Ah, summer. The sun. The fresh veggies at the farmers market. The longer days. We love it.
Tenants love it too, especially when we’re talking about a region like Conway, South Carolina, which provides long, warm days, school holidays, and plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation.
How can you prepare your Conway rental property for the summer season?
We have some ideas.
Summer, Summer, Summertime in Conway: Increased Marketing and Moving
Summer is an especially popular time to move. You will find a lot of tenants are willing to move in the summer, when their children are out of school, the weather is nice, and they’re using up their own vacation days at work. While your focus is always on retaining your best tenants, if you find yourself with a vacancy, the summer months are the best times to fill that vacancy. Tenants will be looking for new homes.
Proper preparation ensures that your property stands out from the competition, drives more interest, and keeps tenants satisfied.
Take this time to make any maintenance updates and repairs that are necessary in order to get your property ready for the rental market.
- Inspect the Home Carefully
Don’t advertise or show your Conway rental property before you know that everything inside of it works the way it’s meant to. Do a thorough walk-through and inspection and test every system and function. Turn on the air conditioning, which we know tenants will need. Run all of the water, including faucets, sinks, tubs, and showers. Flush every toilet. Test every outlet. Turn on the appliances. Look at the locks on all doors and windows. Open closets and drawers. Make a list of anything that needs to be repaired or replaced, and then get to work. You don’t want to show your property and make a promise that you’ll fix whatever’s broken. Tenants will not take your word for it.
- Professionally Clean the Property
Your property has to be so clean it shines. When tenants begin to visit, you want it to be clean and bright and full of welcoming, crisp smells. Have a professional crew come in to scrub the home from top to bottom. Serious attention to detail is required. Scrub the baseboards and dust the ceiling fans. Find cleaners who are willing to pull the appliances out and dust and sweep behind them. You want tubs and sinks that sparkle.
- Landscaping and Curb Appeal for Good First Impressions
First impressions are completely important when you’re renting out a property. Make sure you give prospective tenants a reason to be excited about seeing the inside of your property. You don’t have to completely upgrade your landscaping, but pay attention to the details that will capture the imagination of prospective tenants. You don’t want any debris or trash on the outside of the home. The paint should be in good shape and the windows should be clean. Sweep away any cobwebs or leaves from the front door. Make sure there’s adequate exterior lighting. If your property has a yard, make sure the lawn is mowed and the bushes are trimmed. Remove any weeds from the flower beds.
Summer Essentials for Conway Rental Homes
Prepare for specific summer challenges your tenants may face. There’s more likely to be a problem with ants, mosquitoes, and other summer pests, for example, so focus on your pest control contract.
To keep your property well-maintained for the summer, make sure you have a seasonal maintenance plan in place and a schedule for inspections and cleanings.
- Pay Attention to Your Lawn
We talked about the importance of curb appeal, but landscaping is about maintenance just as much as presentation.
Schedule regular lawn maintenance for your rental property. Some landlords want to leave this for the tenants to handle, but we have found that a lot of tenants are not going to keep up with it as regularly as they should. Have a company take care of the mowing and the weeding once spring rolls around. Hiring a professional lawn maintenance team will ensure your landscaping is protected and your home continues to look attractive. When you get on a regular service plan, it won’t be too expensive, and you can include the cost in the rent when you’re setting your rental price.
- Clean and Inspect Gutters
Your gutters will need to be cleaned out before the summer rains arrive. After a cool winter and wet spring, it’s possible that the gutters will be clogged with leaves, sticks, and other debris. Have those cleaned out so you don’t put your property at risk for water damage, leaks, and moisture issues. This is another service that should be performed by professionals. You don’t want your tenants to get on a ladder and try to clean out the gutters. If they fall or something breaks, you’re looking at additional expenses and a lot of liability.
- Maintain your Sprinkler System
Sprinklers will need your attention in the summer months. Close any manual drains that were left open while the sprinklers were off for the winter. Open and pressurize the main sprinkler valves and run the entire system, looking for leaks and damage to piping and sprinkler heads which may have occurred over the winter months. Adjust the spray patterns and the timing so your sprinklers will be ready to water your lawn.
- Inspect Cooling Systems
Air conditioning in a Conway rental home is essential, so make sure the air conditioning is in good shape and functioning. An HVAC technician can check the swamp cooler and the condenser as well as the compressor. Make sure the tenants know how often to change the air filters. Your heating and cooling system is probably one of the most expensive systems in your property. It’s important to maintain it so you can avoid expensive repairs and replacements. Have the unit thoroughly inspected and cleaned before your tenants begin using the air.
Let’s talk about how we can help as summer gets closer. Contact us at J & P Unlimited. We manage investment properties in Myrtle Beach, Conway, Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet, Socastee and the surrounding areas.
