Bishop weed is notoriously difficult to kill, so go industrial with your smother, like multiple layers of cardboard, a thick, heavy layer of mulch to hold it firmly against the soil. A few sheets of newspaper won't do the job on that one. The benefit of using something that will decompose is that it doesn't have to be removed, and is not impermeable to moisture penetration. It will also conform to every groove and dip in the soil surface, which blocks the light completely, and the air and the very space needed for leaves to grow. (Starting a new planting area this way fits under the "lasagna" umbrella of methods.) I might use the smothering to eliminate mowing all the way to the corner, looks tight between the lilac and house. Then use some kind of border, bricks or landscape timbers, to keep the grass separated from that area. Next year, check under the smother. If you find no signs of life, you should be able to add some other plants there, whatever perennials, annuals you might like in your new flower bed. Just make sure to make the holes all the way through the cardboard if it has not fully decomposed. My concern about the light wasn't from the amount of it visible in the pic, but from the combination of things surrounding it, the structure of the lilac, and that it looks like it's to the north of the house/other shrubs, and under the eave from that angle. If you start new shrubs with pieces trimmed from this one, you could put them in other spots that get more light, to have some great lilacs since this one is in a less than optimal spot. Not an unattractive plant, just not able to fully perform there. Everybody does not do it the same way, have the same opinions or goals, so definitely take the info and use it to make your yard the way you like it. That looks like the same kind that makes a great tree, although commonly sheared into a shrub or hedge.

From what I have heard and experienced, totally normal. Feel lucky your builder has been out to fix though, because mine hasn't showed up yet (was supposed to have been here in November to fix some things!!). :-P

Sounds like a hose bib with a vacuum breaker on top of it to prevent siphoning in a low water/suction condition. Most often these arenÂt used on well systems, but I doubt the manufactured home people knew where yours was going. Some are repairable, most often you will need to change the whole hydrant/sillcock.

Frankly your home is gorgeous and fits into the landscape nicely already, so no need to "guild the lily" and right now what you have is relatively low maintenance. The low fence is a little primitive, but could be replaced by something similar only nicer. I imagine that is to guide cars into the driveway? Otherwise not really needed. And I will add my voice to "no" on the white stones. Why call attention to gravel with such a high contrast color? If you want white, a gorgeous white flowering dogwood that you put a deer fence around until it is grown up enough to take it, or spray religiously with "Deer Off" as Marymd suggested.