When you bought your home, there were certain reasons you chose one home over another. Maybe you wanted a kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Or maybe you wanted to live near The Ocean Course. Whatever the case may be, you thought about the decision carefully and selected a home that would best suit your needs. The same care should be taken when choosing someone to manage your property.

Here are five crucial things to consider when choosing the property management company right for you.

Experience

Simply put, experience is everything. Sure, it’s a good idea to check out how long a property management company has been in business, but a better way to judge experience is to look at the company’s success. If you are unsure of their specialties, ask around. Find out if the company has experience with repairing air conditioning systems on Kiawah Island or painting homes on Seabrook. It’s the only way to know.

Resources

Managing a property is about more than just cutting the grass or caulking a tub—it’s about keeping your home looking like new, year after year. This requires a variety of resources, from talented staff to cutting-edge equipment. Is your handyman fully licensed and insured? Do you have to wait for a truck on the other side of town, or does your property manager have a fleet of trucks ready to be dispatched?

Efficiency

Let’s say your air conditioning breaks and the toilet in the guest bathroom also needs to be repaired. Can your property manager handle both jobs, or will they call two different sub-contractors? Some property managers organize the work but don’t actually do it, so keeping costs low is the driving force behind their repairs. Having a full-service company that keeps work in-house means better work, less headaches and quicker turnaround times.

Trust

Every property management company wants your trust, but not many earn it. If a painter says he will be finished on Wednesday, does he stick to his plan, or does the work drag into next week? Better yet, will he guarantee the quality of his work? If you’re not sure which property manager to trust, it’s not a bad idea to ask your neighbors for a recommendation. See who they trust. If you hear the same name again and again, you are probably on the right track.

Service

Service is the one area that differentiates one property management company from another on Kiawah and Seabrook Islands. Not only should a professional have all of the necessary skills to complete the job, he or she should also exhibit the qualities of a true professional, including honesty, a positive attitude, preparedness, a neat appearance, punctuality—all of the things that contribute to your overall service experience.