Jun 18 2025

Living in Myrtle Beach: Hurricane Prep Guide

living in myrtle beach during a hurricane

Hurricane Season in Myrtle Beach: How to Be Prepared

Living in Myrtle Beach means enjoying ocean breezes, world-class beaches, and a relaxed coastal lifestyle. But if you call this slice of paradise home, it’s important to understand what comes with it—including hurricane season. From June 1 to November 30 each year, residents must stay alert, informed, and prepared to protect their homes, families, and peace of mind.

Whether you’re new to the Grand Strand or a long-time homeowner, this guide will walk you through exactly how to prepare for hurricane season while enjoying the benefits of living in Myrtle Beach.

How to Prepare for Hurricane Season in Myrtle Beach

Step 1: Create a Hurricane Preparedness Plan

Start with the basics: determine your Horry County evacuation zone (A, B, or C). Authorities will issue zone-based evacuation orders depending on storm strength. Know your zone in advance, map out your evacuation route, and have a destination ready if you need to leave quickly. If you have pets, make arrangements for pet-friendly accommodations early, as most emergency shelters do not allow animals.

Step 2: Assemble a Complete Emergency Kit

Every home in Myrtle Beach should have a stocked emergency kit ready before a storm is even on the radar. Your kit should include:

Three days’ worth of non-perishable food and two gallons of water per person, per day
Flashlights, batteries, a battery-operated radio, and phone chargers
First-aid kit, prescription medications, and hygiene items
Cash, important documents in waterproof containers, and clothing

boarding your myrtle beach home for hurricane

Step 3: Secure Your Home and Property

Protecting your home from high winds and flooding is crucial. Trim trees, clean gutters, and secure or store outdoor furniture and decorations. Install storm shutters or board up windows with plywood if a storm is approaching. Check the roof for loose shingles and secure entry points, especially garage doors, to reduce wind intrusion.

Step 4: Review Your Insurance Coverage

If you’re living in Myrtle Beach full-time, understanding your home insurance is a must. Standard policies typically don’t include flood coverage. Look into a separate flood insurance policy and make sure your coverage limits reflect current property values. Take photos or videos of your home’s interior and exterior in advance for claims documentation.

Step 5: Know When to Evacuate

When evacuation orders are issued, don’t wait. Leave early to avoid traffic and worsening weather conditions. Fuel up your vehicle in advance, and have a go-bag ready. If you’re not required to evacuate and choose to shelter in place, stay indoors, monitor local news, and avoid driving through flooded roads.

Step 6: Stay Safe After the Storm

After the storm has passed, proceed with care. Watch for downed power lines, broken glass, and flood-contaminated water. Wear protective gloves and boots when cleaning debris. Take photos of any damage before beginning repairs, and work only with licensed contractors to avoid scams.

Living in Myrtle Beach Means Being Prepared

Part of living in Myrtle Beach is learning how to balance paradise with preparedness. While hurricanes aren’t guaranteed each season, being ready gives you confidence and peace of mind. A little planning now will protect your property, your family, and your lifestyle on the coast.

Final Thoughts

Hurricane season is simply a part of coastal living, and with the right steps in place, you can continue enjoying everything Myrtle Beach has to offer without worry. Make your preparations early, review your plan regularly, and stay connected to local alerts and weather forecasts.

If you’re relocating or considering a move, our team at Myrtle Beach Homes Blog is here to help you find a safe, beautiful home that fits your lifestyle and your long-term plans for coastal living.

Thinking of making a move to Myrtle Beach in the near future? Book a Call with Jeremy to discuss your upcoming move to Myrtle Beach!

May 07 2019

6 Landscaping Tricks To Increase The Value of Your Myrtle Beach Home

Guest Post by Rachael Bain of Lawnstarter.com

Putting your home on the market in Myrtle Beach isn’t as simple as just calling a REALTOR®. The goal is to sell your home quickly and beat out the competition. That can sometimes leave little time to invest in large home improvement projects. Homeowners are often up against the clock in trying to present a clean and updated house that will bring the best offer in a short amount of time. Curb appeal is an essential part of selling your home, and there are certain things you can do to l boost interest without spending a lot of time or money. Consider these six landscaping tricks that will increase the value of your home when you list it this year:

Feed the Grass

The first thing a prospective home buyer sees is your lawn. It’s vital the grass is greener on your side of the fence! Regular mowing is essential, but also consider adding some extra effort to the turf to perk it up. Spreading slow-release fertilizer may take a few weeks to brighten up the dull spots. Consider using a quick release fertilizer that will provide instant color and make your landscaping stand out.

