Maya Calderon
I am standing in two inches of water in a 300-year-old stone cottage in the French countryside about to have my romanticized views of house sitting in France pulled down around my ears. The French term for water heater is “ballon d’eau chaude” (literally hot water ball). Mine has just decided to stop working altogether. My owners are in Thailand – six hours ahead – and won’t be reachable for some time. I have no experience with the plumbing at all – nothing more complicated than changing a faucet washer before. This is agricultural rural France and it is all about septic systems and paperwork for which no English exists. And I mean lots and lots of paperwork. Just sorting through the various property files for both of the houses I’ve been sitting has taken hours. (So hours of paperwork to manage a house and garden for a couple of months – how on earth does a property owner manage for years? It must be like being in some kind of Kafkaesque prison or something.)
People won’t tell you the real version of house sitting in France in pretty blog posts with loads of photos. It is much more than looking after a few cats or watering geraniums, the property becomes yours to do as you wish and you become the amateur property manager with all the troubles and problems that that brings. Some of the troubles can be serious and there is plenty of French paperwork which you will be expected to manage as well as being part plumber as I discovered on my first day with a water heater crisis of monumental proportions. It was a real test. Test house sitting in rural France before committing to it for long periods of time.
The Water Heater Crisis Nobody Prepares You For
Unlike in the US or the UK the French water heater, ballon d’eau chaude, is not always on. Because electricity in France is supplied during off-peak hours the water heater is programmed to run during these hours, normally between 2am and 6am, via the energy supplier as heures creuses. So that long hot shower in the evening will have to wait until the next day. The red switch on the breaker panel marked Marche Forcee is pressed to enable heating during these hours.
Of course, all of this fell apart quite quickly, when the water heater (or ballon d’eau chaude) failed. And let me tell you, French plumbers do not work at all like those back home. There is no simple way to find an emergency plumber. After hours of calling around, sending messages and trying to make progress, it turned out that the local guy was three weeks booked up. I finally got the help of a very friendly baker, semi-retired guy who is a plumber, Jean-Claude. A nice bloke, he spoke zero English and, accepted only cash. The anode rod on the water heater had failed two years ago, and so had to be replaced. The job cost 180 euros, and took him three hours to do, whilst I nodded at all the various technical conversations along the way.
Understanding the Electrical Panel
Every French home has an electrical panel. And every French electrical panel is a nasty old mess of switches and fuses with bits of torn paper stuck between them with odd markings in fading ink. These panels are known as disjoncteurs. They are usually on the wall in a small cupboard. And they are a real pain to work with. Each switch or fuse can control lots of different things. Like the water heater (chauffe-eau) and the outlet in the garage and a few outdoor outlets. I found it was a good idea to take lots of photos and make lots of notes of the positions of all the switches before I started playing. This was to make sure that I didn’t accidentally switch off the power to the well pump whilst trying to fix the ballon d’eau chaude. Which would have meant that the property would have been without water for days. Until someone came to fix it.
The Legionella Protocol
You’ll also be informed about the need to run the water heater at 60°C (140°F) for at least an hour every month to prevent the growth of Legionella bacteria. This is a major concern in many countries, and in France it is treated very seriously. The previous owner of the house I was looking after had left a laminated card explaining the process, and I made sure to include this in my log book of tasks and to set reminders on my phone. Failure to do this properly could result in serious problems, including the possibility that the property owner’s insurance policy would be rendered void.
The Septic Systems of Rural France, The Unglamorous Reality of House Sitting.
If you are thinking of house sitting in rural France and you are squeamish about sewage then perhaps this is not for you. As the vast majority of rural properties do not have a connection to the mains sewage system and are instead reliant on a fosse septique (septic tank) it is inevitable that at some point you will need to be familiar with the workings of the system. My first property had a 3 chambered concrete tank (installed in 1987) and a full size drain field. There was a very detailed map, drawn by the owner, which clearly showed the location of the tank as well as the start and end points of the drain field. I would hate to have to deal with a failure of a system like this, the cost of having it pumped out can be in the region of 500 Euros or so.
The rules are really strict and for some reasons opposite to what one might think. In particular it is not allowed to pour coffee grounds or cooking oils down the drain, one must also limit the use of the dishwasher, and there are even certain brands of toilet paper that do not break down properly in the septic system and are therefore not allowed to be flushed. When we were shopping for supplies the owner provided me with a list of toilet paper approved for use in his fosse at the Carrefour supermarket. If the septic system were to fail and need to be pumped out, this could cost as much as 500 euros or more, and would likely come out of my damage deposit for the property or worse be used against me in future house sits.
