Myrtle Beach Real Estate Blog

Moving can be a challenging task especially if you are undertaking some of the packing of your personal belongings yourself.  You’ll want to make sure that each box is labeled with the items that are contained in the box so that you won’t have to spend valuable time searching for the things that you need to set up your new residence.  One of the first things that you should do is prepare and pack a “to go” box that will hold the general household supplies that you always need the first few days in a new place.  Before you pack the box, take some time to think about what you need on a daily basis and include these things in the box.  Let’s take a look at some of the basic things that you’ll need right away in your new Myrtle Beach home.

1.    Toilet paper.  Be sure to pack two rolls for each bathroom in your home; this keeps you from having to take time out of placing your things to go out and buy this daily necessity.

2.    Dish soap.  You’ll want to wash your dishes before you place them in your new cabinets so having dish soap makes that chore easily accomplished.

3.    Dishcloth and towels.  You’ll need to wipe water that’s splashed, any spills, and perhaps dry the few dishes that you are using until your movers arrive with your other things.

4.    All-purpose cleaner, sponges, and rags.  Pick a cleaner that will clean a variety of surfaces so that you can clean all of the areas of your new home before you begin to place your personal belongings.  If you think you’ll need a bucket, mop, and broom you may want to pack an additional box to handle these tools for use in your new home.

5.    An all-purpose kitchen knife.  You may want to also include a small cutting board if you are going to be preparing a few meals in your home before the movers come with your things.

6.    Toaster, coffee pot, and other small appliances.  To grab a quick breakfast of toast and coffee before you begin to unpack what’s just arrived in your new home is a good idea.  You’ll have energy and won’t have to stop placing things to run out and try to find breakfast.

7.    Pack a mug, plate, knife, fork, and spoon for each member of your family.  You can use mugs for both hot and cold beverages so they’re more versatile than glasses.  Pack them securely maybe by even wrapping one of your dish cloths around them to get more use for your space.

8.    Include one small all-purpose pot and a pan. You can use this to boil water for tea if you desire and can use the pan to whip up a tasty snack or lunch in the midst of your work.

Having a handy box that contains some essentials to getting settled in your new home is an excellent way to save money and time as you move from one location to another.

About a decade ago, an upscale developer had a vision for a residential development on the Grand Strand that would set the benchmark for all other communities.  When Burroughs & Chapin Co, Inc. began construction on the 2200 acre planned development, their vision was to incorporate a variety of home ownership opportunities and combine them with amenities that enhanced Low Country living at its finest.  On Friday, December 27, 2013, it was announced that LStar Management of Raleigh, N.C. has purchased this luxurious development complete with the Member’s Club, the Ocean Club’s 25,000 square foot clubhouse, the restaurant and pool complex, the Tennis Club and fitness center, the 131-slip Grande Dunes Marina, and the Anchor Cafe located on the waterfront.

The Grande Dunes purchase is the first investment by the residential and commercial development investment firm LStar a in the Myrtle Beach area and provides the firm with an exciting opportunity along the Grand Strand.  LStar has expressed a desire to maintain the vision held by B & C and has no plans for any specific changes in this impressive community and its accompanying amenities.  It plans to keep the current employees and keep the golf course as a private facility. 

LStar plans to hold meetings with golfers, residents of the Grande Dunes neighborhoods, and those who use the complex to take suggestions so a masterplan for Grande Dunes can be crafted for future growth and expansion.  These information-gathering meetings will begin in January as a follow-up to the email received by property owners last week informing residents of the change in ownership.  Working as a team the new owners along with current residents can fine-tune the path forward for Grande Dunes and continue the exceptional opportunities that await home ownership in this premier community.

McConnell Golf will assume management of golf and club operations at the Members Club at Grande Dunes, the Ocean Club at Grande Dunes, and the Anchor Café.  The organization was founded in 2003 and has expertise in managing The Reserve Golf Club in Pawleys Island. 