Plant Pops of Color

Nothing screams beauty and the arrival of a new season more than colorful blooms in the garden. Adding pops of bright color to the exterior of your home will add interest to your home, and boost the overall curb appeal. Consider planting native flowers that you often see in nearby parks and nature preserves. Black Eyed Susans and Wild Geraniums thrive in South Carolina and need little maintenance. Add plants to potted containers near the entrance and also around the backyard to draw attention to areas of the landscaping that you don’t want potential buyers to miss.

Pull Weeds

It isn’t a pleasant job, but pulling weeds from the yard will have a considerable impact on securing a top offer on your home. Check for areas of the yard where weeds have been allowed to grow unnoticed. Look behind plants, around corners, and along the fence line for any sprouts that could be a distraction.

Freshen Up the Mulch

Whether you use organic or inorganic mulching techniques, it’s vital that mulch looks fresh. It may have been a few years since you added new mulch and putting your home on the market is a great excuse to do it again… before the REALTOR® takes pictures. Inorganic mulch, like pebbles and stone, won’t need to be reapplied but you may need to rake out certain areas. Take a few minutes to relevel the mulch, especially in areas that see heavy traffic. Organic mulch, like bark dust we need another layer. If you don’t want to replace all the mulch, sprinkle some fresh bark dust on top to boost the color and overall appeal of your home.

Trim Overgrown Plants

It is easy for plants in South Carolina to grow out of control quickly. It may have been a while since you trimmed the tree in the front yard or shaped some of the bushes creating a privacy hedge in your backyard. Pay close attention to overgrown plants that need pruning as well as any dead or sick portions that you need to remove. Maintaining your landscaping will show potential buyers that you take care of your property.

Power Wash

You may not have noticed the discoloration on your siding, patio or deck. You’ll be amazed at the difference a simple power washing can bring to the outside of your home. Power washing removes the dirt, grime, and discoloration that can easily cloud the hardscaped areas of a yard. Rent a power washer to hose down not only the hardscaped regions of your yard but also the outside of the home for a fresh and updated look. Short on time? Some companies can do the job for you in just a few hours.

Selling your home in Myrtle Beach and preparing to move is often stressful and time-consuming. Consider these six landscaping tricks that will increase the value of your home without costing you a lot of time or money.

Oct 16 2018

How To Have A Luscious Lawn When Selling a Myrtle Beach Home

Curb appeal is essential when trying to sell your home to the right buyer. Making sure that your lawn is in excellent condition is a huge part of setting the stage when a potential buyer comes to preview your home. Make sure that your lawn shows prospective buyers that you care for your home and that more beauty awaits them once they step through the front door. Learn more about how to have a luscious lawn for your next showing with these tips:

Apply A Quick Release Fertilizer

Choosing to apply a quick release fertilizer to your lawn is a great way to instantly green up the grass as well as boost the overall growth. Many quick release fertilizers come in spray form to be easy for the soil to absorb. Make sure to read the directions on the fertilizer, as well as know the size of your total lawn area, in order to keep from adding too much fertilizer in one spot. Doing so could easily burn the grass and create a counterintuitive dead spot. Make sure to check the weather and apply the fertilizer after one of Myrtle Beach’s recent rainstorms to prevent runoff as well.

Mow Regularly

Choosing to mow your lawn the day before a showing is essential to providing the best curb appeal. Keeping an eye on your grass, and the recent weather patterns will help in making sure that your lawn is perfectly mowed before any showing. The Myrtle Beach area receives an average of 50 inches of rain per year which can make area lawns grow quickly. Consider mowing the lawn at an angle to create a polished and professional look. Never mow more than 1/3 of the total grass height during a mow to protect the root system. Busier homeowners may choose to hire a lawn care company when trying to sell their home in an effort to relieve stress and make sure that the lawn is well taken care of at any point during the week. The average price for a single lawn service is only $47 – a small amount compared to your home’s sale price.

Skip the Bag

While mowing you Myrtle Beach area lawn, consider doing so without the bag to allow grass clippings to fall back into the lawn. Doing so can be a great way to add an extra boost of natural energy to the lawn and encourage strong growth. Grass clippings break down easily and provide nitrogen to the lawn without the need for any other added chemicals. Make sure to blow any clippings from walkways or driveways, though, in an effort to keep the lawn looking tidy before a showing.

