Meet some of the likeminded August families who share the love of travel, passion for culture and quality time together

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Those that own second homes are often bound to the unknown costs and time-consuming obligations that come with homeownership. At times, it can dampen holiday spirits and cause irritations when having to run and maintain a property aboard. So what if there's a better way to buy and own beautifully designed holiday homes in popular locations, where you know exactly what to expect for a price that is final without the hassle of ongoing maintenance?

Our latest family Shireen and Emmanuel are familiar with owning second homes abroad. Now they're a part of August they're are looking forward to sharing their new homes with their family. Read more below about why August makes sense for their family...

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Prior to joining August, Shireen and Emmanuel have owned second homes and understand the challenges of owning a second home abroad

They've recently sold their holiday home in Europe which allowed them to seek another holiday home where they could use as a base for their family to meet. They missed the sense of flexibility their previous homes gave them, being able to go back and forth whenever but certainly didn't want to deal with the inconvenient year-round maintenance that comes with it.

August provides the kind of flexibility this Swiss-based family requires, whilst fulfilling the luxury of owning a holiday home like before, but without the hassle. The idea of arriving with their suitcases and immediately settling in, then leaving the house as they discovered was unheard of. Now they're on their way to making more memories with their family.

A big welcome to you both! We're excited to have you a part of August. Could you please tell us a little bit more about your family?‍

“Shireen and I, live in Switzerland and are originally from France and the UK. We have two daughters in their early twenties and a teenage boy who still lives at home with us. Our daughters are in university in California and Belgium. We're familiar with owning second homes as we recently sold our previous home which we had for a while and really enjoyed having a base for holidays when the girls visit home and share with our friends and family."

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If you've previously owned holiday homes throughout Europe and know you can do it yourself, why did you join August?

“I always get a lot of real estate marketing as I like to keep an eye on the market. Owning second homes is something I have an affinity with, so when I came across August and noticed the homes looked luxurious and the locations were in areas we know well, I wanted to find out more. I spoke with the team and within a week of becoming co-owners, they arranged for Shireen and I to stay at the French Riviera home which was so great.

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We know what it's like to go back and forth with lawyers, banks, and figure out what the area is like, so we understand how exhausting it is to think about owning a holiday home again.

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We recently sold our previous holiday home and wanted to reinvest but also want to enjoy ourselves a bit. With the girls leaving home, it's a great reason to travel. In this collection three of the properties are within reasonable driving distance from Switzerland which is a very compelling criteria for us.

Even the thought of having to deal with the contingencies of property maintenance is something we don't want to think about. When we learned more about August, we realised we wouldn't have to do this anymore, but we could still own a second home (or in this case, homes!) for a reasonable price and visit it as much as we did with our previous home. It's the convenience that did it for us."

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Did your holiday home experience meet your expectations?

“We were really interested in what August could offer for our family. The process was so easy and transparent, we were able to stay in our home for a weekend after we joined to get a taste of the home in the French Riviera and the location.

We arrived at the home, and it was exactly to our aesthetic - cosy and comfortable. We really appreciate that August has taken the time to ensure luxurious and functional interiors. We both agreed that the home, interior and location are all tick, tick, tick!!!

Also, we were pleased to know August has the same interior aesthetic as we do, making us settle in straight away. Most of the weekend was spent outside in the garden on the terrace and by the pool, we just loved admiring the view of the rolling hills which you can see for miles. The gardens were very well-groomed and the greenery was lovely to look at when we had our breakfast and dinner outside. The surrounding location within the home was in a great part of Valbonne, we jumped in the car and drove around the neighbouring villages.

We can't wait for our children to visit the homes with us as it will be the perfect holiday base, especially now that we have five homes to choose from!"