Yes, you should have access to a great variety of succulents where you are. I had them in planters in our southwest facing entry walk when we livied in Alameda, and they thrived in the heat and sun. Fun plants!

I've reread the post a couple of times and don't see any mention by the OP that this is a rental property. Not that that makes much difference to the fact that cacti are a daft idea.

Hi @floraluk2 - Paul has a related post about using pavers for this walkway. In that post he said his home is a triplex - the two rental units are in the back of the main home. Sorry that my post was confusing - that’s why I said I should’ve posted my thoughts on the pavers on the other thread.

They factory sprayed the double hung but had to brush the oval custom windows (and they did a horrible job). This was ALL done at the factory. We ordered through Coastal Sash & Door. Our salesman came out last week and he was also horrified but now we have to wait for a rep. The windows and doors were delivered over three days last week and we didn't realize the awful quality until we unwrapped them. My husband is going to unwrap more today and take more photos. Also, the wrapping job at Marvin was done poorly. The plastic and cardboard surrounding the windows was so thin. My husband called Marvin last week to make sure these were actually Marvin (and that Coastal Sash & Door didn't scam us with fake windows) and Marvin confirmed that they fulfilled the order. They said there are still some on the way (two very large custom arched windows) so I can potentially block delivery of those. Our installers are using white gloves to handle the windows and we've been there for every step of the way. We only allowed install of 3 windows and unwrapping of one door before we pulled the plug to check more of them. We are super involved in this build and this is our fifth project, but first time using Marvin. Previously we used Andersen with no issues. I've contacted our architect since he specs Marvin windows to see if he can help us. Our contractor mostly deals with another brand and we pushed for Marvin, which I now regret.

Where is the location for weather considerations. Are there any views. Any traffic on the roads. Any neighbors. Any elevation changes on the lot or surrounding land. Any pictures of the lot.

That looks like it has a heat-o-later system or similar, judging from the brick ductwork. All you need is a fitted set of doors to make it a fantastic space heater.

Did you do anything yet with this fireplace?

If not, I would suggest starting with a good professional super clean. It will look totally different. Then see what you think.

I like the duck and the boat but they ( along with whatever has that blue cap on it ) need to go elsewhere - they are the wrong size. Get some things that are larger and perhaps more colorful.

Be sure to post after pictures!

Good luck

Following

My build is done! It has been a labor of love from many people that I first shared in the December 2023 commentary. Closing was March 21. The folks at Meritage Homes were a dream to work with thanks to the generous heart of their VP of Sales in North Carolina. My friend and her wheelchair bound 15 year old granddaughter are now in their new, fully wheelchair accessible home and report that they feel they are on vacation. The accessibility upgrades Meritage did were truly a miracle for this family, the vast majority of which they did not charge me for. Since this family is coming to the home with virtually nothing from a very challenging living situation, Meritage donated everything from the model home, fully staged by their interior design team. The construction supervisor was a dream to work with. Vendors and Meritage employees happily donated many, many things to this family including an HOA approved metal fence for the granddaughter's service dog. Some pics below, with a special one of the laundry room. Most of us see laundry as a chore but this wheelchair bound girl always felt left out when her teenage friends complained about having to do laundry. No more! The team enlarged the laundry room and ensured to the inch that the w/d platform enabled her to do her own laundry. So many special features in the home had her commenting time and time again, "I can do things like everyone else." She may come to regret the independence this home affords her as her grandmother warned her, "You gotta do lots of stuff yourself now kiddo."

I take for granted so much of the ease of physically moving through the day. It has been a joy to have been blessed with a wonderful group of people who have in a small part, given some of that ease to her. When you think there are only jerks out there in the world, I can tell you that's simply not true. Good people are out there and I'm so glad I found them and we came together for this family.

The house isn't fancy but every inch of it is beautiful and a 400lb wheelchair can navigate it all inside and out! Thank you Meritage!

Here's a few pics