Grande Dunes is a massive development that spans from the oceanfront to the west of the Intracoastal Waterway and includes about 770 acres of vacant property for future residential and commercial development most of which lies east of the Intracoastal Waterway.  The deal doesn’t include the public Resort Golf Course or the Marriott and Marina Inn.  Grande Dunes certainly set the standard for residential development in Myrtle Beach and the new owners at LStar plan to continue the vision of excellence.

When the New Year rolls around, you sometimes pledge to lose more weight, to stop smoking, to save money, or to spend more time with your family and friends. But do you set goals for your home in the New Year?  Maybe this year you should come up with some resolutions that will make your home more beautiful, more clean and efficient, and a more comfortable environment in the New Year.  Let’s look at five New Year’s Resolutions for your home this year.

1.    Streamline all of your stuff.  To have a more stress-free environment you should remove as much clutter as you can from your home.  You should regularly keep your drawers, cabinets, and closets purged of things that you no longer want or use; this means that you should do some cleaning early in the year to find things you can certainly live without.  Either throw them away or donate them to charity so that your home will look clean, modern, and efficient.  Keep baskets and other items that you like to sit on the floor space to a minimum so that traffic throughout your home won’t be impeded.

2.    Make sure that your home is safe and sound.  Check for radon, carbon monoxide, and other potentially dangerous gases that can cause harm to your family.  You’ll want to check the dryer lint in the vents and ductwork behind the dryer on a regular basis; if you haven’t done this in a while now is the time to complete that task.  You should also make sure that your home has plenty of circulation of air in the bathroom and attic space.  If your vents are covered with shingles and your home can’t “breathe” you’re a good candidate for mold in your home.

3.    Cut the energy usage in your home.  You can do this effectively by turning off lights when you leave the room, using low-flow showerheads, and turning off power strips when you’re not using them.

4.    Devise a system for keeping your house clean each week.  Put dishes in the dishwasher each night and dirty clothes in the hamper.  Keep all of your cleaning products organized and ready to pick up and go once you begin to clean the house.  Give each family member a task to complete each week; you may want to base children’s allowances on the chores that they do successfully.

5.    Add a plant or two to make your home seem friendlier and to add a splash of color to your décor.  You may even want to rearrange the furniture so that you have a totally new look and a new feel to your existing pieces and furnishings.

Starting the New Year with resolutions for your home can help you to relax, unwind, and concentrate on the ones that you made for yourself.

Now that the holidays have you in a festive spirit, it’s time to carry that excitement over into getting your home reorganized for the New Year.  Let’s look at some ways to get your home into a new and appealing arrangement that you can enjoy long into 2014.

1.    Have an optimistic attitude.  Be thankful that your home was a wonderful gathering place for family and friends during the holidays and that you helped to create memories that will last a lifetime for them.  Then, take a deep breath and prepare to do some hard work to reorganize your home for the New Year and beyond.

2.    Remove all of your festive decorations and store them safely and securely for next year.  If you’ll invest in some of those handy plastic tubs, your decorations, lights, and garlands as well as your ornaments will be in great shape for Christmas 2014.  Be sure to label what’s in each tub so that you won’t have to dig through each one when you begin to decorate next year.

3.    Clean one room at a time.  After you take down the decorations in each room you’ll need to clean your furnishings and the flooring in your home.  As you complete each room be sure to take a break so that your mind and body will be rested and so you won’t overdo your physical activity.  Also keep in mind that this is a great workout for you:  a great way to work off those extra pounds you might have gained.

4.    If you had a live Christmas tree you’ll want to recycle it at one of your local community events.  If you used an artificial tree, be sure to store all parts in the same box along with the instructions that accompany it.  You also want might to make an extra copy of these instructions to store in your home files so that if you somehow misplace the one that goes in the box you’ll have another one.

5.    If you have decorations that you didn’t use this year donate them to an organization that can use them next year.  It’s a good idea to inventory your ornaments at the end of the holidays to see what you used, what you didn’t, and what you can donate or discard.

6.    You can try your furniture groupings in different arrangements than you had before the holidays to get a new look for your home.  If you received any accessories or new linens for Christmas you can display them to help carry the enthusiasm that you had during the holidays into the New Year.

