December 5, 2025
Anj and Pete
Home Wherever You Go: A Family's August Journey
Meet Anj and Pete, a London-based couple whose love for travel and family time has shaped a new kind of holiday rhythm. With two young children, a teenage son, and busy city lives, they had long dreamed of a place where they could slow down, reconnect, and focus on what matters most. What began as a search for a peaceful escape during the uncertainty of COVID quickly became something far more meaningful, turning a practical plan into a lifestyle. From cosy countryside weekends in the Cotswolds, where their little ones can run and explore, to sun-soaked days in the South of France, their journey with August has been a story of balance between work and rest, between routine and adventure, and the joy of finding a home already as familiar and loved by their children as their own bedrooms at home.
"I’ve definitely seen our family really grow and evolve with August. My kids now think of the Cotswolds house as their grandparent’s house, they just assume it’s theirs too. It’s become this shared space that feels familiar and special to all of us. "
August Please can you introduce yourself and how you found out about August, where did your journey start?
Anj I’m Anj, and my husband is Pete. We’ve got two young children, aged five and three, and Pete also has an 18 year-old son, so quite a range of ages in our family!
We both work full-time in London and lead pretty busy lives, which means we don’t have much time to sit and search for holidays. During COVID, when I was pregnant and everything felt uncertain, we started thinking about getting a second home in the UK. Like many people, we wanted somewhere beautiful outside London, ideally by the coast. But every time we made an offer, we got outbid as people were buying in cash, and it just wasn’t happening.
Then Pete came across August on Instagram and had a few initial conversations. When he explained the concept to me, it really clicked. Instead of owning one home, we could have access to five beautiful European homes, sharing the costs and responsibilities with others. It felt like a win all around.
We were initially delayed with some due diligence and legal steps, so we missed joining the first Signature Collection but joined the second Collection. It was all very new, but we were excited to be part of something so different.
We also spoke to my sister-in-law, who owns a house in the Cotswolds with eight others and another in Ibiza that they own outright. They told us the shared ownership model in the Cotswolds had worked very well for them, the costs were manageable, and maintenance was easier. In contrast, their Ibiza house was expensive to maintain, and managing repairs from abroad was a headache. Hearing their experience really reinforced our decision. So, after talking it through, we decided to join August!
August Did you have any concerns or reservations about joining August? And how did you overcome them?
Anj Initially, I did have some hesitations. I was a new mum and I knew how demanding that stage of life can be, the endless cycle of feeding, cleaning, naps, and bedtime routines. I remember thinking, if we go from one home to another, I’ll just be doing the same thing in a different house, that’s not really a holiday for me.
It’s tough, especially in those early years with little ones. So, we both agreed that we would still factor in some all inclusive / hotel type of holidays, something simple but indulgent, where someone makes the bed, cleans the room, and we can eat out for every meal. For me, that’s what feels like a real break from day-to-day life. Sometimes you just want to call room service instead of another supermarket run!
That said, once we started using the homes, I realised it could be a lot easier with the right planning. We spoke to Melie (August’s CEO & Co-founder) about the services available, and when we stayed in the South of France, the house manager kindly organised some grocery shopping before we arrived so the fridge was stocked, which was amazing. We also made sure to book restaurants for lunches and dinners in advance, so I wasn’t constantly cooking or worrying about meals. I also remember that before we even started going on holidays, I was quite particular about the practicalities, things like, Do I need to bring a high chair? Should I arrange a travel cot?
As a new mum, especially during COVID, everything felt a bit uncertain and complicated. But honestly, it has been fabulous, the August team really listened to all our needs, they added stair gates to the bedrooms, provided plenty of high chairs, plastic bowls, and cutlery, everything was thoughtfully set up for children. It made travelling as a family so much easier and a lot less stressful.
And just on that note, I was also quite concerned about the pools not having alarms at first, but that’s been introduced for the South of France, which I think is fantastic. It really shows how much attention they pay to safety and how responsive they are to feedback.
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August What appealed to you the most about the Signature Collection compared to the other Collections?
Anj For us, the Signature Collection just feels like the perfect fit. Pete has floated the idea of upgrading to the Premium Collection a few times, but I’ve been reluctant, partly because of the higher cost, of course, but also because I genuinely feel Signature suits our lifestyle right now.
The homes are the right size for us as a family. They’re comfortable, beautifully designed, and really practical, we feel completely at home in them. With Premium, you’re looking at larger properties, often five bedrooms or more, and while they’re stunning, it would mean having extra space we don’t really need. It starts to feel more like a place for hosting big groups or friends and as lovely as that is, we’re just not in that phase for all our holidays at the moment.
Right now, we want things to be easy and family-focused and that’s exactly what Signature offers. Everything we need is there, the houses are incredibly family-friendly, and it all just works seamlessly for how we travel. Premium is brilliant if you love entertaining and hosting, but Signature is perfect for us as a young family who just want to relax and enjoy time together.
August Can you walk us through the first time you set foot in your August home, how did you feel about the property’s character and design?
Anj I believe our first trip was to the house in the South of France and it was absolutely amazing. It was everything we’d hoped for, aesthetically and experientially. The design was exactly my style, soft beiges, beautiful natural wood tones, it just felt so calm and inviting.
There were lovely little touches everywhere, like fresh flowers in the rooms, a perfectly kept garden, and a gorgeous pool.
We went in the summer, and walking into the house felt a bit like stepping into a boutique hotel. The bedrooms were beautifully done, and everything felt special and thoughtfully prepared. We really loved that holiday. It was just perfect and I’ve always had such a soft spot for France, so it ticked so many boxes for us.
