The morning after the hail in Hope Island
Matt McKenzie · Storm Debris Removal · Hope Island
The story
Living in Hope Island, you get used to council collections that are always months away. The storm came through just after Christmas and took half of our neighbour's gum tree over our fence and into our yard.
Polycarbonate roofing sheets, broken guttering, a smashed outdoor table and mountains of leaves and twigs.
Hope Island is gated golf and canal estates with strict presentation standards, and getting things out isn't always simple. Gate passes and estate speed limits are arranged before arrival.
When I rang, the person who answered asked a few simple questions about what it was, where it was and how to get to it, and said they could come and look that afternoon.
The crew pulled up, had a look, and told me the price straight away. No surprises, no 'we'll see how it goes'. I said yes and they got started within five minutes.
Our insurer wanted photos before anything was moved. The crew waited while I took them and then took a few more themselves so I had a 'during' and 'after' set.
What I appreciated most was that nothing was rushed and nothing was a hassle. They explained where everything was going: charity, recycling or the tip. I felt good about it.
It's a small thing, but having someone else carry it all out made a much bigger difference than I expected.