Sit down, enjoy your new arrangement and let the New Year begin on a new adventure with a new look for your lovely home.

When you’re gathering with family and friends during these next few days fire safety may be the last thing on your mind. But should a fire occur, it can be a devastating event that impacts not only your quality of life but even your successful home ownership.  With lots of guests in your home, extra decorations, people smoking, enjoying cocktails, and sometimes involving fireworks in the equation your chance for a fire grows with each element that you add.

Let’s look at some tips for entertaining safely in your home over the next week when guests are enjoying themselves in your home.

1.    If you serve alcoholic beverages, be sure to have plenty of foods that are high in protein such as cheese and nuts.  This type of food slows the absorption of alcohol into the circulatory system and helps prevent over-indulgence
2.    A couple of hours before your party is to end, stop serving alcoholic beverages and insist on coffee and soda instead.  You’ll want to also watch your guest or have the bartender that you’ve hired notice when someone has had enough and needs to be switched to another beverage.
3.    Provide plenty of ashtrays where guests can extinguish cigarettes and cigars if you permit smoking in your home.  If guests are encouraged to smoke outside, be sure to make arrangements for cigarette butts that may still be smoldering after they are put out.
4.    Make sure that the smoke alarms are working properly in your home so that should a fire begin you will be notified immediately with a loud warning siren.  You should be checking these devices on a weekly basis during the winter months to assure your family, friends, and guests of a safe environment in your home.
5.    If you decide to use fireworks as part of your celebration make sure that you purchase them from a reputable dealer and that they meet the proper safety standards.  Follow all instructions for igniting them and keep a bucket of water or the garden hose nearby.  You’ll want to protect the children in the crowd and keep them a good safe distance from the lighting area.
6.    Keep the decorations in your home away from open flames such as candles to avoid a house fire.  Never leave your candles unattended and keep burning flames out of the path of guests moving around in your home so that they won’t be overturned.
7.    Have your fireplace inspected at the beginning of each burning season to prevent chimney fires.  If you have gas logs, make sure that all parts are working properly and that they have been cleaned for optimum performance.

Christmas and New Year’s Eve Celebrations are the most wonderful time of year; just make sure that you pay attention to all of the little things that can cause pain and heartache if a fire should occur.

With the holidays fast approaching, it might be a good time for you to inventory your closet and see how you can better organize the space to make room for the new gifts you’re sure to receive.  The National Association of Professional Organizers says that there is not any one way to get your closet into shape so that you can carefully store all of your belongings; it’s a personal matter that must be addressed with your own preferences for style and trends in fashion.  It’s best to have a plan in mind before you begin buying new products that will increase the space that you have; begin with an inventory of your closet and make changes where you can in preparation for your new wardrobe additions.

The first step is to empty your closet completely so that you can sort your personal clothing and shoes into categories.  Have a pile for keeping, another pile for items that are misplaced, and a final pile to donate to a local charity or to store for your annual yard sale.  Relocate the items that don’t belong in your closet, box up the donations, and then see what you have left that will need closet space.  You should take inventory of your seasonal items as well so that you can put them into another closet, perhaps upstairs, so that you can rearrange your closet as the seasons change.

You’ll find a closet organization system to fit whatever budget you may have.  You can choose from custom wood to coated wire to shelf-and-bracket systems that all do the same thing: organize your clothes so that they won’t become wrinkled or look poorly maintained.  The most versatile and economical choice is the coated wire system.  You can easily see what you have and the air inside your closet will be able to circulate freely.  These systems are extremely durable, can be adjusted to your personal preference, and can accommodate baskets and bins for versatility.

Once you have the system installed, you should take great care in hanging your clothing onto plastic hangers so your investments will be protected.  Make sure that shirts and blouses have the top button buttoned so that wrinkles won’t form and the piece of clothing will hang properly.  This will keep your clothes looking great and will decrease the amount of ironing that you have to do before you wear something.