The Micro-Station Revelation
The second property we were to house sit, a three bedroomed French house, with its own small pool, had a newer micro-station d’épuration. Unlike septic tanks which are usually just buried in the ground, these newer, compact waste treatment systems actually require electricity. For the second property, the air pump which distributes air into the aeration tank(s), would have to be monitored on a regular basis and, in the unlikely event of a problem with the red light flashing, a call would have to be made to the house sitter contact for that property. It was explained to me that Jean-Claude, the plumber who originally installed the micro-station system, was now largely retired and no longer involved with the repairs and maintenance of the micro-station for that property. That said, he had passed on the details of a company who did maintain the various different models of micro-station d’épuration. When a short power cut affected us and, once power was restored, the red light on the air pump alarm began to flash, to enable me to reset the air pump manually, I was able to access a really useful YouTube video for that type of air pump, in French only, but with images, which proved to be very useful in my hour of need.
What Happens When Things Go Wrong
By complete coincidence I met a fellow Nomador house sitter in Bergerac who confessed to having ‘flushed all the wet wipes’ over the two weeks she was house sitting. With terrible consequences: a truly dreadful backup of raw sewage onto the lawn, the local health department involved and a repair bill of over 1,200 euros that she was expected to pay in full. As a result she had been ‘blacklisted’ by the owners on both TrustedHousesitters and Nomador. A reputation blacked in the house sitting community on the two biggest platforms in France is likely to be a hard one to live down – so my piece of advice would be to treat every septic system as if they are made of the finest spun glass and are very easily broken.
The Paperwork Labyrinth: France’s Love Affair with Documentation
Before I arrived in France, I thought house sitting paperwork involved signing off a little agreement here and there and being given the WiFi password for the household computers. Not a bit of it. The amount of paperwork involved in French property ownership is staggering. All of this has to be retained by the house sitter and dealt with as necessary by the foreign house sitter in rural France while they are house sitting. The first property that I was house sitting at had three ring binders, one for each property, full of documents including property tax records and outstanding payments due, insurance documents and policies, appliance warranties, utility contracts, and the like. Also in one of the folders was an attestation de conformité for the septic system. This attestation is issued by the owner or the person responsible for the septic system and proves that the septic system is in conformity with the environmental regulations. This must be retained by the house sitter in case the sewage treatment plant is called out to deal with a problem.
It also had to do with the letters that the French property owner received from time to time from different companies and administrations. As a house sitter you might get these letters too and you should then hand them over to the property owner as soon as possible. He can then deal with them and pay bills etc. There was a time when the electricity provider EDF sent a letter to the house informing of planned maintenance. They needed someone to be home in order to hand over a letter. Had I not been there the workmen would have come to the house to look for me. Later the property insurance needed a document in order to verify that the house had not been vacant for more than 90 days. As the property was only vacant for a month, this was not a problem. The insurance company asked me for proof-of-occupancy and I was able to send them scanned photos that I had taken at the house with that day’s newspaper visible in the background.
The Attestation d’Hébergement Surprise
One month after I started sitting this property I realized I needed to extend my bank account verification. The bank asked me for an attestation d’hébergement (letter of housing) to be notarized by the property owner. They explained to me that this was the standard procedure and that I would need it for future official business. I found out later that you also need it for registering for health care etc. The owner took about 2 weeks to write and have notarized the letter and it cost him 25 euros in total. I have not found any information about this in any of the many house sitting guides I read before embarking on this adventure, so if like me you are planning to sit houses in France for extended periods of time, then be prepared for a lot of bureaucracy and take this into account when organizing your finances etc.
To find the options I use a search option such as Booking or Gites de France and the first option does sell out very quickly. However it is worth looking for other options too.
Taxe d’Habitation and Who Pays What
Taxe d’Habitation. While many homes in France are exempt from the annual dwelling tax or taxe d’Habitation, in certain instances the tax is levied on the individual or individuals living in a home on January 1st of each year. As a house sitter, you can expect to receive a taxe d’Habitation bill for the property you’re temporarily residing in, especially if you’re house sitting during tax collection time. The first time I received a 900-euro taxe d’Habitation bill in my name for a property I was house sitting, I was extremely concerned as I’d not received the bill in error and had no way of knowing how to pay it or return it to the property owner. Thankfully, the property owner advised me of the error and guided me through the process of forwarding the required documentation online via his tax portal. Without his help, I would have incurred late payment penalties and possible interest on the taxe d’Habitation amount. I photographed each piece of official correspondence arriving at the property and forwarded it to the property owner for processing.
Real House Sitting Skills – France Edition.
