@CiaraNi I've long been a believer in booking directly, for all the reasons you've noted. I've even stumbled through booking a stay at a French farm via a phone call, relying on my extremely limited French and the structured way such conversations always tend to go. Great place, well worth working through my awkwardness.
AirBnB seemed like a decent idea when it really was "use my couch" or even spare bedroom. In its current form, it just soaks up what should be housing stock. Never used it, never will.