Once your gifts are opened and your new shirts are unboxed and the new sweaters are ready to be stored, you can use your new storage system to adequately and safely store your wardrobe.  Just a few hours of planning what you want, sorting what you have, and installing what you need can make your appearance crisper and more professional looking.

If you love the ambiance of a fire but don’t like the soot, ashes, and work associated with the traditional type of fireplace, a ventless fireplace might be of interest to you.  This type of fireplace doesn’t have a flue or a chimney and is a convenient way to enjoy a fireplace without all of the work and mess that comes with a “real” one.  A ventless model is less expensive and much easier to install and also meets strict federal guidelines for safety in your home.

Your ventless fireplace can be fueled with either gas or propane and relies on indoor air for its combustion.  Since 2002 these fireplaces must have a safety device that automatically shuts off the fireplace if the carbon monoxide level rises to an unacceptable level in your living space.  You can safely use a ventless fireplace to enjoy a cozy winter evening with your family in your new home.

You will need a professional installer since your fireplace is connected to a gas or propane supply line.  You’ll need to clean your log set annually so that it will perform up to its maximum level and so that you’ll be able to enjoy a healthy and safe environment.  Make sure that you hire a reputable company that has all of the proper credentials to install and maintain your ventless fireplace.  You’ll also want to check with the proper building authority to see if you need a permit to add the fireplace to your existing home.

Be sure to select the right size for the room in which you are placing your fireplace.  If you have a large, open floor plan like a great room, you should expect to install a unit with a 25,000 BTU output or higher.  For smaller areas, you can use a smaller size which will give you the same esthetic value just in a smaller form.  These units are nearly 100% efficient in keeping the heat that they give off in your room.  You can compare this to a wood-burning fireplace with a chimney where you can expect to lose 85% of your heat up the flue.

To add just a touch of style and sophistication to your décor, you may want to add a ventless fireplace if your home doesn’t already have one.  You’ll have many hours of enjoyment with it on cool fall evenings and at your holiday gatherings during Christmas and New Year’s Eve.  It’s an excellent place for your guests to gather as they reminisce about the good old days and how modern conveniences like ventless fireplaces have taken the work out of a good fire at home.

When you host a party in your home during the holidays, you want it to be a memorable event for everyone there.  From your decorations to the scents that fill the air you want your guests to be comfortable and to enjoy the time that you are all spending together.  Set fun as your goal and then work toward that objective with the atmosphere, the food, and the beverages that you provide for your guests.

Aromas can certainly set the tone for the celebration that you’re hosting in your home.  You can put rosemary in a cast-iron pan, light your fireplace, and enjoy the odor that fills your entire home.  Another good idea is to boil cinnamon sticks gently on your stove so that the smell of cinnamon fills the air in every room. If neither of these ideas are viable for you, perhaps using scented candles placed strategically around your home can help set the odorous tone for your party.  Be careful that you place them so that they won’t get knocked off or spilled onto your carpeting or furniture.

Use whatever sound system that you have in your home to play delightful holiday music.  Adjust the volume so that your guests can carry on conversations but have it loud enough so that guests who are relaxing by the fireplace or the Christmas tree can hear it.  You’ll know the tastes and preferences of your guests so make your selections ahead of time so that you’ll be playing music that everyone likes.

To be the perfect host or hostess, be sure to greet each guest personally when they arrive in your home and as the leave be there to wish them well.  You’ll want everything planned in advance so that you won’t be dealing with beverages or food when people arrive on your doorstep.  In fact, if you can have a tray of drinks prepared to hand guests as they arrive, you’ll help make their transition into your party an easy one.

Plan your snacks and beverages so that you accommodate the preferences of your guests.  Finger foods are wonderful; people will gather around the serving area and engage in conversations of which memories are made.  Have plenty of ice and make sure that your beverages are tasty and convenient for guests to get.  Remember your goal is to provide a hospitable and comfortable environment which all of your guests can enjoy.  Try to think about what foods and beverages that they like and have plenty of food for everyone.