Keep Weeds in Check

With all of that annual rainfall, the weeds in the Myrtle Beach area can grow just as fast as the grass. Make sure to keep those weeds in check by regularly surveying your lawn and picking any weeds that pop up. The earlier you pick the weeds the better off your lawn will be when it comes to adding curb appeal during a showing. Applying weed control to the lawn can also be beneficial to keep weed growth down in the warmer beach climate of the area. Plucking weeds from the lawn is a great way to subtly show potential buyers that you care for your home.

Consider Your Grass Type

Many Myrtle Beach homes have lawns made up of warm season grasses. Bermudagrass is very popular in the area as well as Centipedegrass that does particularly well along the coast of South Carolina. As a warm season grass, both of these varieties will turn brown during the winter. Bermudagrass naturally turns brown in the fall to protect it from winter temperatures while Centipedegrass doesn’t go dormant but is known for dying during the winter due to lack of water.

Potential buyers want to see green grass in the lawn no matter what season they view your property. Consider overseeding your lawn with cool season grasses, like Kentucky Bluegrass or Tall Fescue, in order to provide a green lawn all year long. If you are sure that you have Centipedegrass, you can probably get away with not overseeding as long as you are diligent about watering all winter long.

Creating and maintain a beautiful lawn is important when your home is on the market. Make sure to continue to mow regularly as well as apply a quick release fertilizer to instantly green up your lawn. Consider mulching the grass back to the soil and control weeds as well. Knowing your grass type and how to combat a brown lawn over winter is also important. Choose any or all of these tips on how to have a luscious lawn for your next showing.

Tony Steine is a garden and landscaping writer at Lawnstarter.com. Tony prides himself on finding the easiest way to do anything he can, you can bet he’s tried to make his entire garden self-watering. Of course, he isn’t just about convenience either, adding a unique design flair to everything he does.

Oct 12 2018

What Type Of Lockbox Should Be On Your Myrtle Beach Home?

Yesterday afternoon I was out showing properties to a first time home buyer here in Myrtle Beach and as we approached the door of the property, she asked how we were going to get into the home since nobody was home to let us into the property. I explained to her that the key was secured in a lockbox that holds the key and gives easy access to REALTORS® to enter the property. As we got closer to the door, we noticed a combination lockbox on the door she mentioned how she would never want one of those on her home and she would feel unsafe having it hang there giving others access into her home at any time of the day.

It reminded me of a recent Two Minute Tuesday video I recently did on this exact subject. Check out the video below:

Whenever a home is occupied or holding the belongings of my seller, I am never going to install a lockbox like the one pictured above. While these combination style lockboxes have a level of security with the code, they also leave people selling their Myrtle Beach home at a great level of vulnerability.

See, most the time when a lockbox is installed on the property, the listing agent does not go back to the home again unless they are showing the home to a potential buyer, holding an open house, or to remove the lockbox from the property. That means, if a lockbox like the one above is being used, that code is not being reset from the day it is installed. While agents are supposed to be the people keeping the codes safe for homes, sometimes the buyers are nosey and see that code and could access at a later time. Unfortunately I’ve seen/heard people giving the codes to others and then they have access into your home at any time they please.

Also, when a lockbox like the one above is in use, the listing agent has no way to know when the lockbox is being opened or limiting the times it is accessed. Instead of using a combo lockbox, I feel agents should spend the extra money to get a MLS approved electronic lockbox like the one below.

The reasons I am a big fan of using these types of lockboxes is pretty obvious. First, these lockboxes are virtually indestructible and almost impossible to break into without the proper access codes. In comparison, the cheaper combo lockboxes have several videos on YouTube teaching people how to hack them open. I’ve actually used these videos to open one of my own that I had forgotten the code to in the past. It only took me about 15 minutes and I was in. MLS approved lockboxes are only accessible electronically and unless you have the application on your smart phone and have the 20+ digit alphanumeric code, you cannot access these boxes.

The second reason I prefer using these types of lockboxes on properties that are occupied is that they limit the times in which the lockbox can be accessed. Most of the time they are set from 8 AM-9PM. This means that the sellers can rest peacefully at night knowing that someone will not be coming in their front door while they are sleeping or showing up early in the morning while they are in the shower getting ready for work. With a combination lockbox, anyone with the code can access at any time of the day.

