Please can you introduce yourself and how you found out about August, where did your journey start? 

I’m Marian, and it’s myself, my husband, and our two boys, one is nearly 13 and the other is nine. I first came across August while sitting in the hairdresser’s chair, flicking through a magazine. I can’t remember which magazine it was now, but there was a feature on August, and I remember thinking, that sounds really interesting. I made a mental note, pulled out my phone to look it up, and then, like many things, completely forgot about it for a few months.

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When I finally remembered, I couldn’t recall the name of the company and kept thinking, How on earth do I find that again? Eventually, I managed to track it down, and once I did, everything moved quite quickly. I was really taken with the concept right from the moment I first saw it, the idea just made so much sense to me. The next step was persuading my husband why it would be such a good fit for us!

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Did you have any concerns or reservations about joining August? And how did you overcome them? 

My husband was a bit hesitant at first. His initial reaction was, “This all sounds lovely, but do we really have the time to make the most of it?” He also wondered why we needed to commit to something like August when we could simply travel to different places each year, which we’ve always enjoyed. And of course, he questioned whether the money might be better left in a traditional investment account.

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He had lots of very sensible, due-diligence-type questions, which was actually really helpful. I took all of them to August to see how they would respond, and they addressed everything clearly and satisfactorily. After that, he started to come around and say, “Hmm…okay, this could actually work for us.”

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What really drew me in was the idea of having several places, not just one, that we could return to year after year as a family. I loved the thought of our boys growing up with these homes, becoming familiar with them, feeling independent there, and eventually being able to bring their own friends or even their own families in the future. It felt like creating a thread of continuity through their childhood. 

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So we were putting our money into something and actually getting a benefit out of it, rather than it just being figures on a page. 

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What appealed to you the most about the Signature Collection compared to the other Collections? 

Initially, I was looking at the Pied À Terre Collection, which are the city based apartments. One became available last year, and that’s what I first showed my husband. But by the time I’d persuaded him on the idea of August itself, he took another look and said, ‘I think we should just go for a Signature Collection straight away.’ He felt the boys would quickly outgrow sharing a room in a two-bed property and would appreciate more space as they get older. The idea of having larger villas, potentially with a pool and more room to spread out, felt like a better long-term fit for our family. And honestly, I didn’t need much convincing, I was delighted to upgrade our thinking to Signature.

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You joined August through a Resale share - why did you choose a Resale over a newer Collection? And how was the process? 

Yes, after browsing August’s website and seeing all the stunning properties already available or acquired, when a Resale share in the “Sartoux” Signature Collection became available, it really caught my attention. Looking at the homes in that Collection, I thought they ticked every box. Honestly, I can’t imagine finding anything better suited to our needs. 

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There are a few specific reasons for that. One of the biggest draws of this Collection was the Cotswolds home, because my dad actually grew up near the village where the cottage is located. My grandmother owned a home there when I was growing up, and we visited her often. I was really heartbroken when they sold it after she passed away, so the cottage in the Sartoux Collection reminds me so much of her and the childhood memories I have from that time.

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As a UK based family, do you use the Cotswolds home often?

Yes definitely, because it’s about an hour and a half drive away, the Cotswolds home was a great option for last-minute trips, like last year, when we inherited some bookings from the previous owners. We were able to use some of those, I was eager to visit as many properties as possible once we secured the Collection. That way, when the next round of points was released, I had a better idea of how and when we wanted to use them.

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Since our purchase happened around Christmas and New Year last year, we inherited a Tuscany trip over Christmas, which was amazing. Then, just before New Year, a zero-point booking came up for the Cotswolds, which was brilliant timing. I even took my dad in January on another zero-point trip.

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This year, we’ve been to the Cotswolds about four times and Tuscany three times, those are definitely our favourites. Christmas in Tuscany last year was so special; it was our first time using the Collection, and the kids loved it. We’ve also gone back with friends.

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How have you found the August community as someone who joined through a Resale rather than at the launch of a new Collection? What has your experience been like meeting other members or attending events?

The team at August has been fantastic, really helpful and friendly. Last year, just as our purchase was going through, I attended a community event in London where I got to meet people from our Collection and others.

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Before finalising the purchase, Amy from the August Advisory team kindly arranged for me to have online chats with a few current Homeowners. It was great to hear their honest experiences firsthand, without any filter. I asked all kinds of crazy questions, and they really helped put my mind at ease. Our Collection does also have a WhatsApp group, which is very supportive and helpful.

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This year, at the end of summer we attended another August event, where we met two couples who had recently bought in, one of whom joined a Pied À Terre Collection. It was great to chat with them and get a real sense of what it’s like owning one of those Collections. I also spent quite a bit of time catching up with Amy, which was lovely!

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Have you considered adding another Collection to your August portfolio? 

Yes, we’re actually buying another Resale share in a past Collection called The City Collection, which is a bit of a hybrid between city apartments and villas. It’s a little crazy because we realistically won’t be able to use all our points, it’s just not possible for us to use that many weeks during the year. However, for us, these Collections are a long-term investment. We want to keep them and share them with our families for many years to come.

