Tag: concierge

So it’s officially the end of the summer season for our Vacation Rentals division, and wouldn’t you know the rain has come.  It’s been a summer of record breaking heat indexes and highs well over 90 since mid June.  I think for those of us who live here, the rain is a bit of relief from the “excessive heat” our weathermen boast about daily.

Yesterday brought quite a bit of rain, and not surprisingly for the locals, a decent amount of flooding!

Unfortunately, our guests who were looking forward to a piece of sun and sand before the kids head back to school, might be finding themselves checking local movie times and finding alternative ways to spend their time at Folly and downtown.

Luckily for our guests, we offer a free concierge service.  We are happy to share all that there is to see and do in Charleston, even if it’s a bit gloomy outside.  After all there’s no shortage of fabulous restaurants, shopping, and museums.  Our website is a great hub of info of ways to certainly soak up all that Charleston has to offer, rays or no rays!

Yes we do! Out in the wilds of Wadmalaw Island, 20 minutes from Downtown Charleston, we’ve got our very own tea plantation, home of American Classic Tea. The Plantation grounds include 127 acres of camellia sinensis tea plants and an operating tea factory. So check out the video below for a little insight into a unique ‘flavor’ of Lowcountry. If you’d like to visit in person, contact our Concierge at concierge@dunesproperties.com and she can plan a fun day for you on Wadmalaw Island, seeing some wonderful things Charleston has to offer just off the beaten path. Spend your day seeing the Irvin House Vineyards and Firefly Vodka Distillery, the Charleston Tea Plantation, the beautiful town of Rockville and then stop for lunch at the Stono Farm Market, which offers fresh locally-grown produce and a variety of good eats.

For 20 years now Dunes Properties has been helping people buy homes on the Charleston Coast, and our Folly Beach vacation rental program has grown exponentially over that time.  Over the last year, we have seen an increase in requests for Downtown rentals at The Real Estate Studio.  We have been managing vacation properties on the Charleston area beaches for years, but until now had not delved into the Downtown rental market.  As more and more people began to ask about available rentals, we began to discuss some solutions.  We felt it was our obligation to help our guests find a place that suited them. So after much thought and some marathon brainstorming, we have develpoed a program to help match potential renters with Downtown condo owners who want to rent on a long term basis.

This is not a property management program, but simply a referral program to attempt to match our Studio guests with appropriate, upscale rentals.  We launched the program in January and our list of properties continues to grow.  If you are searching for a Downtown rental, stop by The Real Estate Studio at 214 King St., call 843.722.5618,  or email concierge@dunesproperties.com for details.  We would love to help you find the perfect Downtown home, for as little as a month… or as long as you like.

As a concierge at The Real Estate Studio, I have spent many hours extolling the virtues of our lovely town to visitors and locals alike.  I could go on forever about our award winning restaurants, the historical significance of our plantation homes, the majestic beauty of our beaches, the unparalleled splendor of our local architecture, our thriving arts community and eclectic galleries…. The list goes on and on.  Charleston is widely recognized as one of America’s most charming places to visit and live. But there is another side to our fine city that hasn’t (until now) gotten the attention it deserves.  Recently National Geographic Adventure magazine named Charleston one of “the 50 next great adventure towns” in America.  Finally someone else is noticing what we have known all along- Charleston is a recreation paradise.

When people come into our downtown Studio to look for real estate, they have usually already fallen in love with Charleston’s good looks, her gentile attitude, and the relaxed feeling she inspires.  What they don’t always know (but are thrilled to discover) is that she has another, more energetic side. We love to turn people on to mountain biking the South Tibwin Trail in the Francis Marion National Forest or taking a sunset sail in the Charleston Harbor. Who wouldn’t enjoy kayaking Shem Creek to Crab Bank Island or hiking under wide canopies of Spanish Moss at Middleton Place? Our barrier islands offer expansive beaches, meandering creeks, and an embarrassment of watersport riches, including parasailing, wakeboarding, surfing, kiteboarding, and fishing charters. If you’re interested in enjoying the sun and surf on horseback, The Equestrian Center on Seabrook Island boasts one of the only beach rides on the East Coast.  And for those pursuing a complete “back to nature” experience, Carolina Heritage offers the perfect weekend getaway in one of their comfortable tree houses, 16 feet above the riverbank in a private refuge on the Edisto River.

Personally, I think National Geographic Adventure got it right.  If you need more convincing, try our complimentary concierge service at The Real Estate Studio.  We’re happy to offer additional recommendations, secure reservations, or answer any questions you may have about our very own adventure town. After all, you can’t spend all your time sipping mint juleps on the veranda.

Click here to read the complete National Geographic Adventure magazine article.

– Traci Magnus