The third reason why using the digital lockboxes is that it keeps track of every time the lockbox gets opened and by whom it was opened. I went back into the system a pulled a screenshot below of activity on my listings from over 2 months ago. This way if something were to happen where my sellers had an issue in their home I could immediately check and see what agent was in their home that day and reach out to them. In the past I’ve had things get broken in a home during a showing, doors left unlocked, lights left on, an inspector accidentally leave the oven on, and much more. Since I had an activity log on the home, I could immediately check and know who was the person responsible for that happening.

After sharing these reasons, you may be asking yourself, why would any agent ever use one of the less secure lockboxes on a property? Well, there are a few reasons where I do use those type of lockboxes and they come in handy. Many times when a property I will place one of these types of lockboxes on the home. These lockboxes are usually about 1/4 the cost of the electronic loxkboxes.

I will also use a combo lockbox on properties where we might need a contractor to access the property. Many times I am helping my my clients get their home for sale in Myrtle Beach by assisting them with getting the home painted, carpets cleaned, and other items fixed throughout the home to make it show ready. I could go meet each of these people individually each time they need to get into the home and let them in, but most of the time, they are going to want to visit several times over a time period to do the work needed and I cannot be there. Because you need to join our local REALTOR® Association in order to access the electronic lockboxes and it is an extra expense, many contractors do not have the ability to access electronic lockboxes. I can simply give them the code and they can then go do what is needed on their schedule.

So, in closing, when you are selling your home in Myrtle Beach, do you want an agent that is using the cheap combination lockboxes on your home, or do you want an agent that takes your safety seriously and will spend the extra money to keep you, your family, and all your valuables safer?

Feb 06 2018

5 Mistakes To Avoid When Selling A House

In today’s 2 minute Tuesday we are going to discuss 5 mistakes to avoid when selling a home in Myrtle Beach. As a Myrtle Beach REALTOR® for 17 years now, I have seen these 5 mistakes made by sellers on multiple occasions when trying to sell their home. While agents try to always honor the requests of their clients when selling, there are sometimes certain requests that can cause major problems in the sale process and even prevent your home from actually getting sold.

24 Hour Showing Notice Required

Ok, so the first thing I wanted to talk about is the 24 hour showing notice. So many times I run into consumers who say “Listen, we need plenty of time to get our home perfect, so we want a 24 hour notice minimum requirement for any showings on our house.” Now while in theory this sounds great to you as a seller, what you are doing is you are missing out on a ton of potential buyers because you have to think, here in Myrtle Beach they are on vacation for a limited amount of time they may have 2 or 3 days to look at homes and if they are required to do a 24 hour notice to see your property they may not see it.

If I am working as the buyers agent and they are only in town for a three day period, we cannot wait 24 hours always to view your home. In our market, that type of time period simply will not work. Whenever we have these types of restrictions on viewing the home, almost always the buyer simply says “just skip that one.” Now, I understand that there are sometimes circumstances beyond your control that you have to have that extra time. You may have an elderly person living in the home that you need that extra time to prepare and transport, you might be running your business from your house and need that time to make arrangements with work, or maybe you have a pet that you need to remove from the property. These are the exceptions, but should not be the rule.

The main reason people want that 24 hours to prepare their home for a showing is that they want to give the home a quick cleaning, they want to make sure everything is spotless and looks as best as possible for the potential buyer entering their home. I get that, but while you are forcing people to wait for you to clean, you are actually losing potential buyers. So while you think that the longer period to get your home perfect is a good idea, it could really cause you to miss out on a lot of good possible showings.

No Sign In The Yard

The second mistake I see sellers make when they are selling their house is they say “Jeremy I don’t want a yard sign in the front yard. I don’t want my neighbors to find out that I’m selling my house, I don’t want people who come up to my door pestering me because they see a sign there. Once again I know that sometimes there might be circumstances like moving away and having to leave a job that might be compromised if they find out your home is on the market, so you cannot place the sign out there. But, when you skip the sign, you give up one of the most powerful marketing tools possible to sell your home.

In Myrtle Beach, people are constantly out driving around looking for yard signs to find property for sale. When I have a property that I can place a yard sign in front of, I can normally expect a minimum of 5-7 calls from potential buyers interested in that home. Also, with our company we’re using a service called Voicepad that allows people to call or text a number and find out all the details on your home. With this service, it should keep the number of visitors to the door wanting to know details on your home. When you take that sign out of the front yard and don’t allow it to be there, you are missing a huge opportunity.

