railway station at the start and end of the house-sit! The nearest station is Aix-en-Provence, around 80 kilometres away. Otherwise, there are few responsibilities :

* keep the house clean and regularly ventilated. We clean weekly.
* top up winter bird feed,
* sort out any maintenance issues if they crop up, such a as blocked pipes
* maintain the garden and sow some seeds in spring.
* maintain our waste system with a weekly dose of activator.

The fields look after themselves. We shall also be leaving our bicycles with the house-sitter for your use if you wish, so these would also need to be maintained if any issues arose. We have no pets.

Our house lies in a quiet valley between two nearby villages. They are both easily accessible by bicycle or walking. However, house-sitters will need their own transport to get to/from the house, and if they want to see more of the region, as there is minimal public transport in the area. Because the house is relatively isolated, the house-sit might be more suitable for a couple.

The house has oil-fired central heating and a wood-burning stove. Windows have been upgraded to Danish standards, and insulation is in place for the cold winters. Essentially, the house needs living in all the time, otherwise, like most empty houses, it develops damp.

We are connected to the electricity and telephone grids, and have reliable broadband. Water is pumped up from our own well, which gives us wonderful quality alpine water from an underground lake. We have a full water softening and purifying system, but also check it's purity at a local lab every 2 or 3 years. Waste goes to a septic tank which was completely renewed with a state of the art system in 2018. We are currently upgrading the kitchen and installing solar panels to reduce electricity bills.

House-sitters will have use of their own bedroom, bathroom and toilet, and our living room and kitchen. There is also a sofa bed for occasional visits from family and friends. We ask house-sitters to pay for services used - broadband, heating and lighting. We pay all the standing charges, so water is free, electricity is partly free (we are installing solar panels), if you want internet we can set up a monthly contract, and heating is supplied via central heating and a wood burning stove. Winters in the recent past have cost around €200 per month for heating, electricity and broadband internet.

We have two bikes, many DVDs in English, French and German, and many books about the region.

The house is ideally located for someone who wants to work from home, or concentrate on a piece of creative work of their own without distractions. The nearest neighbours are about 60 metres away, and local traffic is low on the nearest road (80 metres down our track). We have a swimming pool, though this is closed during winter.

On the other hand, both Barjols and Pontevès are easily reached by foot or bicycle, being just a couple of kilometres away (though you have to climb hills). We are part of a very strong social network of friends, and as long as our house-sitters know some French, they will soon be welcomed into it.

All services are available in Barjols - shops, chemists, doctors, garages, restaurants, markets, and there are a number of organic vineyards all around the area producing lovely wines. Barjols also offers high quality tennis courts, and there is even a cinema.

This combination of tranquility and easy access to services makes our house an ideal base from which to explore La Provence Verte. However, a car is pretty essential since public transport is virtually non-existent.

Our region is very much the real rural France. There are some tourists passing through, but you'll find that Barjols is an authentic French village.