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Winter's wrath and the sorry state of your yard.

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Turning Point Estate Services LLC


Winter's wrath and the sorry state of your yard.
Here in southwestern Connecticut, the last winter was a hard one. Even I, a dyed-in-the-wool snow lover, had had enough after the 8th. or 9th. storm. The pure joy of shoveling out my mailbox for the 10th time is hard to describe.
Shoveling

Negotiating the side streets at one point became a chess like game of strategy. SUV trumps Mini Cooper, Cooper must pull into a driveway and let my larger car pass. School bus trumps me, I duck into the neighbors drive. Fully loaded fuel oil truck moves aside for no one. A fuel truck /vs./ bus was a full on standoff. I reverse course and go the long way around. I think they were there for over an hour. That silly fun went on for all of January and most of February.

The addition of roof rakes was new to many of us this past season.
As horror stories about ice dams causing buckling floors and collapsing ceilings spread like swine flu, we lined up at the local hardware store to get on the roof rake waiting list. When mine arrived, I strapped it to the roof taking care to be sure the large letters on the box were easily readable, and drove around the block a few extra times so the other hapless dads could see I was now one of the "haves".
snow canyon
The joy of being among the recently "new tooled elite" was short lived however. The actual use of which was an exercise in pure agony. Wading waist deep through drifted snow, one was expected to wield this 20 foot long contraption with whatever little upper body strength that remained after extracting the mailbox from the plow man's bi-weekly gift of barely passable streets. Muscle cramps and strained backs guaranteed.

The peaceful blanket of deep snow resting on the roof, when agitated by a roof raker, detaches from its perch and lands on your prized foundation shrubbery with the force and weight of a rock slide. Potential ice dam avoided. Absolute carnage to the plants guaranteed. I know I am not alone in watching with horror, the slow motion car wreck that was the thaw out and reveal of the plantings below the eaves.

If you are planning on selling your home this spring, bemoaning the harsh winter is not going to re-up the curb appeal of your exterior. In this market it is imperative to have the whole package, inside and out. You know what you need to do or, at the very least, call for help.

Winter's wrath and the sorry state of your yard.

Posted by
Fireplace in WiltonPeter Schattenfield
Managing Partner
Turning Point Estate Services LLC
Wilton, CT 06897
(203) 388-8092 (office)
(203) 550-2199 (cell)

TurningPointRE.com

pschattenfield@TurningPointRE.com

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Comments (14)

Virginia Cheezum
F. C. Tucker Company - Indianapolis, IN

We have it a little easier here in Northern Virginia.  Everything is green now and flowers are starting the bloom.  It's a lovely time of year here.  Good luck thawing out up north, there!

Apr 17, 2011 02:19 PM
Dagny Eason
Dagny's Real Estate - Wilton, CT
Fairfield County CT, CDPE Homes For Sale and Condo

Definitely a fun read, Peter!    It brought back waaay too many memories for me!       My bushes look awful this year!

Apr 17, 2011 02:26 PM
Caroline DeVore, Stowe Vermont Lodging, VT Bed and Breakfast Inn, Vacation Homes
Stowe Meadows Lodge, Stowe VT Romantic and Luxurious Inn - Stowe, VT
Caroline DeVore | Stowe Meadows Lodge, Stowe VT

Very, Very long winter.  Even TODAY I still had snow in the back yard in New Hampshire.   I think this week we'll see the last of it.  Great post!  Love the Berner...we have two and they love the snow.

Apr 17, 2011 02:31 PM
Peter Schattenfield
Turning Point Estate Services LLC - Wilton, CT
Estate Dissolution and Preparation (203)388-8092 CT.

Virginia, we are not too far behind in our greening up here. i am originally from just across the Potomac river. My family lives very near Great Falls on the Maryland side. 

Dagny, sorry for the dredging up of unpleasant memories. I had fun writing that one.

Caroline, Tatonka is my second Berner. I just love them hair clumps and all.

Apr 17, 2011 02:48 PM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Well written and for those who haven't had a similar winter experience, a great depiction of what we had to deal with this past year.

We didn't have the roof rake, and when our block of ice fell from the roof, the result was a damaged AC unit, broken chair, three demolished lounge chairs, and several broken bushes.

ice damage

Apr 18, 2011 05:01 AM
Peter Schattenfield
Turning Point Estate Services LLC - Wilton, CT
Estate Dissolution and Preparation (203)388-8092 CT.

Sharon, WOW...that trumps crushed hydrangeas. People do not realize just how dangerous ice and snow accumulation on a roof can be.

Apr 18, 2011 05:08 AM
Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner
Karen Parsons-Fiddler, Broker 949-510-2395 - Mission Viejo, CA
Orange County & Lake Arrowhead, CA (949)510-2395

Ok, ok...I'll stick with California...even our idiot government is worth the weather.

Apr 18, 2011 05:27 AM
Scott Petersen
Client First, Realtors - Canton, MI - Canton, MI

I had to cut half of the photos I took from a recent listing due to the lawn being dead. The sellers are working on re-seeding... but it still looks terrible. Good thing everyones does.

Apr 18, 2011 05:29 AM
Peter Schattenfield
Turning Point Estate Services LLC - Wilton, CT
Estate Dissolution and Preparation (203)388-8092 CT.

Scott, This is a chance to outshine the others...

Apr 18, 2011 05:32 AM
Peter Schattenfield
Turning Point Estate Services LLC - Wilton, CT
Estate Dissolution and Preparation (203)388-8092 CT.

Karen, There are always trade offs. You get the Napa valley along with the state government. 

Apr 18, 2011 05:34 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

I know, this winter was absolutely horrid.  I was lucky that I live in a condo so didn't have to shovel.  But, it was so hard to drive around and I had so many cancelled appts and delayed installs.  So glad to see the grass again!

Oh, and yes, we helped a lot of people repair/replace their basement floors due to ice damming and/or flooding.

Apr 18, 2011 06:27 AM
Peter Schattenfield
Turning Point Estate Services LLC - Wilton, CT
Estate Dissolution and Preparation (203)388-8092 CT.
Debbie, Now we know who to call for the next spell of floor wrecking ice dan damage. And of course all our flooring needs.
Apr 19, 2011 01:17 PM
Not a real person
San Diego, CA

I lived in northern Utah as a youth age 6-10. There’s a reason why I live in sunny San Diego now. Keep me south of Interstate 10 and I’m pretty happy!

By the way, you have a shout-out in my latest blog post.

Apr 21, 2011 10:40 PM
Peter Schattenfield
Turning Point Estate Services LLC - Wilton, CT
Estate Dissolution and Preparation (203)388-8092 CT.
Russel, With each passing year I reconsider the big move south. The northeast winters will eventually get to be too much to handle. I am seeing the possibility of southern living first hand this week visiting Grandma in Florida.
Apr 22, 2011 01:28 AM