Thank you for visiting our BEFORE YOU MOVE page. We have provided you with this page to assist you in properly preparing your home to turn over to our management team. By ensuring that each item is taken care of, you can rest assured that your home will be properly protected, cared for, and provided the best opportunity to appeal to a potential renter. The following is a list of items that we recommend you use as a checklist prior to moving or vacating your home:
Cleaning - One of the most important factors in ensuring that your home is well presented to a potential tenant is its cleanliness. Ensure that your home is thoroughly cleaned. We recommend that should you not have the time to clean your property after you move any belongings, that you hire a professional home cleaning service as they know the industry standard for how a home should be presented with regard to cleanliness when presenting it to potential renters.
For assistance in obtaining a company that provides quality service for cleaning and all home maintenance related needs, HRPM recommends www.TaskForceMaintenance.com. Inform them that you were referred by the Myrtle Beach Property Management Team of Hart Realty to receive promotional discount rates on ALL services.
Carpet Cleaning - With most homes being dominated by carpet throughout, a good cleaning by a PROFESSIONAL carpet cleaner is a necessity. Providing that quality clean property increases your chances for the best possible tenant. As Your tenant will be required to clean the carpets prior to vacating the property, we require that all homes brought onto our management program have cleaned carpets prior to being advertised FOR LEASE. Ask you property manager for assistance with obtaining a recommended company or visit www.TaskForceMaintenance.com for assistance with this service. Electricity - Ensure that your electricity remains on and your account is active, current and remains in your name. Doing so will protect the home in the winter months by allowing the HVAC heating system to activate & regulate an appropriate temperature during the cold times. Though it is Myrtle Beach and we are known for mild winters, we do occasionally experience below freezing temps which will put your home at risk for freezing pipes and potential severe water damage upon thawing of pipes. During the summer months, temps can reach close to & in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with high humidity for lengthy periods of time. Having the electricity remain on will allow the HVAC system to activate the Air Conditioning system to regulate an appropriate temperature to prevent mold growth which is a very common problem here in South Carolina.
Additionally, having electric will allow our property managers to ensure all systems within the house remain in working order, the home shows well, and will also protect all personnel that might be on the property's premises during low lit hours of the day.
Water & Sewer - Ensuring that the water & sewer accounts remain active will allow our property managers the ability to run water through the waste lines (i.e. sinks, toilets, drains, etc.) and keep water in the traps of the waste lines prior to the water dissipating and allowing noxious gasses from waste lines to enter the property, thus causing a foul odor within the home.
*NOTE: Tenants must transfer all utility accounts (not offered through HOA inclusions) into their name within 24 hours of lease beginning.
Home Owner's Insurance - Considered to be the MOST IMPORTANT of all tasks needed to be completed, but yet it seems to be the one addressed the least, your homeowner's policy that covered your home, its belongings, etc. during the time that you resided in the premises (whether as a primary residence or a 2nd/Vacation home) no longer properly protects you the home owner upon vacating the property and especially during a period of time in which tenants occupy the premises.
Be sure to contact your policy carrier and change your policy to a dwelling fire policy. Doing so will ensure that you, the home owner, maximize your protection & ability to be reimburse in the event of an incident. (*Note: Replacement cost coverage is recommended over depreciated coverage. Your insurance agent will be able to properly advise you on which coverage best suits you & your situation)
Additionally, we recommend that an added Liability Insurance Policy is sought to further protect you and your assets from any injury/loss that occurs on the premises.
Hart Realty & Property Management, LLC requests that you name our company as an ADDITIONAL INSURED on your liability policy. This typically comes at no added cost to you the policy holder.
*DISCLOSURE: Hart Realty & Property Management, LLC has NO AFFILIATION with any insurance carrier, vested interest in any insurance company, nor do they receive any commission based on the purchase of ANY or additional policy purchases.
Home Owner's Association Information (HOA) - Most properties in the Myrtle Beach, SC area are located within communities that are regulated by a Homeowner's Association (a.k.a HOA) which have rules, regulations, covenants, & restrictions that ALL property owner's AND TENANTS MUST abide by. Failure to do so will result in the PROPERTY OWNER being warned or fined depending on the situation. To ensure that we properly advertise your property FOR LEASE and your tenant abides by all rules, regulations, etc., we require that the homeowner provides us with the most current copy of the communities rules, regulations, covenants, & restrictions (and any additions or changes to). **NOTE: Due to our mission of properly protecting you and your property, failure to provide our management team with the necessary documents relating to the community will delay advertising and scheduling of viewing appointments on the property.
Warranty Information - Whether you purchased a New Construction home or one that is just a few years old, many homes today have Warranties that transfer with ownership. To ensure that we minimize your expenses, having warranty information on hand will further assist us in ensuring that we can rectify any maintenance issue under its probable warranty. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:
Any builder warranties
Appliance warranties
Termite warranties/Bonds
HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, etc .
ANY additional warranties that convey with the home
Failure to provide the management team with warranty information may result in charges/fees pertaining to maintenance issues that occur.
Manuals - Please ensure that during the packing process or upon receipt from the builder if purchasing a new construction home, that you provide HR&PM with all manuals pertaining to the home, appliances, alarm systems, other systems or equipment that will be remaining with the home.
Paint - Should you have any remaining paint that pertains to the current colors on any walls, trim, ceilings, etc. that you leave them with the home for touch up purposes. Should you not have any paint remaining or the paint is no longer in a condition that it can be used and you know of where you purchased it, the type, color, etc. please provide your property manager with that information should we need to conduct any touch up painting.
Garage Door Remotes - If you have a garage door operated by remote access, we ask that you provide us TWO remotes for tenants use. Please ensure that they have fresh batteries and are in operational condition.
Lawn Maintenance - If you own a property that requires the lawn to be maintained, please ensure that the property has been maintained within 7 days of turning the property over to HR&PM. Also, if you have a preferred landscaper that you would like to continue to use during the time the home remains vacant, please provide your property manager with the necessary information. HR&PM can take care of this service for you should the need arise. Please inform us should you need us to schedule this service.