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What’s great for us is that the Mallorcan house in the Signature Collection is in Sóller, but the City Collection home is right in Port Sóller, which the kids absolutely loved when we visited. Having a place right by the port means the kids can explore on their own as they get older since it’s a small, safe town. That home has two bedrooms plus an extra room that can be used for sleeping, so it’s perfect for short breaks. And of course, we still have the other house for when we want to accommodate a bigger group.

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We’ll also have an apartment in Cannes, which was another big draw for us. Being close to the sea is something my kids absolutely love and we do too. It’s wonderful to be somewhere where you can easily walk to the beach and stroll through a charming town. The City Collection feels perfect for shorter breaks, while we’d use the Signature Collection homes for longer stays and with bigger groups. As the kids get older, they’ll be able to visit on their own, and then we’ll probably use our points more fully. Since this City Resale opportunity came up, and who knows if more will in the future, we decided to just go for it.

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We have thought about possibly upgrading to a Premium or Prime Collection in the future, but for now, we feel that having these two Collections really meets our needs. Honestly, we love the homes we already have in our Collections, and I don’t want to lose any of them by upgrading. I’m really attached to these places, they’re such an important part of our lives.

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We really embraced the idea of truly owning these places, not just renting them temporarily. Sure, we could have just done something like Airbnb, but for us, it’s about having a genuine connection to these specific homes and getting to know them. 

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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?

Our first home visit was to Tuscany, and I have to admit, it felt pretty daunting going there for the first time in December. We had no idea what the roads would be like, other owners in our Collection mentioned that the road up was quite narrow and we were worrying about snow. When the day finally came, it was dark, and my husband drove up the hill for the first time. Irene, the Property Manager, met us along with her dad, and kindly handed over the keys.

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Opening the door and stepping inside, it looked just like the photos I’d seen, beautifully designed, with all the charming interior details I loved. Spending Christmas there was truly special, the wood-burning fire made it so cosy, and the views were absolutely breathtaking. We were lucky with the weather too; it was dry and clear. I even brought some paper chains to decorate, which made it feel extra magical. That house, with its incredible views, will always hold a really special place in our hearts.

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Having school age kids, how have you found the booking system with getting the weeks / homes you want? How many weeks were you able to book this year? 

It’s really helpful that we know the kids’ term dates a year or two in advance. I’ve always been pretty good at working out when they’ll be off school and then planning where we could go, whether that’s within our August Collections or sometimes other places.

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For example, this year, there was a last-minute cancellation for a week in the South of France, which was how we managed to get there since it’s usually quite booked. We went over Easter, but it was quite rainy, so I made it a priority to book a summer week there as soon as the first points drop came. That was two weeks sorted!

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Then I used a couple more points from that first drop to book a week in Tuscany over the February half-term, which was just two points. When the second points drop came, I focused on the Easter holidays and managed to book something in Mallorca.

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Knowing in advance what I want to go for really helps, I like having an idea before the points release day, then jumping on and booking quickly. It’s also good to stay a bit flexible, like having a couple places in mind rather than just one. 

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The great thing is that there’s always some movement throughout the year. If you get on the waiting list and someone changes their plans, you often get first pick. 

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Right now for May next year, I’ve got Chamonix booked in the Signature Collection, which would be lovely at that time of year. But in the City Collection, it looks like we might inherit a week in Barcelona. So we’ll have the option to decide closer to the time where we want to go!

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Does your family have a favourite August home so far? 

I think we love them all for different reasons. For me, Tuscany and the Cotswolds are probably my favourites. The South of France is also a strong contender, especially since we’ll be there for two weeks next summer; I have a feeling that place might really steal my heart too. I also really love the Chamonix one, the views are just incredible.

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We’re not skiers, but we gave it a go for the first time this year. The kids absolutely loved it! I wanted them to try skiing early on so they could join school trips if they wanted. My husband and I had never skied before either, so we thought, why not give it a try?

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Do you have any tips or advice for someone wanting to join August? 

We’ve honestly been blown away by how great this year has been. My husband is completely converted now! We’ve just found the whole experience fantastic. We love the homes, and we love the locations.

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Last Christmas is a perfect example. We’d never been away over Christmas before, and we’re not doing it this year because we have family here, but it felt like such a special opportunity last year to do something different. It was wonderful. Normally, we avoid peak holiday times because everything is so much more expensive. But with August, because the homes are simply there for you, you really can go at those times.

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Being away for Christmas also meant none of the usual stress, no endless cooking, organising, or tidying. If we’d been at home, I would’ve been doing all of that! My husband had to dip into work a little, but mostly it was just the four of us, tucked away together in this gorgeous Tuscan house. It was really special.

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What I’d say to anyone considering joining August is this: I completely understand the hesitation. I worried it might feel too good to be true, and I did a lot of due diligence, especially speaking to real owners before we signed. But it has genuinely exceeded our expectations. If you’re interested, and it’s something that makes sense for you financially, I’d say absolutely go for it, which is exactly why we’ve bought into another Collection!