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We have two main projects for the autumn! In the garden, you’ll help with weeding, cutting back plants, clearing, tidying beds, and getting everything ready for winter. Indoors, we have two small upstairs bedrooms to refresh and make cosy, with painting, decorating, and a few handy home projects. A practical, creative exchange in a lovely home! 🏡✨
20 hours of help per week
Painting & Decorating: Help with painting or decorating the property facilities.
Building & Repairing: Help with a wide range of repairs or building.
Gardening: Help grow plants and cultivate gardens
2 days off per week
Private Room: You will have a bed in a private room. In other words, a room just for you.
Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.
Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.
Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.
Fast Internet Access: High-speed internet for you to work remotely
Beginner English
Over 22 years old
Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers
Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa
We’re looking for a practical, hands-on person (or two!) to join our family home in Edinburgh and help us with a few lovely autumn projects as we get the house and garden ready for winter.
There are two main projects we’d love help with.
The garden and the house. Nothing particularly complicated, but we’d love someone who enjoys decorating and is comfortable with basic DIY.
There are also always a few little household jobs that are easier with an extra pair of capable hands – changing bulbs, putting things up, moving furniture, touching up paint and those small handyman jobs that somehow never quite make it to the top of the list!
We’re a relaxed family household, so days won’t necessarily look exactly the same. We’d usually agree together what we’re tackling that day and then leave you to get on with it. We particularly appreciate people who are practical, independent and able to see what needs doing, rather than needing lots of direction.
In return, you’ll have your own room and private space in our home, simple breakfast and lunch and plenty of time to explore Edinburgh.
We’re interested in living thoughtfully, making the most of what we already have and looking after our home rather than constantly replacing things. The garden is also about caring for a small green space in the city and helping it remain healthy and productive from one season to the next.
Most of all, we’d like this to be a mutually enjoyable exchange: a comfortable home base in a beautiful city, good company when we’re around, independence when we’re not, and a few satisfying projects we can hopefully stand back and admire together at the end!
Activities & shifts
There are no fixed shifts. We’re very flexible about when you do your hours and are happy to agree a rhythm that works for everyone.
We ask for around 3–4 hours of help a day, up to a maximum of 20 hours per week. If you’re staying for a week, you’re welcome to spread those hours across your stay, or front-load them into the first few days and then have more uninterrupted time to explore Edinburgh. We can simply agree the plan together when you arrive.
The work will mainly be gardening, painting and decorating, simple DIY and practical jobs around the house. We’ll agree what needs doing, make sure you have what you need, and then ideally you’ll be comfortable getting on with things fairly independently.
At the end of each day or project, we ask that you tidy the work area, clean and put away tools and materials, seal paints and other products properly, and leave the space clean and safe.
Breakfast and lunch will be simple and informal. We’ll provide the ingredients and you can make your own breakfast and lunch when it suits you. We may share some family meals too, depending on everyone’s plans.
We’re much more interested in finding a rhythm that works well for everyone than keeping to a rigid timetable. As long as we’ve agreed what you’re helping with and the hours are covered, we’re happy for you to organise your time and make the most of being in Edinburgh.
Yes. Based on the boundaries you normally set with people staying in your home, I’d keep these friendly, very clear, and household-ish rather than landlord-ish. For Worldpackers, I’d write:
A few house rules
We’re pretty relaxed, but this is our family home, so there are a few simple things we ask of everyone staying with us:
- Please tidy up after yourself and leave shared spaces as you found them. If you cook, eat or make a mess, please clean up afterwards rather than leaving it for someone else.
- Everyone pitches in with normal household life. Things like loading/unloading the dishwasher, clearing up after meals and taking out rubbish are just shared family chores and aren’t part of your volunteering hours.
- Please keep your bedroom and bathroom reasonably clean and tidy, and leave your space clean when you go.
- We like our evenings fairly peaceful, particularly later at night. Please be considerate about noise when others are sleeping or winding down.
- No unannounced guests. Please always ask before bringing anyone into our home.
- Treat the house and our things with care. Accidents happen – just tell us if something gets broken or damaged rather than worrying about it.
- Communication matters. If something isn’t working for you, you’re unsure about something, or plans change, just talk to us. We’ll do the same.
- Most importantly, make yourself at home, but remember it’s a shared home. We want you to feel comfortable here and enjoy being part of family life while also being thoughtful about the people you’re sharing the space with."