Leaving The House Show Ready

The third thing that I’m seeing happen regularly is people saying no I don’t want a showing today because the home is not clean. My suggestion to you as a REALTOR® is to try and keep your home in show ready condition or as close to it as you can whenever you place your home on the market. However, as a father of a 9, 7, & 3 year old, I know how difficult it is to keep your house spotless at all times when living in the home with children.

If you have somebody who calls you and says they we want to show your home today at 3 o’clock and it’s 10 in the morning and you have already left for work but you didn’t make the bed, it’s OK, still let them go through and see the home. They are not buying the house based on whether or not the bed is made. I have however experienced a seller missing the sale of their home because they didn’t clean up the dirty clothing on the floor before leaving in the morning. The buyers called last minute and wanted to see the home for a second time to make their final decision before boarding an airplane to head back home.

There was no time for the seller to get back home and clean things up and when they left for work in the morning they were running late, so they didn’t load the dishes into the dishwasher and their clothing from the night before were just left on the floor. The buyers feedback to me was that they changed their mind about buying the home because they had to step over the panties of the seller and they were concerned that they didn’t take the best care of the home because of this. If the sellers had simply cleaned up the dirty clothes and loaded the dishwasher, we would have sold that home that day.

The Crayon Box Effect

Number four is a huge problem I see too many times made by people trying to sell a home in Myrtle Beach. When you purchase a home you want to customize it, you want to make it your own personality inside. That may mean that you make one of bedrooms pink, another one blue, your living room might be green, your dining room might be red. I know every home I’ve ever owned we have customized the rooms to our preference and gave the house our own personal touch inside. While these are your own personal preferences of things you like, unfortunately others can have a hard time visualizing themself in the home when it painted with a bunch of custom colors.

When every room in the house is painted a different color, I call it the Crayon Box Effect. It feels like a box of crayons vomited in your home onto the walls of your property. There is no continuity throughout the house. While it’s OK to have color in your house when you live there, when you are getting ready to sell your home, you need to make sure your home is neutralized and in the best condition inside possible. That means if you have different colors everywhere, you have wallpaper hanging, take all that stuff down, neutralize back to colors that are not going to be offensive. This will help your home to sell faster, and for more money too! If you want to see more on this topic, I wrote about it here a few months back here in Tips to selling your Myrtle Beach home-Staging.

Front Yard First Impressions

And the final thing that I think needs to be done when you are selling a house in Myrtle Beach is that you need to make sure your front yard is in pristine condition. You have to think, the first thing people see when they pull up to your house is the front yard. If they pull up and they see weeds that are up to their knees, they see grass growing between the sidewalks, they immedtiately think that it’s not in good condition. Their minds begin to wander to what else might be wrong in the house, or that your home hasn’t been well kept. A messy front yard sets off warning signs to them and they are already forming an opinion about your house before ever walking in the door.

Think of it this way, when you go to a restaurant and this is what we used to say when I was in the restaurant industry, “People eat with their eyes first” make the plate look beautiful. The nice thing your front yard is that most of the time it is a very minimal cost item to make look good. Some fresh mulch, pulled weeds, $30 of flowers and a lawnmower and you are in business. Do the same thing with your front yard that restaurants do with a plate of food and you are going to be in much better shape.

Bonus Tip

Here’s a bonus tip when selling your home. When you list your home on the market, allow your agent to install a lockbox on the property. It will increase the number of showings on your home immensely. With the new types of technology, the lockboxes are now more secure than ever. They track every single time it is opened and shares that information with your listing agent. They also prohibit people from opening the lockboxes at night or early in the morning. You have very little to worry about when it comes to someone opening the lockbox and entering your home without someone knowing it.

But, if you require the agent to pick up a key from another location, most of the times they will just move on to another option. Whenever I take a listing that has a tenant in place and the rental management company will not allow us to install a lockbox, those listings take much longer to sell because agents do not want to have to drive to another location to get they key and then have to return it again after showing. Allow the agent to install a lockbox on your property get much better results.

Ok so there you have it, 5 mistakes to avoid when selling a home in Myrtle Beach. If you would like to learn more about selling a home, feel free to call me at 843-222-9402 or simply click here to contact me.