August As a UK based family, do you enjoy having a place in the Cotswolds?
Anj We absolutely love the Cotswolds, we adore it. I honestly don’t know whether I prefer the house in France or the one in the Cotswolds; they both have such a special charm. There’s just something so refreshing about getting out of London. With our busy lives, escaping to the countryside and seeing cows, sheep, and tractors, it instantly feels like you’ve left everything behind the moment you arrive.
It’s also worked really well for us because Pete’s parents live up near Liverpool, and they don’t fly. So, they wouldn’t be able to join us for holidays abroad. But whenever we go to the Cotswolds, we always invite them along, which means we get to see them more often and spend proper family time together. It’s lovely, especially since they don’t really like coming into London because of the traffic.
We love that we can just take the car, load it up with absolutely everything we need, and head straight there, it makes things so easy. Honestly, I’d feel quite sad without the Cotswolds house, I really do love it.
August Having school age kids, how have you found the booking system with getting the weeks / homes you want?
Anj We’ve actually been really fortunate, we’ve always managed to get the weeks we wanted, even during the peak school holiday periods like July and August. We’ve also had great luck with the half terms, like in October and Easter. I think part of that is because we’re quite flexible about which homes we go to. All of the houses are beautiful, so if we can’t get Mallorca for half term, for example, we’re just as happy booking the Cotswolds instead.
We’re also quite organised, both Pete and I make sure we’re online right at the time the points are released and that’s definitely helped! We’ve never had any issues booking, and we’ve even managed to get some amazing stays, like this year we somehow got the South of France house for three consecutive weeks in August, which was incredible. And we’re also spending New Years in the Cotswolds this year.
One thing I did wonder about in the beginning was whether it might be difficult to secure school holiday weeks if lots of families in the Collection were in the same situation. But we spoke to Mélie about it, and she explained that August carefully balances each collection, with families at different life stages, from different countries, and with varied holiday preferences. That’s really worked, because we’ve never felt like we’re competing for dates.
In our collection, there are quite a few keen skiers, so the ski weeks are popular but since we’re not skiers and the kids are still too young, that’s actually worked in our favour. Overall, the booking system has been really smooth and fair for us.
August How have you seen your family grow and evolve with August, and what do you envision for the future?
Anj I’ve definitely seen our family really grow and evolve with August. My kids now think of the Cotswolds house as their grandparent’s house, they just assume it’s theirs too. It’s become this shared space that feels familiar and special to all of us. It’s worked out beautifully because they’re at an age where they get genuinely excited about visiting these places again, almost as if it’s their own home.
Each house seems to get even better as the kids get older. For example, in the South of France this year, they added a table tennis setup, and the kids absolutely loved it. We’re discovering new spaces and activities that are really age-appropriate, which makes each visit more exciting and memorable for them.
I think also for us, we’re spending more time together as a family. Pete travels quite a bit and works long hours, so before the kids and August, we didn’t really plan our holidays properly, it was more like, Oh, we’re free, should we just quickly book something? Now, we’re planning trips almost a year in advance. It makes us more organised, and it gives us something to really look forward to and get excited about together.
August Are there any kid-friendly activities you’ve found near your August homes?
Anj Yes, definitely. In the Cotswolds, there are so many farms and Safari Park–type places, which have been a huge hit with the kids. I often talk about the South of France because that’s where we tend to go most, and we’ve discovered lots of parks and new activities there, someone even introduced us to an adventure playground and a trampoline park. Each year, we seem to find more and more places to explore. We don’t just stay at home anymore; we’re really active and looking for things to do. There are even zip-lining spots and other fun adventures. I think as the kids get older, there will be even more exciting things for us to enjoy together.
August Building a sense of community is a big part of August, how have you found the community experience so far?
Anj I think it’s been really great. Our collection has a little WhatsApp group, and everyone’s incredibly helpful, whether it’s sharing recommendations or just checking in with each other. The other day, someone suggested meeting up for drinks, and it felt completely natural, even though we haven’t met everyone yet. The people are all really nice and easy to connect with.
It’s also lovely how thoughtful everyone is. People take care of the houses as if they were their own, which is fantastic, you can see that the homes look just as good today as they did three years ago!
It’s really lovely that everyone shares tips, advice, and little gestures like that. It makes the whole experience feel warm, welcoming, and connected.
Another thing that’s been really helpful is August’s fantastic recommendations. For instance, when we were looking for a babysitter during one of our holidays, we were recommended two university-age girls through one of the property managers. We’ve now been working with them for a few years, and they’ve even traveled with us to other regions. That’s been such a huge help. I do also want to give a special shout-out to all the house managers, they’re truly wonderful, and it makes such a difference knowing that everything is so well taken care of!
August Do you have any tips or advice for someone wanting to join August?
Anj Yes, I’d say if you can, just go for it. It’s worked out really well for us. If you’re thinking about buying a second home, I really believe this is a fantastic option. Instead of buying just one, having access to multiple properties - well, you really can’t get better than that.
I’d really recommend it, especially for families with kids. Each property is no more than 45 minutes to an hour from an airport, which is perfect. So If you’ve got small children, after a flight, you don’t want to be stuck on a two- or three-hour journey to your home. It works really well, and if any issues come up, August is there to guide us and sort everything out. That takes a huge amount of stress off our shoulders, because no one really has time to deal with all the admin, and August handles the bulk of it. It just makes everything so easy.
If you’ve been inspired by our homeowners’ story and want to learn more about August, book a call with our team of advisors to have all your questions answered.