My 10 acres were within a very small subdivision. We found out about the lot, had it bought and closed on within a month. Paid $650 for the perc test which included his marking boundaries of the property, designing septic, soil analysis and slope information. After reading this I'm glad we didn't know what we didn't know. I am not sure we would have pressed forward without panic first if I read all that. It can be scary, there is so much involved, but if you love it, its all worth the research. This is going to be your home :) Here's what we did...call a lawyer (no real estate agents involved, my dh found the lot on Craigslist~), another reason to talk to the lawyer (we have a creek on our property and had to talk to water conservation society as well - can't build within 50 feet on each side of it, blah blah blah) call a soil analyst (he knew about local well diggers/septic people and county requirements so he taught us as we went along), research HOA stuff (no horses - boo, but chickens for eggs ok, no white siding - boo, but plot, setbacks, building requirements all listed for us), and call your city/county permit office and see what the secretary knows about the development. We're in a little county but it might help you too. Our gal was SO helpful, even giving me the # of the best/but cheapest soil guy who turned out to be a gem. Hope my little bit of experience helps encourage you - we knew nothing compared to all this and have a beautiful piece of property. Hope yours goes as well.

Those treads are solid wood, they are just pieces glued together with a top and bottom laminate layer.Seems to me they are using lesser quality(appearance) wood. Probably does not impact strength, but every joint/laminate layer provides more opportunity for later problems, especially with stairs and the stress they take. I always used treads from a real lumberyard, those are generally the same width/length(with two different lengths available to minimize waste on more narrow stairs), but are 1&1/8" thick and made by gluing pieces together. That way, dimensional lumber can be bought and machined(jointed/planed/bullnosed) to make a matching landing. For your landing, I would get enough dimensional(boards) oak to glue together to fit the space, orient the pieces for the grain to run inline with the stairs(leaving the edges the long sides). Then bullnose the two edges. To do all that requires some machinery. Either find a woodworker/cabinet company/etc. that has the necessary machines or have the pieces machined by the lumberyard(home improvement stores do not do this type work). The machines are: jointer, table saw, router and if the boards are too thick, a planer. Basically, the table saw cuts to length and width(if necessary), the jointer makes a 90° edge for precise gluing, the planer shaves off wood to make it thinner, and the router(with a round over or bullnose bit) creates the edge profile.

Hi Beth, When I saw Popmama's suggestions I remembered there was a thread not too long ago where I had posted and "seconded" most of what she had already posted, so I went looking for it--and I found it! What I didn't remember was that it was your thread! Easier than trying to repeat it all here, I'm just gonna link the thread. I just looked it over and virtually everything I was gonna say is already in that thread! https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5682766/what-should-i-put-in-shade-area-in-front-of-my-house#n=10 I will add this! The "tall things" I recommended don't bloom very long, so unless you really want a "tall thing," or unless you're gonna put in a good mix of things so you have flowers all/most of the time, you wouldn't have color for very long. Also, especially with the Thalictrum, after it finishes blooming (the "purple fluff" one) the foliage "deteriorates" slowly over summer, so it doesn't look all that great as a "foliage plant!" My Aruncus is just finishing blooming now, and it is definitely pretty cool when it's blooming! If you decide to go with all perennials I highly recommend sticking Bergenia in there somewhere because it's evergreen, so you have "something" out there in winter. It's one of my favorites in my shade bed on the north side of the house. I also love my ferns, and they add great textural variety. In the linked thread, but the Autumn Fern is also "semi-evergreen" so helps add winter interest. And a quick comment about hostas! When you're shopping for them be sure you're checking the heights and not just the "colors." They can range anything from a tiny one I have, Hosta minima, which is only a couple inches tall, to ones that are up to three or possibly even four feet tall, so be sure you get a variety that fits the height you're looking for. Also, hosta is one of the last things to put in an appearance in spring, and one of the first to freeze in the fall, so consider that in your plans too. Everything else I can think of to recommend is in the linked thread--which was on a thread you posted on three forums--but I "took a chance" and decided to post on it anyway! But, like "yesterday's" thread, you had the "same problem" there when the first response, instead of trying to answer your question, suggested that you widen and move your sidewalk! A helpful reply, indeed! Oh, I almost forgot! Your original question on "the other thread" was about hydrangeas! On that I will also second what Popmama said! When I moved into this house there was an Annabelle Hydrangea in the front of my house, which is FULL sun, and........ I just remembered that this is another thing I had posted about at some point in the past, and I was able to find that thread too! See my post in this thread for the Hydrangea info! But, an update! "My" Hydrangea, which is now growing in Longmont at Cheryl's house, is in almost complete shade and it does beautifully for her every year! I don't know if she's ever had a problem, like I did, where the flowers get saturated in rain and "fall over" but I'm pretty sure she hasn't because she's never mentioned it to me. I believe the stems are growing "stronger" now that it's out of the hot sun! And after you read my post in that thread that'll all make sense to you! https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2129095/hydrangeas-along-the-front-range#n=4 After you read all this stuff, if you have any questions about any specific plant, listed on this thread or not, just ask! Skybird

Thank you so much. Plans were similar to what you show. I am struggling with the type of steps. Bluestone doesn't go with the brick. Also doing a walkway. Is it better to use real stone or unilock? Doing this all on my own and so many decisions.