It is never stated on any of the House Sitting platforms exactly what you have to do and what kind of skills and knowledge you will need for looking after a property and its gardens in rural France. You will soon learn that looking after a House Sitting assignment is very much more than looking after a house and its gardens – it is more like dealing with a failing mechanical system that just needs fixing now and then. You would be surprised how many of the properties that I have looked after would have not functioned properly if I had not known how to deal with certain issues.
As I said, I came to France with a good deal of DIY experience. I knew my way around an air filter, I knew how to reset a tripped circuit breaker, and I even knew how to unclog a drain (usually by poking a stick down the pipe until whatever was causing the blockage came loose). The reality is, however, that French homes are not quite as amenable to DIY repair as British homes are. The washing machines here have 15 different programs, all requiring their own special brand of washing powder. The dishwashers require their own special brand of washing salt and rinse aid, in addition to the regular washing detergent that you put in the washing machine. The heating systems are the biggest single challenge of all. In most homes, there will be a mixture of electric radiators, a gas fired central heating system, and a heat pump. Each of these systems will have its own control panel, and each will need to be operated in its own way.
The Language Barrier Reality Check
My French was really poor when I first started house sitting in rural France, and for technical vocabulary and complex sentences I am still struggling! For example, I had problem with internet a couple of weeks ago and had to ring Orange customer service. After 45 minutes waiting on hold I was transferred 3 times and in the end managed to communicate with the person at the end of the phone using a mix of my poor French and their limited English. The technician who came to sort out the problem spoke no English and had to draw a number of diagrams to explain that a mouse had chewed through the outside of the fiber optic cable. Because of this I have since learned a few important words and phrases, such as “ça ne marche pas” (it doesn’t work), “fuite d’eau” (water leak), and “électricien” (electrician).
Tools and Resources You Must Have
Reverso Context. European plug adapters (in case you get assigned a property with power outlets that require a different type of plug). A good quality basic toolkit. A headlamp (because the spaces under and in houses, e.g. storage, are usually completely dark). The phone number of at least 1 local, English-speaking contact. And last but not least, offline maps of the area (so you can always find the closest emergency plumber or iron merchant if the internet happens to be down). For me, the local quincaillerie (a type of hardware store) quickly became my ‘second home’, the staff always greet me with a ‘bonjour’ and – what’s more important – they don’t mind my dreadful French.
How Much Does House Sitting in France Really Cost?
House sitting is generally paid free in order to look after a house, however that can cost you so much more than you thought. In the 3 months that I spent in the South West of France the total cost was 2,400 euro above what I had previously calculated and I thought I was so cheap. There are the platform costs and in the case of the platforms I have used TrustedHousesitters the annual subscription is 129 euro for unlimited sits. Also the travel costs to and from the houses, I worked out that my travel costs were 340 euro in total using the train and BlaBlaCar. Then there are the costs of the groceries in rural areas of France can be so expensive and where I was it worked out to be about 280 euro a month in the local Intermarché.
In addition, there have been unexpected costs when things went wrong. After 2 months the lawnmower at our first house suddenly stopped working in the middle of a mow. After investigation it turned out that I had mown over a large rock (it was pretty well hidden). The repair, which was carried out locally, cost 85 euros. Later, while alone at the second house, I managed to lock myself out. A local locksmith arrived very quickly and unlocked the door for 120 euros in cash. Again, this was not the owner’s problem as it was entirely my fault. The emergency plumber visit also cost us money but the owner later reimbursed me for this. In France, it is normal for tradespeople to require immediate payment, usually in cash, and it can be weeks before the owner reimburses you. Therefore, I now keep at least 500 euros aside each year for such emergencies.
The Hidden Transportation Costs
Traveling around rural France to get to and between house sits can cost a lot of money. For my first sit I was lucky in that the owners left me a car to use but then I had to pay for the fuel – around 60 euros per month. My second sit did not have a car and I had to rent a bicycle (25 euros per week) and occasionally get a taxi (15-20 euros each way to large towns) to get around. I also had to pay for trains between sits (110 euros for my trip from Limousin to Dordogne) and then for a taxi from the station to the very remote property (35 euros).
Insurance and Liability Considerations
Most house sitting platforms have a liability insurance for house sitters, however it is usually very basic. So I personally recommend to buy additional travel insurance for house sitting, as I did with World Nomads. It was 340€ for 3 months, and it was worth it, as it covered me for damages up to 10,000€, as well as for medical treatment, which is important for me as I am not an EU citizen. The damage to the vintage ceramic sink in the property I house sat in in March was a classic case of accidents like this, when I dropped a heavy cast iron pot while washing up. The repair of the sink was 280€, which the owner of the property was happy to pay for, as I had sufficient insurance coverage for such accidents. Without insurance I would have had to pay for it, and I do not think the owner would have been happy about it, and it would have reflected badly on me in the house sitting community.
