Join our Upcoming Webinar
For Penny and David, owning a second home abroad was always appealing, but the challenges of choosing just one location—and managing a property from a distance—kept them from taking the leap. That changed when they discovered August. Now, with four beautifully designed homes, they enjoy skiing in Megève, golfing in Mallorca, cycling in Tuscany, and reconnecting with the South of France—all without the stress of maintenance.
Penny: My husband, David, and I have two sons, Alex (30) and Robbie (27), so this was very much a family-driven idea. We've often considered buying a home abroad, especially since many of our friends have done so. However, the challenge of choosing just one location—along with the logistics of maintaining a property from afar—always felt overwhelming.
Then, a friend of mine who worked for a company called Picasso, a US-based equivalent of August, introduced me to the concept. That sparked my curiosity, so I did some research online, searching for "Shared ownership." The idea immediately resonated with me, and that's how we discovered August. It just felt like the perfect solution.
David: One of the biggest advantages for us is avoiding the common challenges of overseas property ownership. We have friends with homes abroad, it’s quite a responsibility to handle all the property management issues. In contrast, with August, currently we have four properties across three different countries—two in France—and yet, we don’t have to navigate the legal and logistical complexities of international real estate.
Another major benefit is the ease of maintenance. With August, that responsibility is taken care of, allowing us to focus on what really matters—spending time in beautiful places without the stress of upkeep.
Penny: Naturally, when you tell friends, "I've bought into a collection of properties, but I don’t yet know what all four will be," it raises some eyebrows. When we joined, only the South of France property had been secured. However, I looked at the past portfolios and thought, Would I be happy if our properties followed a similar pattern? The answer was yes—the locations were exactly the kinds of places we already loved holidaying in, which was fantastic.
Additionally, since part of my work involves property, I had a property lawyer review all the agreements. That gave me confidence in understanding the commitment I was making and allowed me to move forward with excitement.
I can’t say there was anything particularly difficult about the process. We had access to all the information we needed and a clear understanding of our position within the collection. I even requested copies of board meeting minutes, which were shared without hesitation, reinforcing the sense of transparency and fairness. Overall, everything was well-structured, and I felt fully assured in our decision.
.jpg)
Penny: Our first stay was actually a bit unexpected. When we joined the collection, we were most looking forward to the South of France and Artà (Mallorca) because we're golfers. However, since many of the prime reservation weeks had already been booked, the first available home for us was in Megève during the summer. Later, we visited Artà and the South of France, then more recently, Tuscany.
For our first trip to Megève, we decided to go just the two of us—more as a trial run to get a feel for the experience. We didn’t have particularly high expectations since it was only a short four- or five-day stay, planned around a wedding we were attending. But we absolutely adored it. Of course, the property itself was stunning, but the town was a real gem. As avid skiers, we’ve since returned for a fantastic ski holiday, but we were surprised by just how much there was to do in the summer as well. The scenery was breathtaking, and the whole experience far exceeded our expectations.
Our second stay was in Artà, and it was simply extraordinary. The house is beautiful, within walking distance of everything, and surrounded by fantastic golf courses. By this point, I felt completely confident in August, so we invited friends to join us. They even arrived on the same flight as us, walking through the front door at the same time. I had no hesitation in bringing them along because I knew the experience would be seamless—and it was.
Another detail that stood out to me was the thoughtful design of the homes. Some of the artefacts and décor pieces had clearly been sourced with care, I actually mentioned to the team that August should talk more about these heritage elements. It’s lovely to see how much thought has gone into every detail, making each property feel truly special.
.jpg)
David: We've skied a lot over the years, and both of our sons ski as well. While we still take regular ski trips to Austria, adding Megève to the mix has been fantastic. Although it’s not the highest-altitude resort, it’s more than high enough, and the town itself is wonderful year-round. We were really pleased with the skiing—it was much more extensive than I expected for such an old, established resort, dating back to the 1920s. Plus, it wasn’t too crowded when we went, as the major holiday season had just ended.
We didn’t play golf in Megève this time, but we know there are courses nearby. However, in Artà, we made the most of the fantastic golf options. There’s a company called Simply Golf Mallorca, which makes booking tee times seamless. They don’t charge extra beyond the golf club’s rate, but they take care of scheduling, language barriers, and busy course times. There are at least four or five courses within a half-hour drive, and when we stayed there with friends for a week, we played three rounds. You never quite know what to expect with holiday golf courses, but these were excellent.
I had never been to Mallorca before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was really impressed with Artà. Unlike some of the more touristy parts of the island, it feels authentic and local. Being just a five-minute walk from the central square was fantastic.
I did a guided electric mountain bike tour whilst in Megève during the summer—which, I admit, is a bit of a cheat, but I’d definitely do it again! Next time, I’d love to rent a bike in Mallorca and maybe do a guided cycling day. It’s a major destination for serious cyclists, though I’m more of a leisure rider myself. Still, there’s so much to do, and we’ve only scratched the surface.
Penny: In Artà, we wanted to take a boat out, but strong winds got in the way—that's still on our list for next time. All of our homes are great for cycling, and one of the things I love about August is the shared community knowledge. People exchange tips on where to rent bikes and the best routes, which is so helpful. When it’s just the two of us, we’ll probably always rent bikes and explore that way—it’s such a great way to see these beautiful regions.
