Andrew Hopkinson has seen it all. The owner of Fox Hill Luxury Real Estate Services has not only been doing the work of building and property management for decades, he also comes to the table with experience in law enforcement, counter-terrorism, and emergency management. What may seem like disparate fields mesh perfectly together when you are talking about safeguarding peoples’ homes and personal safety.
“That’s my secret sauce, my immediate response,” he tells us. “I responded to Ground Zero; I responded to Hurricane Katrina. So I know the true meaning of an emergency, but when someone’s A/C doesn’t work or there’s a leak - that’s an emergency to them, and that’s all that matters at that moment.”
He also knows that quick response can mean the difference between a few thousand dollars of repairs or tens of thousands of dollars, not to mention the loss of personal items, keepsakes, and photos. His extensive Maritime background gives him the unique knowledge and skills needed to properly maintain and manage luxury homes along the coastal Long Island Sound Shoreline. Waterfront homes have a different set of challenges, he tells us, and need special attention to be prepared to withstand Mother Nature’s wrath.
Hopkinson looms large as a presence, tall and sturdy, but with a peaceful and understated demeanor. “More than one client has told me I have a calming effect,” he says. He provides continuous maintenance and repair services to some of the largest homes in Fairfield County, but his home base, as well as where it all started, is right here in Ridgefield.
“One of my oldest clients is a Ridgefield estate,” he says fondly. “And when she renews her subscription I remind her that she’s my oldest client, and she loves that.” In true Ridgefield fashion, how she came to be his client says a lot about what sets him and his company apart. “A tree fell on her fence,” he tells us. “It damaged her fence and she has dogs and was worried they were going to get out.” So Hopkinson did what he does - he responded right away.
“I went over there and I had two guys with me and instead of selling her a new fence, I fixed the fence,” he explains. “We straightened it out and we got it working. So she was also my first review, kind of summing up what makes us different. I wasn’t looking to sell her a new fence. And we take that into every client. Whether it’s a $10 million house or a $500,000 house, my labor rates are the same.”
We asked Hopkinson what homeowners should be doing to ready their properties for winter, and he told us the importance of regular preventive maintenance on your home cannot be understated. While it’s important in the spring to get your home ready for the summer and all the lovely weather to come, it is even more important to get your home prepared for the winter as the consequences of not doing so can be very costly. Faulty, clogged gutters are the number one cause of water damage to a home, so it is important to clean them more than once in the fall. Turning off exterior water and blowing out water lines are also crucial to preventing costly plumbing repairs and water damage. It’s also never a bad time to get your air ducts cleaned out and sealed, which is something Fox Hill now has an entire division dedicated to. According to a study conducted by the EPA, 95% of homes have leaky ductwork and lose between 25% and 40% of the homes total heating and cooling capacity, not to mention bringing unhealthy air into living spaces.
Hopkinson is not the only one with deep roots in the Ridgefield community, nor the only one to work with houses. His wife Meri Hopkinson has owned several stores in town throughout the years - Box and Crafts and Suburban Couture - and is now a longtime real estate agent with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty.
At Hopkinson's own home, a charming porch overlooks Fox Lake, and the front door leads right into the part of the house Hopkinson himself built years ago. The height markings of not only his own kids, but multiple childhood friends and family through the years, fill a rustic beam in the kitchen with pen, markers, and pencils. His daughter now Emma works with him in the family business, after loving her childhood in this house. “I loved it,” she said of growing up in Ridgefield. “There is nothing better. It’s just ideal - you’re surrounded by smart, motivated people.” And thanks to the Hopkinsons - beautiful homes.
Hopkinson knows that a quick response can mean the difference between a few thousand dollars of repairs or tens of thousands of dollars of repairs.