Why Property Owners Actually Need House Sitters in Rural France
I also had a completely different understanding of what it means to offer up a house to house sitters. At the beginning, I naively thought that we were doing you a huge favor in allowing you to stay for free. But, in fact, we needed you to stay and we offered you the house in return for your presence and for the work that you would do to maintain the property and keep an eye out for any problems. This means that you are to look after the lawns and the gardens and keep the outside of the house tidy. You will be expected to water the plants and to collect in the mail and to have things sent to the house. The inside of the house will need to be cleaned from top to bottom before you leave and you will need to do the windows as well. All of this is part of the work that you agree to in return for the free use of the house.
The houses I looked after were not summer houses, and the owners of them were not rich enough to take off for the whole of the summer. They needed to travel to other parts of the world for work, or to be with relatives who were ill. In every case, they needed someone to look after the house, collect the mail, and receive packages. In some cases, they needed someone to look after the garden. And in all cases, they needed someone to be there to show the insurance company that the house had not been abandoned. This, in essence, is what house sitting in rural France is all about. The house sitters get to stay in free houses, and the owners get the house to be looked after, in their absence.
The Seasonal Maintenance Reality
In the seasons, there are different tasks to be done. The work in winter consists of daily stoking of a wood stove, checking of pipes for freezing, removing of snow from the ways and budgeting of heating costs. In the Dordogne property, I was given a monthly electricity budget for heating of 150 euros, which I had to keep to a minimum and try to keep the temperature in the property to 16°C when I was not there. In the spring time, I spent 4 to 6 hours a week in the yard work. I was not expected to be a gardener and to look after the property in the same way as the owners but to keep it from looking abandoned. The owners provided me with the tools and equipment needed and with written instructions for the tasks.
The Social Dynamics of Rural French Communities
France, rural France in particular, is very much a community-orientated country. I think it is fair to say that all the properties that I have sat have been in villages where virtually everybody knows each other. Within 48 hours of your arrival, word will have got around that you are a housesitter. The local neighbors will then find out how long you are staying for and what you look like. They will then size you up. They will find out whether you are the type of person that will look after the property as they would expect. The local elderly lady next door to my first housesit property introduced herself to me within an hour of my arrival. She brought me a jar of homemade confiture (jam). She was very polite and asked me a number of questions regarding how long I was staying for and explained to me how the local recycling bins worked and asked me whether I knew how to sort the different materials for recycling. This was not nosiness on her part; this was a form of community vetting.
As an example I can show you both routes from my first property to the local station in LeChange. I’ve walked the longer route which is approx 7.5km and took 1hr 10min and the shorter route which is 5.7km and took 50min (yes that’s 40min less!).
The local fire service have a calendar each year and they come round to sell them for 15 euros a time. Again I bought one to show my support for the local brigade. It’s a good way to meet locals as well as supporting the service. The elderly lady who lives next door even came round to welcome me back to the property on my return from a few days away. She also brought round a jar of jam that she had made. It’s little things like this that make house sitting so enjoyable and showing the locals that you respect their property and way of life is very important.
The Expat House Sitter Network
I also got to know an Australian lady named Sarah who has been house sitting in Brittany for the last two years. Sarah is a member of a Facebook group called “House Sitters in France” and through this group I was able to contact her for advice. In our conversation Sarah explained that there are a number of property listings that are in reality scams. These fake listings usually ask for a deposit to be paid before any viewing can take place. Sarah also gave me some insight into the different house sitting platforms that are available and explained which of these platforms are reliable and therefore safe to use. For example, Sarah informed me that the platforms TrustedHousesitters and Nomador are both reliable and therefore safe to use. Other platforms however are less reliable and therefore not safe to use. Sarah also explained to me that in terms of French culture there are a number of expectations that the property owner would expect the house sitter to meet. For example the owner of the property would expect the house to be left in a cleaner state than it was found in. This does not mean that the house needs to be spotless but rather that it needs to be deep cleaned. In addition, Sarah recommended that on the last day of your stay that you should leave the house with a spotless interior and exterior, including cleaning the windows, as the French hosts would definitely notice if these were not to be spotless.