Entertaining during the holidays is an excellent way to reunite with friends and family that you haven’t seen in a while.  Turn your home into a beautifully decorated wonderland where the aroma, the food, and the hospitality is exceptional.

During the holidays you are probably using candles more than you do at any other time of year.  Sometimes candles drip onto tables and furniture and end up in your rugs and carpeting; knowing how to remove candle was properly can provide you with peace of mind during your holiday entertaining season.

To remove candle wax from your clothing, rugs, and other soft surfaces, you need to apply an ice cube or use an ice pack to harden the wax and make it more brittle.  Then you can scrape off as much of the wax as you can. Be careful not to use a really sharp instrument to remove it because this can cause more damage that will be costly to repair.  You’ll next lay a paper bag or paper towels over the wax, put paper under the garment or rug, and use a medium to high iron (depending on the fabric) to heat the wax.  This heating process will cause the wax to be absorbed into the paper quite easily.

If you or your guests spill candle wax onto your carpeting, you can try using a hair dryer to heat the affected area and blot up the wax with a soft cloth or paper towel.  If you have trouble getting the wax out of an Oriental rug or your wall-to-wall carpet, be sure to consult a professional to help you remove it as soon as you find the spill.

When wax drips onto your counter top or any other hard surface, use a hair dryer to heat the wax and then gently scrap it off the surface.  If the wax has made its way onto your furniture, once again, freeze the area, scrape up as much as you can from the surface of your piece of furniture, and then use a hair dryer to warm up the remainder of the wax and blot out with paper.  Be sure not to use any tool that will leave scratches on your furniture or tear the fabric; this will be an expensive fix for a simple problem that could have been handled more effectively.  Once the wax has been removed from your furniture, you should polish it to make the finish match the rest of the piece.

If you’re using a votive candle holder or any glass candle holder, you can avoid wax build-up by placing a small amount of water into the votive or container before you insert the tea light or candle.  This keeps the wax from collecting in the bottom of the votive and makes removal of the used tea light or candle very easy.

Candles add a festive touch to your home during the holidays and knowing some helpful tips for removing the wax that drips onto the fabrics and surfaces in your home makes using them a stress-free addition to your decorations.

One of the bills that can really cut into your budget during the winter months is your energy bill.  As a frugal homeowner, you’ll want to take some steps to keep your hard-earned dollars in your pocket for other needs that you and your family have.  With a goal of saving energy and using your money more effectively, you should try some of the tips listed below that are sure to impact the energy bill that arrives at your home each month.

1.    You can save up to 10% each year by sealing windows, doors, outlets and switch plates with caulking or weather stripping whichever is appropriate.  Take a little time and check for drafts that cut into the effectiveness of your heating system.
2.    Keep your heating system properly maintained by having it serviced on a regular basis.  Hire a professional to take a look at your heat pump to see that it is working up to its optimum level.
3.    Use a programmable thermostat.  This allows you to reduce the heat while you are at work.  You can program the heat to come on at a specified time, before you arrive home, and assures you that your house will be warm and comfortable.  This prevents you from heating a home when no one is there.
4.    Close your fireplace damper when you aren’t using it.  This keeps the heat in your home from escaping up the chimney.
5.    Let the sun permeate your home.  By opening curtains on your south facing windows you’re allowing the sun to naturally heat your home.  Be sure to close drapes at night to reduce the cold air that may come in around your windows.
6.    Lower the temperature of your hot water heater.  You can reduce the thermostat setting by 10% to receive a 3-5% savings on your energy bill.  Don’t forget to insulate the hot water heater and the hot water pipes.

Using some common sense tips can combine with the steps listed above to dramatically reduce your energy costs.  Advise children to close the doors immediately when they enter from the outside and be sure to keep the door to your garage area closed as well.  These improvements can impact the energy efficiency of your home and can save you a great deal of money in the long run.  If you’ll save all of your receipts for energy costs you can also use this as a selling point with a potential buyer when you want to sell your home.  With just a few simple steps your home will be warm and comfortable and your energy bill will be lower which means more money in your wallet.