How to Prep Your Charleston Home for Long-Term Renters
Handsome Properties September 10, 2021
Handsome Properties September 10, 2021
Did you know that about 30 people move to the Charleston metro area every day? Attracted by a thriving economy, a warm climate, and excellent infrastructure, these new residents look for Charleston homes for sale where they can put down roots as they start new jobs and enroll their children in area schools.
This single-family detached home in the French Quarteris available with a six-month lease and comes fully furnished.
Many of these new residents opt to rent long-term while they search for the right home to buy. That’s where Handsome Homes comes in. We’re a full-service property management company specializing in services for homeowners and long-term renters.
We connect prospective tenants with their ideal residence in the Charleston area. For property owners, Handsome Homes provides a versatile portfolio that includes leasing, property management, and absentee homeowner services.
Many of our homeowner clients ask us how best to prepare their homes for long-term leases. We recommend the following seven steps.
You’ll need to get your home in top condition for long-term renters. Carry out a thorough inspection of your home and then make necessary repairs. You’ll want to make sure all home systems are working correctly and efficiently, such as HVAC, plumbing, and electrical.
You also should make sure the exterior is in good shape. Inspect exterior walls and the roof to make sure there are no cracks or degraded surfaces. Be sure gutters are cleaned with downspouts directed away from the house to reduce the risk of water damage. Inspect all outdoor living areas like porches, decks, patios, and decks. Repair as needed on a regular basis to reseal and maintain surfaces.
If your home has a swimming pool and/or hot tub, make sure you have a system in place for maintenance and treatment.
Inside, test all appliances, faucets, and plumbing. Make sure doors and windows shut and lock properly.
No one wants to live in a home with rooms in need of painting. A fresh coat of paint for all interior rooms is a relatively inexpensive way to make the home look new and well cared for.
Make sure your home has smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors that work. The same applies to fire extinguishers. Your local fire department will be able to tell you how many smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors you need and where best to place them.
You can also use this resource from the National Fire Protection Association. They recommend installing smoke alarms in each each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home. Be sure to test your homes safety features on a regular basis.
A home with more space will look more attractive in the eyes of potential long-term tenants. Rooms with fewer possessions look bigger. And they are easier to navigate, too.
Achieve a more spacious look by carrying out a dedicated decluttering campaign throughout the entire house. Don’t leave out any rooms or storage areas. Be sure to include outdoor living areas, too.
When you declutter room by room, pay attention to closets, drawers, and cabinets. Are there items in your home that never get used? Do you have to swerve around extra furniture and items sitting on the floor? Is there a surplus of decor in the form of pillows, throws, or wall art? Rooms with clean lines and minimal decor create a home ideally suited for long-term renting.
The next step after decluttering is to relocate any valuable possessions to another home, a secure storage unit, or a safe deposit box.
Items to focus on in this step include household goods that have a sentimental value. Don’t risk leaving treasured items in a home you want to rent out. Accidents can happen through no one’s fault. Remove the risk by removing heirlooms, collections, and the like.
You’ll also want to remove valuable jewelry, antiques, furniture, or any other items of value.
Your home will compete with other rental properties in the area. Focusing on curb appeal will go a long way toward making a good impression on prospective tenants.
To improve curb appeal, hire a landscaping company to mow, trim, and mulch your property to perfection. Avoid a one-time landscaping job. Foliage in Charleston grows quickly. You’ll want your landscaping service to return at regular intervals to keep the property looking neat and trimmed.
Curb appeal also includes giving TLC to porches, decks, and patios—the structures themselves and any outdoor furnishings and decor on them. Outdoor furniture should be new or like new. Faded, rusted outdoor furniture should be replaced.
Exterior lighting is another important aspect of curb appeal. Your long-term rental home should have bright lighting and the fixtures should be in top condition.
Every room of the home should be spotless and sparkling. Be sure to clean floors, windows, ceiling fans, and blinds. If your home has rugs or carpet, get them deep cleaned.
Your interior cleaning campaign should include kitchen drawers and appliances. Be sure to also include bathrooms, closets, and laundry areas.
Inspect the exterior of your home to make sure the siding is clean and free of any mildew that often accompanies a humid climate like we have in Charleston.
Once you make the decision to rent out your property on a long-term basis, contact us. We know how to market your home to attract qualified tenants. We have the expertise and the resources to screen tenants, negotiate rental agreements, and collect rental payments—all while complying with local, state, and federal laws.
Handsome Homes stays with our homeowners to take care of ongoing maintenance and repair to keep your rental property in prime condition.
Are you an absentee homeowner and need someone to handle any issues that may arise while you are not in town? We offer inspection services that include four property visits and inspection each month, scheduling annual home maintenance tasks, and monitoring of service providers, and more. Get all the details about our absentee homeowner services here.
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