AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Masters is getting closer, but the time to rent out your house is now.
After Hurricane Helene, homeowners across the CSRA are racing to finish up any repairs to their homes.
We spoke to two home rental companies here about how this year will look.
When you drive around the CSRA, you still see a city trying to recover and prepare for its biggest week of the year that’s only a few months away.
Despite what the city looks like today, rental companies say they’re doing everything they can to work with homeowners to make sure their homes are ready to go for patrons come April.
It’s the one week everyone wants to be in Augusta.
“People will always come to the Masters,” said Stacey Greenway, vice president of Tournament Housing and Events LLC. “No ticket will ever go unused.”
With the tournament only a few months away – everyone is trying to prepare.
“We have had some homeowners that are just overwhelmed with trying to get their home ready for Masters because they’re dealing with roofs that are, you know, have holes in them and the debris and all the outdoor structures are damaged,” said Kelly Starr, Corporate Quarters director of operations and events.
Homeowners, rental companies and contractors have a long to-do list before April.
“We all have to just accept that the scenery will be different in backyards. you know, houses that have privacy might not have that anymore,” said Greenway.
Changing the criteria for the outside of homes and asking for patience from golf patrons this spring.
“I’ve already prepared some of our clients that there might be some houses that have patches on their roofs,” said Greenway. “That’s not going to affect the patron’s comfort. That won’t affect their ability to watch the tournament.”
But they’re still doing everything they can to make sure their homes are ready.
“Our greatest concern is that come March, there’s going to be homeowners calling and saying, oops, I thought my contractor would be ready and they’re not going to be ready so we have to refund the money,” said Greenway.
Even if some homes aren’t ready, others are stepping up to rent that have never done it before – even as far out as Aiken and Lake Oconee.
“We do have some people registering saying, you know, I know there’s a lot of houses out there that are damaged. We have never rented before and now we think this could be our opportunity to get in there,” said Greenway.
Even though the way the city looks might be different, the community and hospitality are still the same.
“I really think it’s a true testament to Georgia and Augusta and everyone wants to be very hospitable,” said Starr. “That’s why they call it southern hospitality. They’re excited to get their homes ready and have something to look forward to.”
They say they don’t expect to have to rent out as far out as Lake Oconee and Modoc because of the number of new houses being built and the increase of new people wanting to rent in Augusta, but it’s good to know that it’s an option if needed.
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