By Gretchen A. Peck

Located in The Orchards of East Lyme, the four-bedroom colonial at 10 Hickory Court, East Lyme is newly listed for sale. The owner is asking $889,500 for the property. Coldwell Banker Realtor Terry Kemper—the listing agent—is hosting open houses at the property this weekend, on Saturday, December 2, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and Sunday, December 3, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

A new job inspired Rosa Carrasco Sanchez to relocate her family from West Virginia to southeast Connecticut. After touring homes in Old Lyme and East Lyme, Sanchez bought 10 Hickory Court in 2017. This was one of two homes in The Orchards she’d considered. While attending a showing at this house, she observed how the neighborhood’s children could safely play and travel between friends’ homes.

“On the day I was doing the walkthrough with Terry, our Realtor, one of the neighbors came to the door, introduced herself and her daughter. Everybody is so welcoming—like family—and, of course, those relationships have grown throughout the years,” Sanchez said. “It’s been great for me and for the kids to live in a neighborhood that’s so friendly, where everybody knows each other and helps one another.”

The classic center-hall colonial was built in 2007. Its main level has a double-height foyer, an eat-in kitchen, formal living and dining rooms, a family room, laundry and mudroom.

Sanchez noted that the kitchen has lots of counter space—crafted in granite—and plenty of cabinet storage, plus a butler’s pantry. The appliances are all Bosch brand. She recently added a new wine refrigerator to the butler’s pantry.

In the lower level, there’s a room expressly designed to be a home office. For their family, it worked well as a homework spot and piano-practice room. In another lower-level room, they placed a projection system and held family movie nights there. A full bath is steps away.

All four bedrooms are all on the second level. They leveraged one for guests. The primary suite is an expansive space, with a sitting room, walk-in closet and private bath.

The home also has an attic, accessible via a drop-down ladder. It’s an unfinished space, providing an abundance of storage space.

“It has great windows, so if somebody is motivated, they could finish off the attic and use the space. The ceiling is pretty high,” the seller said.

For outdoor dining and entertaining, there’s a deck overlooking the backyard.

The previous owner had a hot tub on the ground-level patio. That had been removed, leaving an open space, so she added a new six-person hot tub to the spot.

“Being on the cul-de-sac makes the backyard very private. You can be on the back deck or in the hot tub on the patio, and no one can see you there,” she said.

The Orchards association maintains some amenities for residents, covered by relatively modest HOA fees. There’s a clubhouse, a pool, and basketball, tennis and pickleball courts. The clubhouse proved invaluable last year. For a small fee, they were able to rent the space for her daughter’s quinceañera celebration.

“From time to time, we have neighborhood events, like Ladies Nights and parties for Halloween and Christmas,” she said. “They’ve rented inflatable screens for summertime movies.”

The association also maintains walking trails through its 240-acre property, directly accessible from this lot.

Property: 10 Hickory Ct., East Lyme

Bedrooms: 4

Baths: 4

Square Footage: 4,372

Acreage: 0.95

Asking Price: $889,500

Listing Agent: Terry Kemper, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Old Lyme; Mobile: (860) 908-7820; terry.kemper@coldwellbankermoves.com; terrykemper.com