MHN Executive Council: How Should You Prep Your Community for Summer?
Tips for preparing for everything from barbecues to storms.
It was just Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer. As the weather is getting warmer, how are you preparing your community for the summer months? The MHN Council shares tips including everything from preparing for barbecues to preparing for storms.
Weather Watch
At FirstService Residential, protecting your community during summer storms is our priority, and starts months before the season begins.
Our comprehensive preparedness plan includes communication protocols with residents, associates and vendors. We identify means and areas to store furniture and loose items, clear drainage systems, trim back landscaping and ensure all critical components, such as hurricane and flood panels, generators, sump pumps and other supplies, are ready for any storm.
We also encourage each resident to make plans for their home and belongings, such as filling their car with gas, getting cash, or stocking up on food. —Edwin Lugo, Vice President of South Florida High Rise Division, FirstService Residential
Wowing Them
Summer at The REMM Group communities is all about turning up the service and dialing in the experience.
We prep for summer with a mix of proactive maintenance, resident engagement and curb appeal enhancements. Our teams check and service HVAC systems early to stay ahead of the first heatwave. Pool areas and outdoor amenities get a refresh—from pressure washing to safety inspections—so they’re ready to be enjoyed from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
We also roll out community-building events that embrace the season—like poolside socials, popsicle giveaways, and food truck Fridays. These aren’t just fun extras; they help build connection and boost retention.
And since summer leasing traffic is high, we make sure our landscaping pops, our model units shine and our digital tours are updated to capture that warm-weather wow factor. —Susan McPeak, Corporate Ambassador, The REMM Group
Need to Refresh
Each spring, we prepare our rental communities for summer by cleaning and refreshing all properties. Our management and maintenance staff inspect every aspect of our buildings and grounds, keeping in mind how each area impacts everything from curb appeal to leasing. In terms of landscaping and property exteriors, our team makes sure sidewalks, parking areas, outdoor amenities and entrances look fresh and clean, including flag banners. We also replant flower beds and other plantings, as well as refresh any potted planters. In addition, our teams walk all common areas, hallways and models to be sure they look bright and clean.
Mother Nature usually dictates when we open and close our outdoor pools, but we try to open them as early as we can in the season and keep them open as long as possible into the late summer or early fall. We purchase any new accessories or furniture for amenity areas well in advance and have them in place by spring. Finally, before summer kicks off, we conduct audits and determine pricing, negotiate and initiate marketing resources that yield the highest results, hold new training sessions, finalize any new collateral pieces and firm up our resident-event lineup for the season. —Diana Pittro, Executive Vice President, RMK Management
Interested in joining the MHN Executive Council and sharing your insights? Email Jessica Fiur.