When we visited our Tuscany home, David couldn’t make it, so it turned into a girls’ trip. It was in October or November and I wasn’t sure about the weather, so I made sure we had plenty of plans. After playing golf one day, my friend and I pulled out a map and decided what else we wanted to do. We took a train to Lucca, walked the city walls, and explored the town. Another day, we went to Florence for Opera—it was incredible. We took the train in, did a walking tour, had dinner, watched the performance, and then took a taxi back. It was so easy, and we were home in about 40 minutes.
We also went to a truffle festival and really immersed ourselves in the region—one day in Florence, another in Lucca, then wine tasting, truffle hunting... It was brilliant.
.jpg)
Penny: It’s been a wonderful way to reconnect with the region. We have so many fond memories of Valbonne from when our friends had their house there. Back then, our kids were young, the same age as theirs, and we would visit regularly when they were between five and twelve years old. After our friends sold their house, we hadn’t been back for a while. Returning now, we find ourselves revisiting familiar places—Tourettes-sur-Loup, Bar-sur-Loup, and other spots we loved. It’s incredible to be back, almost like stepping into a time capsule.
I even sent some photos to our friends who used to own a home there, and their immediate response was, "Can we come next time?" That, for us, really speaks to how special this part of France is—it holds so many wonderful memories.
This time around, we also explored areas we hadn’t visited before, like Cannes and Antibes. When the kids were young, we mostly stayed by the pool, but now we’ve been able to experience more of the coast. We took the train down to Cannes, which was lovely—it makes the journey part of the adventure.
David: Parking along the coast can be a challenge, especially in the old town of Cannes, where the roads are narrow and there are lots of one-way systems. Instead of dealing with that, we drove 10 to 15 minutes to the nearest train station and took a short 15- to 20-minute train ride straight into the centre of Cannes. It’s a much easier and more enjoyable way to get around.
%20(1).jpg)
Penny: The Valeria booking system is fantastic—really user-friendly. I often check in to browse availability and plan ahead based on the trips we know we want to take. For example, our son is going to a stag do in Mallorca, so I booked the week after for him, and he has friends joining him. That was a specific week we definitely wanted. We also gifted a week to our best man for his 70th birthday, and he was able to choose the exact dates that suited him. It’s been the same with skiing—we knew we wanted the last week of January, so we prioritised that and secured it easily. I find that if you have three or four must-have weeks in mind and book them as a priority, it works seamlessly. Beyond that, there’s plenty of flexibility. Right now, we have 11 weeks booked across the year—January, April, May, June, September, October, and November—and we haven’t even used up all our points. I can see a few more weeks we might pick up as they become available. Overall, it’s been really straightforward.
Penny: Having friends join us has been such a joy. Some of them feel like they’re part of the journey with us, which makes the experience even more special. And while I wouldn’t say I feel house-proud in the traditional sense, I do take pride in looking after each home—especially when it comes to recycling. The rules are quite strict in France, Italy, and Spain, much more so than in the UK, and following them properly gives me a sense of responsibility, knowing we’re leaving everything as it should be for the next family.
Additionally, one of the things I really appreciate is how responsive the Homeowner Team and property managers are to feedback. Every time we stay, I share little suggestions, and they’re always taken on board. For example, we mentioned needing egg cups for breakfast while skiing, and sure enough, they appeared.
Penny: I honestly can’t remember the last time I went on a girls’ trip with just the four of my girlfriends. Each of my friends said the same, which really shows how confident we all felt about the experience. I had never been to Tuscany before, but we all arrived together in the same car, completely at ease, knowing the home and overall experience would be seamless.
David: That really adds to the peace of mind. If there’s ever a request or an issue, we know it’ll be handled quickly, which makes the whole experience even more stress-free.
Penny: There’s a wealth of information on your website, which is a great place to start. I watched some of the testimonial videos, and I thought, well, people wouldn’t be saying these things if they weren’t true. That definitely helped build my confidence.
Another key factor for me was understanding the legal agreements. Having a proper review of them and seeing that they were fair and well-structured reassured me. The economics made sense, and everything was clearly laid out.
Also, from a practical standpoint, we have neighbours who have been struggling to get planning permission for a swimming pool for years. Seeing August secure permission and complete extensive renovations in Tuscany within about a year was incredibly impressive. It really speaks to how efficiently everything is managed.
.jpg)
Penny: As you can probably tell, we love it! First and foremost, the August team has been fantastic—the Homeowner team and property managers are always on hand if needed. Plus, the local recommend guides they provide are really helpful for getting started in each destination.
Beyond that, the WhatsApp community for our collection has been a great addition. It’s very active—not quite daily, but often—and it’s a wonderful way to connect with other families. If you want to engage, you can, but there’s no pressure. We share recommendations for restaurants, great walks, golf course reviews, and even little travel tips—like when renting a car, making sure you’re on the right side of the airport when flying through Geneva, because it makes a big difference!
One of my favourite moments was seeing a photo of three families who had never met before, celebrating New Year’s Eve together. It really highlighted the shared values among Homeowners—we’ve all chosen this concept for a reason. Being part of this community makes you appreciate, again and again, how lucky we are to look forward to these incredible experiences, the places we’ll explore, and the memories we’ll create.
Eager to find out more about co-ownership in Europe's most iconic destinations and become part of the August community? Start a conversation with our expert Advisory Team and take one step closer to your August journey today.
Hundreds of families trust us with their holiday homes and are a part of the August Community. Hear from them directly and discover their experiences with our Collections.
.jpg)