Finding a home that can withstand hurricanes

The benefits of moving to South Carolina are practically endless. With a stunning natural environment, historical and cultural attractions, friendly neighbors brimming with southern hospitality and some of the best food you can find, it is practically impossible to find any flaws with lowcountry living. Eighty degree weather in the middle of fall, stormy summertime afternoons sitting on the front porch; there is an art to this lifestyle. However, one small ( and less than desirable) part of this beautiful canvas of southern living includes hurricane season. While hurricane season doesn’t deter people from moving here (and staying), it does provoke the question of “Will my home keep me and my family safe this season?”’. Hunter Quinn Homes has compiled some information that we think is important for homeowners to know before purchasing a house in the potential path of hurricanes. 

New-construction homes are the safest

There’s lots of reasons why buying a new-construction home is better than moving into a resale: improved efficiency, more functional living spaces tailored to the modern homeowner and the pride of moving into a home you helped conceptualize and design. Another added bonus of new builds? Hurricane resistance. While old homes might have a distinct charm—and home improvement shows have made restoring them look like a walk in the park—their structures and foundations are outdated and often weak or compromised. Newer homes are built to modernized codes and standards, making them much more capable of withstanding an intense tropical storm. Most damage to homes is caused by the incredibly high-speed winds, which must be at least 74mph to be considered a hurricane, and can reach higher than 157mph in a Category 5 storm. If your home isn’t built on a strong and trustworthy foundation, it’s not as likely to withstand the weather patterns in South Carolina. 

Choose the right builder

If you’ve decided that a new-construction home is the route you want to take to protect yourself from high-power storms, the next step is selecting the right builder. You want someone who knows the area, has a reputation of building homes to the highest quality and, most importantly, won’t cut corners while building the home that is meant to keep you and your family safe. Hunter Quinn Homes checks off those boxes and more. 

As a hometown builder with a Carolina-native founder, Hunter Quinn has become South Carolina’s Builder of Choice. It is true that our homes have beautiful exteriors adorned with architectural charms, but it is also important to know that what lies behind the walls; quality framework designed to withstand the lowcountry’s sometimes temperamental weather. In addition to advanced framing techniques that reduce construction waste without impacting the quality of our structures, we also use the state-of-the-art QuickTie® method in our Paddock at Fairmont South and Limehouse Village communities. QuickTie® is a safe, secure engineered system that replaces the typical strap method to protect the structure of your home. By attaching the connectors directly behind drywall and at the corners of the windows, the tension cable effectively secures the home to the foundation. Besides the obvious protection against hurricane-strength winds, it also reduces drywall cracks and nail pops so your home stays looking brand-new on the inside. 

Don’t let the threat of a hurricane impact your decision to buy a home in South Carolina. By purchasing a new home built by a trusted, local professional, you can know you’re further protected from damages than you would be in an old and fragile home. Get started with Hunter Quinn today and experience everything there is to love about South Carolina in a new, fortified home.