From the Plains of South Dakota to the Beaches of South Carolina: Furnishing From Afar

Diving into a vacation home wasn't entirely new for my husband Dave and I, but we weren’t actively seeking another property at the moment, especially not one across the country.  Well fate had other plans when I stumbled upon a friend's Facebook post detailing their recent home purchase in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Intrigued, despite never having been there, I began researching homes in Myrtle Beach. To my surprise, I discovered reasonably priced oceanfront condos perfect for short-term rentals. Within two weeks, my husband and I found ourselves on a flight to Myrtle Beach. With the help of a local Realtor, Tyler Nelson, we spent two days touring as many condos as possible. Oh, and I must mention the car I selected to rent for our trip. I thought opting for a super cool convertible for cruising down Ocean Blvd would be a great idea, but it turned out to be incredibly impractical. We found ourselves holding our breath every time we drove into a parking ramp, hoping not to bottom out or get a door ding. Yes, Dave, you were right; I should have let you choose the rental vehicle 🙃

While Dave wanted to do a little more exploring and take in the sights, I was laser-focused on finding the right rental. Once I set my mind to something, it's hard for me to think about anything else, admittedly a bit of a problem. Nevertheless, our evenings on the trip were spent researching, crunching numbers, and consulting with lenders.

After narrowing it down we made an offer on one and just like that, we returned home with a contract for a one-bedroom oceanfront condo that needed a little facelift, or a "glow-up" as our teenagers would say.

Now the real work begins. I dove into Facebook groups and the Internet, reaching out to as many people as possible to find a contractor in the Myrtle Beach area for our renovation project. While my dad is usually my go-to for renovations, this one was a bit too far for him to agree to. After some searching, I found Ryan at Connor Development LLC and initiated conversations with him, discussing scopes of work for a full remodel of our condo. Ryan was fantastic, and after some back and forth, along with plenty of Pinteresting and design research, we were ready to start renovation once our 60-day closing window was up.

Once we closed, I eagerly awaited the completion of the renovations. In the meantime, I tackled everything I could think of to furnish the condo remotely. To add to the excitement, some friends of ours were intrigued by the concept and ended up buying a condo too, hiring us to renovate, furnish, and manage it at the same time. Suddenly, I had two condos to work on.

I relied heavily on a spreadsheet to keep everything organized. You can check out the spreadsheet template I used here. Here's a rundown of what I prepared for our condo:

• Finding and coordinating with a local locksmith to install our Smart Door Lock

• Coordinating with the HOA of the resort to ensure all bookings through the previous owner and the resort were finalized and compliant with the SC rental rules (this turned out to be quite daunting)

• Deciding on paint colors, flooring, and design elements

• Arranging delivery for large items like beds, couches, desks, and tables, which were too bulky for me to transport personally. I managed to coordinate with local vendors for some deliveries, and Ryan kindly agreed for me to ship the remaining items to his warehouse until the renovation wrapped up and his crew was ready to install.

• Conduct thorough research and interview numerous cleaners in the area. This process involved over 20 phone calls but I knew this was going to be a key to success managing on my own. 

• Research and apply for all the South Carolina tax laws, licensing, insurance and regulations for short-term rentals. (some wine was consumed during this process) I'm grateful for the simplicity of South Dakota after this.
  

Ryan and his crew worked diligently on both condos, and within a month, they were ready. My friend Andi, who was assisting with property management, booked a trip to Myrtle Beach with me to add the finishing touches and decorate – the fun part. We only booked a three-day trip since it's hard to be away from my toddlers for too long. I secretly thought it would be a fun little girls' vacation with some work on the side. Boy, was I wrong. We spent every waking moment driving from store to store, hunting for the best deals on decor, and hauling everything up to our second and fourth-floor condos. It came down to the wire, with literally just minutes to spare before our flights departed, to ensure everything was in perfect order for our renters. Dealing with the Internet and door lock software nearly caused us to miss our flight. I vividly remember making a frantic phone call to our husbands, contemplating extending our stay. 

At last, we did it! Operating from afar, we effectively acquired, renovated, and fully furnished not one, but two vacation rentals across the country. Moreover, we adhered to a strict budget, remaining thrifty and keeping our total expenses, including renovation costs, under $25,000 for each condo.

For those looking to start on your own vacation rental journey, I've curated a wealth of resources. Explore valuable insights, tips, and product recommendations we've gathered along the way, shedding light on what strategies prove successful and what pitfalls to avoid.

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