We feel like we’re comming home

We are very keen to ensure that our owners are happy and satisfied with the homes we deliver, and with the process that has led to the final result. This is why we check in with them and make sure that everything is meeting their expectations.

One of the ways we do this is through a feedback form, which the owners recieve at the end of a stay. Here they can give us feedback and comments about their stay. We generally experience a high level of satisfaction with the homes, but we always want to develop, and ongoing feedback from our owners is important for us to create the best framework for future stays.

From time to time, we therefore have a more in-depth chat with our owners, and it was in this context that we had the pleasure of conducting a little interview with Malene Axlev, who is an owner in a Premium association. Here, Malene shares her experiences of the MyHomes concept, the homes, bookings and sharing ownership with other families.

What were your considerations when choosing MyHomes?
“Our considerations were about how we could be sure to have both MyHomes and the freedom to do something else. It shouldn’t be about the fact that we now have five homes, but then we can’t travel and experience anything else. It shouldn’t be a straitjacket for us if it didn’t fit in with our plans – for example, if we want to go skiing somewhere other than Megève or we don’t get week 7. There has to be time and space to do something else as well.”

Did you then come to the conclusion that there is space to do something else?

“Yes, we talked about how we like to spend our holidays, and how we’d like to spend our holidays, and came to the conclusion that the MyHomes concept fits in with those wishes. In those years when we want to do something else, it’s possible to lend the homes to your family, so that others can benefit from them. This was also part of our considerations – that the homes can be of benefit to your family, because maybe we can’t go on holiday in January and play golf, but my parents can, so they can borrow one of the homes. The flexibility of having both options is important to us.

We’ve not bought the share as an investment. The idea behind it is that when you buy five homes that are fully renovated, the value will normally be higher once the construction project is completed.

The way MyHomes buys and renovates was also part of the considerations, together with the location, because it’s something that will never lose value. Also, as a rule, investments in properties are never a bad investment, and buying homes in three different countries spreads the risk.”

What are the benefits you see in the MyHomes concept?

“Now we’ve been to all the homes, many of them twice, even though our association is relatively new, and the greatest thing is when you step into one of the homes – whichever one it is – you feel at home. And it’s actually even better the second time, because you get that sense of belonging. I don’t feel as though I’m sharing it with 28 other families.

I feel that it’s my house, and when I go back there six months later, I don’t feel like others have been there in the meantime.

That’s been the biggest positive surprise of the concept, this sense of feeling at home, whether you travel to Barcelona or Piedmont.”

In what way do you think that the homes offer something different?

“It was actually one of the reasons why we fell for MyHomes – the locations can offer something different, and we don’t have five of the same. Barcelona has the very best of city life, and when you’re in the apartment, you really feel like you’re in Barcelona.

In Megève, you can see that it’s a chalet apartment with timber on the walls, and the interior design is just the way they furnish homes in the Alps. When you look out at the mountains, you just want to go out and enjoy them.

In Villefranche, you feel like strolling down to the square to drink a glass of rosé. So the way you spend a holiday in MyHomes is just different, because one’s an active city break, while the other is a holiday where you just chill out. And I think it’s really great that you’re not stuck with your children in two hotel rooms with connecting doors if it rains, but that you’re living in a place where you feel that you’re actually together with your family.”

How do you feel about sharing ownership with 28 other families?

“I think that people take responsibility, and when you chip in more yourself, there are others who also chip in more. At the same time, it’s a bit special, because I don’t actually feel like I’m sharing the homes with others. So, the MyHomes concept works really well.

There’s this community in our Facebook group, where people help each other and share links and tips, or people write that they’re not going to use their booking after all, so does someone want to take it over at the last minute. So, there’s a good sense of community, without feeling that you’re a member of a housing cooperative.”

What is your experience of booking your preferred weeks?

“We’ve been pleasantly surprised and have had much more than we dared to hope for. Typically, we have one particular week as our first priority and another one as priority two, and if we don’t get them, we swap them around. And those times when we don’t get our first priority, we get our second priority, and then we get the first priority next time.”

What is your process when booking your weeks?

“We usually look at what our holiday year looks like for the next year. The most important thing for us is that we want a summer holiday week in Piedmont, and if we can’t get the summer holiday week, then we’d love to go to Piedmont in September, and Megève in the summer holiday. We usually have three priorities ready, and then we also look at what’s available in the second round – for example, we want to get away during Easter, but whether we go to Barcelona or Piedmont is neither here nor there.

We were in Marbella in December because we had a week left over, and we just thought: OK, let’s give it a go! It was a brilliant experience. When it’s a week that’s not in the high season, you can be taken a bit by surprise by how cool it really can be. As my son said, ‘do they celebrate Christmas down here too?’ So, you actually have your outlook broadened much more, compared with what the locations can offer at other times and out of season, which is really cool.

We were in Piedmont this Easter, which we also visited on our summer holiday, and suddenly we experienced the area in a totally different way. There were no tourists, only locals, and that’s just totally different. We wouldn’t have gone to Piedmont for Easter if we didn’t have a house there.”

What do you think about the interior design of the homes?

“I took my friends skiing with me in our apartment in Megève, which everyone had seen in photos, but they just think it’s so incredibly cool furnished . I think it’s great when you walk through the door of one of the homes and can see from the interior design which country you’re in, but it’s also combined with Scandinavian style. There’s balance in respecting the country in which the home is located, without there being too many flowery sofas. That’s also one of the reasons we feel at home, because the interior design matches what you’re used to at home, but there’s always a twist.”

What was your experience of the process – from the time you bought your homes until they were ready?

“As regards MyHomes, the entire process when it came to informing us about the progress on our homes is reassuring. The newsletters keep you informed, and MyHomes is one step ahead before you start thinking ‘I wonder how far we are with this or that’ – and along comes the newsletter!

You’re part of the process, and then there’s the final, exciting reveal in the form of photos, which come as a bit of a surprise, and you think wow, it looks great.

I also think the newsletters are good and informative when the homes are in use. You always feel updated. If we ask a question about MyHomes, we get a good, prompt response. The entire flow of information just works, giving you real peace of mind. Which was particularly important during the pandemic.”

Would you recommend others to buy a share in MyHomes?

“I think I’ve sold it pretty well. We’re super excited about MyHomes, and we’ve had friends and family staying in the homes, who’ve all seen photos, and they just think it’s even better in real life. And it really is. We are very strong advocates of MyHomes.”