The Agaves are not near a heat source, just underneath an overhang so they stay relatively dry. I still have A. ovatifolia, A. americana and A. salmiana outside. The coldest it's been so far is about 20 or 21F. I will probably haul the americana into the garage if it gets to 15F. The older leaves on A. americana have suffered, but the rest appear undamaged. Yucca rostrata is completely exposed and looks perfect. I haven't ever sniffed the Crass, I will let you know :-) x

Pressure test only is $100. Still can't decide what to do. House is in pretty good shape. Fairly new kitchen cabs and appliances and bathrooms not too old. Furnace is from Oct 2011, so still under warranty. It really only needs a new window and upstairs carpet. There is hardwood hiding under the carpet up there. I think it will pass the plumbing inspection, but I wonder if it would be good for peace of mind. My son, who is buying it, is not keen on spending more $ for the plumber. The closing costs are ridiculous as it is

I have been involved in the swimming pool industry for just over 20 years in Canada. I've heard about the baking soda and have a few customers that have used this method but I'm skeptical at best. Baking soda has zero effect on algae in terms of killing or preventing it. It does raise pH, which if pushed high enough will make the water uncomfortable for algae growth. Most algae will grow in a pH range of 7 to 9 so if you get your pH up in the 8+ range you will certainly see less and less algae. But I'm certainly not a fan of high pH. It prevents salt systems from working properly and severely screws up the ability of chlorine to neutralize organic wastes and kill bacteria. And while we sell winterizing kits, I actually don't think they are needed either. The biggest trick is water temperature. Once you pool water gets below 60F algae growth falls to almost zero. So if you wait to close your pool until the water gets cold enough, you just need to give your pool a final shock (to kill anything left alive in the water plus neutralize organic wastes) and maybe add a sequestering agent if you have particularly high metal concentrations or very hard water. The second half of this is to make sure you open your pool early in the spring. Since algae will start back up as the water gets warmer, don't wait until your pool has been sitting at 70F for a couple of weeks to get things going, it will be too late (and green) by then. About stabilized chlorine (dichlor's and trichlor's), stabilizer doesn't prevent the chlorine from working until the stabilizer lever in the water get's too high. If used properly (a LOT of folks use too much of the stabilized stuff) it's a great product. All that being said, having been in the business for 20+ years I've seen so many different recipes on how to close your pool I could write a book. If it works for you, then no need to fix what's not broken.

IIRC you are in Connecticut? How much snow is on the ground when you intend to put the house on the market? If any more than a couple of inches, don't bother with any inground landscaping. It won't be seen and as others have mentioned, new owners will prefer to do their own. I would have some sort of container with color on the front porch or steps. Even cut just stems with berries and other greens.