There’s a particular kind of satisfaction in being ahead of things before anyone else has started thinking about them. August, while most of London is still deep in summer mode, turns out to be exactly the right moment to get a head start: quiet, unhurried, and full of room to put a few things in motion for the months ahead.

A little planning now goes a long way. Booking an interior designer while their diary is still open. Getting a tutor’s name down early, while the new school year still has plenty of room on the calendar, so your family gets the pick of the best ones rather than whoever’s still free later. Starting a skin routine in good time so it has weeks to actually work, rather than starting from scratch once the weather turns.

It doesn’t need to happen this week, either. It just needs to happen before everyone else remembers to think about it, which is usually the easiest kind of advantage to have.

Look after yourself first: skin and fitness before the season turns

There’s also a simpler reason August is a good moment for this: London empties out, diaries lighten up, and a facial or a Pilates class is far easier to fit in now than once everyone’s back and the calendar fills up again. Worth taking advantage of the quieter weeks while they last.

Summer takes a toll on skin in ways that are easy to overlook: sun, chlorine, air conditioning, long flights. The good news is there’s still time to get ahead of it. Booking a consultation now, while treatments have weeks to work before the weather properly turns, puts skin in a much better place heading into autumn than starting from scratch once it’s already tight and dull.

The same logic applies to fitness. A Pilates or training routine started in August has time to properly settle in before term begins, which makes it far easier to keep up once September’s diary fills back in. Almost Essential’s recommendations here include Pilates with Paola Langella, the Traditional Joseph Pilates Studio with Holly Murray, and Home and Outdoor Fitness Training with Michael, for training that comes to you.

To look and feel your best, Almost Essential’s Cosmetic Doctor and Nutritionist Alexandra Cortina both suit this exact moment, whether that means a treatment plan or getting nutrition and energy levels in good shape before the darker months arrive.

Getting ahead of the school year

Locking in a tutor or education consultant now, while the new school year still has plenty of room on the calendar, means getting the pick of the best ones rather than whoever still has space once term is underway. It also means walking into September with a plan already in place, whether that’s extra support in a particular subject or an early start on UK or US university applications.

Almost Essential’s Tutors and Education Consultants categories are built for exactly this kind of early planning. Michelle has written previously about navigating UK and US university applications, which is worth a read for anyone starting that process this year.

Building projects: a good moment to start

Any building or renovation work, a refurbishment, some redecorating, or finding the right contractor for a bigger project, tends to run more smoothly with a few extra weeks of lead time built in.

Almost Essential recommends The Ideal Building Project Manager for refurbishment, painting and decorating work, and The Page for finding the right contractors for larger renovations. Both are easiest to bring on board while diaries are still open.

The garden: next on the list

A garden that’s had a full summer of use is often exactly ready for some attention, while there’s still time to enjoy the results before outdoor evenings become shorter.

Garden Design and Maintenance with Cally covers both the design side and the ongoing upkeep, and The Art of Garden Design is there for anyone planning a bigger change. For outdoor furniture, Tectona is available exclusively to Michelle’s Inner Circle members.

Interiors: a few names worth calling early

A home usually only needs one thing at a time. A room, a set of curtains, or a favourite piece of furniture that’s ready for some attention, and August is a genuinely good moment to get whichever it is properly sorted, rather than squeezed in later.

For a full room refresh or a change of direction, Joanna Wood Interior Design is one of the designers Almost Essential recommends, known for elegant, considered work across London homes. If it’s curtains, cushions or reupholstered furniture on the list, Esen Umit has built a reputation for exactly that kind of detail. And for furniture that’s picked up a few knocks over the years, or simply over the summer, Jonathan’s furniture restoration service brings pieces back to their best rather than replacing them outright.

Between the three, most interiors projects have a natural home. For anyone who’d rather hand the whole thing over from start to finish, Almost Essential’s recommended Full Interior Design Service covers the full 360 degrees of it.

Around the table: entertaining and home accessories

Entertaining at home tends to pick back up once autumn arrives, and it’s an easy moment to refresh the pieces that make a table or a room feel finished. Almost Essential’s Casa by JJ homewares collection is a good place to start for accessories, alongside the wider AE Tableware and Entertaining edits, and the Candles collection for the evenings that start drawing in earlier.

The easiest way to do all of it at once

Self-care, school, a building project, a garden refresh, an interior update: that’s a lot of different people to find and book separately. Michelle’s Inner Circle and the wider Little Black Book network exist for exactly this kind of coordination, one point of contact who already knows which providers are worth booking early, and can get things moving across all of it at once.

Quick answers
When is the best time to book skin treatments before autumn?
During August, so treatments have several weeks to work before the drop in humidity in September and October.

When should I lock in a tutor for the new school year in London?
While summer holidays are still on, so the pick of tutors and education consultants is still open before term begins.

Is it worth starting a building or renovation project in late summer?
Yes. A few extra weeks of lead time for planning and contractor availability tends to make projects run more smoothly.

When should garden design or maintenance be booked?
August or early September, while there’s still time to enjoy the results before the evenings draw in.

When should I book an interior designer in London for autumn?
Early to mid-August, while diaries are still open ahead of the September rush.