<p>I do that in the woods when I’m walking my dogs.</p>
<p>Do you carry a baggie for each of you? :p</p>
<p>Today was the worst day I have had in 4 1/2 years of trying to make a living. I had hired a licensed tree trimmer to get up in the huge gorgeous (did I say gorgeous??) mature tree in the back yard. I had discussed very carefully that I needed the bottom branches cut off and the tree laced because there was a power line coming through the tree that was getting compromised with branches and weight. Also, some old tree stumps ground out and clean up a yucca.</p>
<p>Because I am launching my D to college on Friday I had to stay home this morning and help her with some packing issues. BIG MISTAKE!!! I have learned you have to be on site at all times when services are coming to do work. The other big mistake was that I did not tell my lead the exact tree trimming services I wanted, just told him Tree Trimmer showing up on Wednesday!</p>
<p>I arrived at 11am, walked into the back yard and the EVERY BRANCH AND LEAF had been cut off the tree. I am staring at large barren tree trunks sticking out of the yard. I went ballistic, I have never lost my cool on the job before. Laid into the guy like you wouldn’t believe. He did not understand that this was a flip - he kept telling me that he cut everything back to make the tree healthy - don’t worry new branches and leaves will come out in 6 months!!! Are you kidding me??? I don’t have 6 months. On top of that, it was our only source of shade in this heat, where the guys would sit to eat lunch. I have just freaking blaring sun now - no shade.</p>
<p>I could just cry … I have to figure out a way to turn this into some kind of marketing scheme on how we went the extra mile to prune back the tree (:</p>
<p>Oh, and did I mention I paid full retail to get the tree hacked because I wanted to make sure the guy was licensed and insured because of the height and the power lines. Just shoot me! I refused to pay him the full amount - took some money off our agreement.</p>
<p>ARGH!</p>
<p>(do you perhaps have “before” pics that you can use of tree when you advertise???)</p>
<p>What is it with tree guys?</p>
<p>At my first house, we had a large maple in the front yard, it’s probably more than 50 years old. The branches grew out enough that the they were rubbing against the house, so we called a tree guy to trim it back.</p>
<p>I was running late for work on the day the work was scheduled, so I was just leaving for work when a giant piece of equipment rolls up.</p>
<p>“I’m here to take the tree down, do you want any of the wood?” the guys says.</p>
<p>“What do you mean, you are here to take the tree down?” I stammer.</p>
<p>“That’s the job, remove the tree in the front yard.”</p>
<p>“Uhhhh…”</p>
<p>If I hadn’t been late going to work I would have come home to a treeless front yard. :D</p>
<p>I agree, tree guys are the worst. What possibly makes them think topping a tree is “healthy” for it? Agree whole-heartedly about being on site while work is being done. I am lucky my job is really flexible, or I’d have cried at contractor’s results even more than I did.</p>
<p>Love this thread. My local real estate market stinks for sellers, but it’s fun reading about flips.</p>
<p>You really have to watch tree people - literally. I even watch closely and sometimes need to make comments when tree guys are at my neighbor’s house trimming trees close to my property.</p>
<p>Coralbrook - That must have given you a sick feeling in the gut and it’s un-fixable in your context (of needing to sell the house soon - before it actually sprouts fully - assuming he didn’t kill it).</p>
<p>
The new (decent) ones don’t even need a blanket anymore. They’re highly efficient with their own internal insulation. One biggie - it needs to be strapped very well for earthquake protection - I think 2 straps bolted to something solid like a stud. This is one of the first things home inspectors and even realtors seem to look for.</p>
<p>I had a tree guy come to look at our trees, which need trimming back – some brnaches are touching the roof and they just need trimming. </p>
<p>First guy said they needed to come out entirely and he’d do it for $2800.</p>
<p>Second guy said they didn’t need to come out entirely, just needed trimming, and he’d do it for $650. I [foolishly] told him I needed to discuss it with my husband. When I called the next day to give him the go-ahead, the lady who answers the phone said it would be a couple of weeks because they were backed up. That was three months ago. :eek: I think he realized he bid too low and just doesn’t want to do the work.</p>
<p>Coralbrook, my condolences. That must have been an awful shock.</p>
<p>Well, if anyone reading is in the Portland, Maine area, I have a great tree guy. </p>
<p>Coral, I’m pretty sure he just killed the tree. I’ve never heard of one that would survive losing that much of the crown. Is this guy a licensed arborist?</p>
<p>Not a licensed arborist, just a licensed tree guy. Every single mistake I have made so far I have been able to correct. Once I selected granite, guys were installing it and I took one look and decided it was awful. Just did not go with the cabinets and flooring. I made them take all the granite off and haul it to my storage unit. Started over with different granite. </p>
<p>Unfortunately I cannot do anything with this - can’t sit there and try to glue leaves back onto a tree.</p>
<p>And, any photo that I have of the beautiful tree in it’s full glory has that awful collapsed garage in the picture, a dumpster and a bunch of trash :)</p>
<p>What kind of tree is it?</p>
<p>A mature tree can take a lot of pruning and come back.</p>
<p>
So you mean a guy with whatever license one needs to cut trees - not actually know anything about trees (arborist) - right? </p>
<p>What kind of tree is it? If it’s a eucalyptus, they can come back from pretty severe chops. In fact, it’s difficult to hurt them - they just sprout new shoots.</p>
<p>He claims it is a healthy green tree and will come back really strong. It will probably come back just fine… long after I am gone </p>
<p>This is going to force me to spend the money for a nice covered back patio just so the buyers can see some kind of shade somewhere</p>
<p>I have several Walnut trees on one of the properties. The yard crew cuts all the branches off . But except one, they did come back, 6 months later.</p>
<p>Can you have even the stump removed (at the tree guy’s cost, since he made the mistake) and then plant something new, quickly?</p>
<p>He left the trunks fully standing, they are about 20 ft tall. His idea was that it would come back much nicer, hopefully with the branches away from the power lines. I have no idea why he didn’t leave at least some type of crown.</p>
<p>If we were filming some type of flipping television show there would have been a LOT of drama yesterday!! No need to make up something fake for drama on my flipping show :)</p>
<p>I will take a picture today and add it to our group. Was too upset to think about it yesterday (and hot dripping sweat when I went inside to avoid looking at the disaster - sat in the middle of the construction zone in a single chair all afternoon yesterday)</p>
<p>Good news is that I finally figured out how we were going to cram a bathtub/vanity/toilet into a 5’ x 7’ space yesterday. Plans nailed on the wall so they can finally finish the plumbing. I was holding up the plumber because I just could not figure out how to make it nice. It is what it is. Hopefully it will work when the fixtures get into place - looks good on paper but you never know whether someone can really squeeze between the toilet and the vanity :)</p>
<p>The Flipping San Diego house - the 500sf that they turned into 725sf - that we discussed earlier just sold for $460,000 (more than they said on the show). So, after 7-8 months of holding the property they did make a good little profit. This is the one that they had to tear down to just the frame - really small house with no parking on street allowed, side of house is right on an alley.</p>