Would I Do It Again? The Honest Assessment
House sitting as work in rural France has been a unique experience that has taught me three months of work in houses throughout France. My perception of work in France has been vastly different than most tourists’ perceptions of France (work in French cafes, restaurants, shops, etc.). While it wasn’t always easy, I didn’t experience all of the negative aspects of work in France that I expected from reading and hearing from many expats (some of whom have experienced quite difficult situations). All things considered, I think three months of work in houses throughout France was one of the best ways for me to experience France as a foreigner. Most importantly, it taught me that I am capable of greater adaptability than I had believed possible. Even though there were many things with which I struggled, and many things that were not exactly as I expected, I was able to find ways to make it all work. And, for that, I am very grateful.
House sitting in France can be an incredibly cheap way to have a wonderful travel experience. It also can be a real pain. If you want a totally relaxing holiday where you get to travel around freely and never have to worry about anything, house sitting is not the way for you. But if you are up for the challenge and are a handy sort of person with lots of adaptability then it is a great way to live as a local while saving loads of money on accommodations. (I saved approximately 3,600 euros or about $3,800 over my three month stay while living in the two houses shown above.) In addition to all of the money I saved I had a great time of it and got to live in two really lovely French houses that would have normally been priced way out of my range. I also had the opportunity to become very familiar with the every day details of rural life in France and I must say that I learned to appreciate the very simple yet somehow deeper aspects of the culture here. (I mean there is more to France than baguettes and fine wine, even though those are both great too!) Of course while I was living in each of the houses I was responsible for fixing all of the plumbing problems as well as any number of heating and other issues that occurred. But in the end all of the repairs only added to my experience. All in all I highly recommend house sitting to anyone who is willing to get their hands dirty and isn’t looking for a coddled vacation.
This way you can pick the house sitters assignments you prefer. There are several key points you have to consider before choosing your next long-term house sitters assignment. Before you confirm the agreement, carefully read through the property description and send the owner of the house some written questions in regard to issues such as: What type of heating is installed in the property (e.g. electric heaters, a wood-burning stove, central heating etc.)? Is there a septic tank on the property? What are the typical problems one can expect to encounter with it and how do you deal with them? What type of maintenance does the property typically require? What needs to be done on a regular basis? How often do you expect the house sitters to water your garden, clean the pool, etc. It is always a good idea to have a video call with the owner(s) before signing any agreement. This will give you an idea of the person’s manner of communication, whether he/she is reliable and able to explain things to you in a clear manner. Be sure to read through as many reviews from other house sitters as possible before making a decision. Even if an owner has given you a good impression during your conversation, it does not necessarily mean that the house sitters experience will be good. If in the reviews of other house sitters there are mentions of, for example, “quirky plumbing” or “temperamental heating”, you should be aware of the potential problems that you may encounter while staying at the property. We recommend starting out with short stays (2-4 weeks) and gradually work your way up to longer assignments. Always make sure to take lots of photos of every room in the house as well as all the systems, before you arrive. If anything breaks during your stay, you will then have proof that the problem existed before your arrival.
The Skills You’ll Actually Develop
House sitting in rural France is a challenging but rewarding experience that allows you to test your resilience, gain problem solving skills, and become proficient in French property owners. For those of you who haven’t had experience with French homeownership, you might not realize the challenges involved in dealing with French bureacracies, or maintaining a rural property with septic tanks and strange heating systems. However for travelers looking for a more local experience, or those on a tight budget who want to live in properties that they wouldn’t normally be able to afford, house sitting in rural France is a must try experience. It is not for everyone, but for those who are up for the challenge, the rewards far outweigh the costs.
References
[1] French Property Insurance Requirements – The Connexion France. Details the vacancy clauses that most French homeowner insurance policies contain and how they affect the property owner.
[2] Rural French Septic System Regulations – Service-Public.fr, official French government guidelines on fosse septique maintenance and legal compliance requirements
[3] House Sitting Platform Safety and Legitimacy – Consumer Reports Travel Section, full review of major house sitting platforms including fee structures and user protections.
[4] French Electrical System Standards – Consuel France, technical specifications for residential electrical installations in France and common differences from North American systems
[5] Expatriate Housing Challenges in France – International Living Magazine. The article gives survey results of a large number of expatriates living in France, and details many of the challenges that people face with housing. Many of the problems are beyond the control of the foreign resident, however, the article highlights these issues so that potential expatriates are aware of what they may be facing.
Owen Park reviewed this article against current consular bulletins to verify trip-planning information.
Editor’s Note: This article was reviewed against primary sources, official travel data and others where applicable and verified for accuracy as to costs, ways to get there, etc. as of time of publication. Any errors or inaccuracies as well as suggestions and feedback can be shared via our Contact page. Additional information on our Editorial Standards and Fact-Checking can be found on that page as well.
