become a co‑owner from just €2k in shares
paying at‑cost for stays
as a member for part‑time coliving
A shared home and workspace, where we also share some of our purpose and learnings.
For a workation to escape routine, as a retreat to dig into projects, or as a base.
Be you an entrepreneur, remote worker, digital nomad, a creative, or anything else!
Creating amazing new spaces, reinvigorating old ones!
Benefit from shared facilities (cinema, bikes, workspaces, ice-cream maker, …).
Get closer to nature whilst remaining connected to the wider world.
Stay affordably, buying into use of properties as you are able.
Be part of community respecting innovation and independence.
Our purpose as a member-owned housing co‑operative will be providing affordable co‑ownership, giving us flexible and guaranteed use of spaces at cost. With fractional shares for part-time use, dedicated units, or as an investment…
As participants in a dynamic ecosystem we share its opportunities whilst generating rental revenue as a social enterprise — ensuring standards whilst reinvesting in hosting workshops, talks, and activities, enriching not just ourselves, but the wider community. By embracing diversity and serendipity as a community we'll create vitality in our lives!
A first property — the south of France🇫🇷
A favourite of tourists yet overlooked by digital nomads, and actually affordable with no surprises, except maybe how many pastries you can eat.🥐 Infrastructure is good, and everything runs like clockwork. Well, except when they're on strike…
Our candidate property is a bit ugly, but is solid, easy to optimise and to make prettier.
- public transit — train to town 30mins, €1
- 10mins walk to weekly markets and shops
- 45mins to the beach 🏖️ rockpools closer
- strolls from the door, great countryside
- choice of studios, ensuites, basic, 'pods'
- ergonomic coworking — separate lively and quiet workspaces
- big lounge, ample sofas, setup for movies
- garden, sauna, firepit/bbq
- multiple kitchen stations for collaborative cookups or independence
- optional room cleaning, laundry and half-board meals
- address use and storage for the (digital) nomads amongst you
- minibus for communal trips
But France sucks… 😂
- it's difficult to reach!?
fly to Barcelona or Paris with 1 change by train from 3h (~€65 in advance) or coach (~€25) — not much worse than Bansko right? there's also tons of cheap flights at 6(!) local airports for Portugal, the UK, Malta, Germany, etc - it's expensive!?
when you own shares in the property you'll pay only costs e.g. €275/month, and yes whilst eating out might not be as cheap as streetfood in Asia, eating-in is good value - it's not a good (legal) base!?
so only come for less than 90/180 days, else if you meet criteria it might be as easy as filing literally just a single number every quarter (~25% tax) but yes prob best elsewhere - it's too socialist!?
the trains are reliable, there's nice fast ones, and healthcare is excellent, but yes sometimes the roads are blocked and the train drivers strike - everyone's unfriendly!?
you'll be amongst nice nomads and entrepreneurs, and we can do outreach programs / events to better connect with locals — the more you come back the more you'll feel at home
Who's running this?
Hello there! I'm Jacob, mildly nomadic, and yes digital — yet grounded in the real world. Having founded the first coliving hub with public coworking, in 2010 in Delhi (of all places!?).
Yours-truly (right) with one of the cool owners of Bansko Nomad Fest who's doing something similar, they bought an Auberge in Switzerland, and you may have heard of the huge Semkovo coliving in Bulgaria with 225 units as a co-op…
The Hub House approach is focussed on guaranteed flexible use through part ownership (or dedicated units) with purpose built facilities, maybe growing to multiple properties — amongst which we may roam or base ourselves.
Pre-pandemic I found an old mill in the Portuguese mountains and hundreds of you were interested; I met the town council and some of us visited during a parsnip festival(!) but ultimately rejected it, also umm pandemic travel…
I'm looking to restart the project, since doing renovations here in France, so now keen to find folks to collaborate with. I'm also up for other countries (Albania, Italy,…?)
If you'd like to chat, I'll be on the Marseille–Athens NomadCruise, at Bansko Nomad Fest (June 16th–July 30th), or just book a call.
Get on board! 🙌
The project requires your support — I'll only move ahead if you pledge to be part of it — so why not participate in a community you can return to, at-cost for whatever share you own?!
What's a pledge? — Simply expressing your interest to join the co-operative, paying for shares only if we approve a property. Otherwise simply walk away.
Help build the community
Do you know folks whom you'd like to participate in the community with? Earn shares for everyone that you introduce whilst helping to move the project forward. Simply make sure you've subscribed with your email and tell them to give your details when they pledge. If they purchase shares (first phase only; ex. investment) and are accepted as a member, they'll get a 5% discount and you'll get 5% as shares.
(On the first 40% of issued shares.) Please contact me to let me know other contact details, or if you need a referral link as people you know will remember to give your details, but those you don't, won't…
I'd love to have a cofounder who'd better handle promotion and outreach than me, whether just for a first mutualised property, or towards a grand commercial approach. Might it be you?
We'll run it together—to all have a stake!
Whether you participate as a co-owner, an investor, or simply visit on rental, you will do so as a member of our cooperative society, functioning within the space as a do-ocracy. To join us make a pledge then once we've agreed our plans, you'll be invited to apply for our community shares…
The simple way to consider how it works as a member, is that when you buy into the co-op (with shares), you get to use the co-op's facilities at cost (a significant discount on public rental rates), proportional to your share of capacity (fractional use) for the value of shares you own. When it no longer suits anymore, you can withdraw your shares to get the money you paid for the shares back. (About the model…)
Shareholders
- gain guaranteed fully flexible use as booking credit proportional to your shareholding in the total capacity of the property, codified in rules held by the regulator
- calculated as the sum of total public rental rates for all rooms across all seasons, distributed amongst shareholders, for use in any unit at any time
- will be paid dividends anticipated around 10% for unused credit
- may trade unused credit with other members at any rate, else may pay the public rate to stay longer than their credit
- must use a minimum of their credit to be present in the community (exceptions apply for passive investors)
- must not use around 30% to ensure sufficient capacity is retained at all times for booking flexibility (exceptions may apply for those seeking use only)
Operations
- incorporated as a Co-operative Society in the UK for the mutual benefit of its members
- fractional co-ownership with community shares, returning their cost if you withdraw†
- volunteer staff (given stipends) looking after driving and cleaning
- maintenance fund covers costs into the future to avoid bad surprises
- community fund from rental revenue surplus allows us to invest in good surprises
- may expand as a network of multiple properties exchanging co-owner use
Our values… we don't believe in believing too much!
🧙 Diversity and 🧚 dynamism.
How can I join-in?
- pledge, confirming with €1
- join the whatsapp France group
- vote on and debate properties for plans to be created
- a group visit will be arranged for best candidate
- founding members form the co-op purchasing shares
- when pledges and plans match, founding members will open membership
- you'll buy into the co-op with a deposit towards your shareholding
- an offer will be made for purchase and if accepted its deposit paid
(may repeat, with members able to withdraw their deposit) - shareholdings will be paid up to conclude purchase and get the keys
- later members will join, closing funding for renovations
(late-issue shares shall have a higher cost) - any unused funds will be returned to shareholders
(could be used to acquire shares in the next property)
See the questions page for more details.