Well, NUTS! (not quite as scorching as the first to come to mind). I just don't know what to do in this "problem area". This is the same area where you were helping me with my "Disguise the Septic Tank" issue (and the bland, ugly end of my house that's the first part of it seen)!!!. AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! Now that I have that out of my system (lol)... I guess the first thing I need to do is move the daylillies, huh? How far away from the tank do they need to be? What about the others listed (I also have snapdragons that I forgot to mention in this post)? As for the fescue, it's not really my intention to have a "lawn" in this area. I'm using it to help choke out the broadleaf weeds, break up the clay & add organic material when it dies. It was a relatively inexpensive way to get results quickly. That was my thinking, anyway. I've been thinking about checking out some Xeriscape stuff so that I don't have to water much. But then, I don't know if the truly drought tolerant stuff will help prevent erosion, or worse, will they seek out the tanks? Other than the grass, I can move everything else I have planted if I have to. The area is clay, but it's also one of the few places on our property that actually gets a good amount of sun. It IS convenient to water there, and when it does rain that area get's a lot of it, but I don't HAVE TO have moisture lovers there. Ultimately, I really want something somewhat TALL in this area because it's just so... ICKY. The tanks & all their stuff are there & the house itself is just BLAH (the plain end of a single-wide mobile home. There, I said it! Yup, we're trailer trash - lol). Of course, my MAIN concern is the roots getting into the tanks & the wires. It's SO DIFFICULT to find info on what a plants roots are going to do. That's the main reason I'm thinking pots/containers... for THIS area (of course, I'd prefer ones that are relatively managable IF we ever have to move them, but that's not a major concern). I'm not as concerned about plopping things in the ground in other areas... unless they are invasive. So... ALL that being said, are you still recommending the Sedum? What are your thoughts on the lavender & rosemary -will they serve my purpose & do well here? What other suggestions do you have for a "disguise" (tall, wide, etc)? THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I'm off to research versailles planters. - Mari

Also, what are the requirements in the owner's area for replacing leach fields? If he was in Vermont it would have to be an engineered system. By messing with the leach field there is a possibility that a mound system could be required (about $10,000). I know, Vermont is nuts on this stuff. My theory on the leach field is that if it was a "designed" system and it's working okay, leave it alone. If you have heard that new state or county requirements are coming in the next few years, then it might be prudent to consider replacing it now to avoid some expensive fix a few years down the road. And, as someone said, if you are in a region where there is the possibility of having to hook on to a municipal sytem in a few years, then you might want to consider the cheapest fix you can get for now. The last one I had installed/designed called for an outgoing filter. The builder said he would never do another system without it. Pull it once a year or so and hose it off. On the pumping...when I owned mobile home parks I had about 20,000 gallons worth of tanks to keep pumped. In this area it's extremely expensive to have them pumped. I found that it was senseless to pump all of the liquids out of the tanks. Liquid was always on the bottom and would go out to the leach field anyway. We would just pump the first 2 or 3 feet making sure that all the scum and solids and semi-solids were cleared out. Think about it..if you pump the whole tank, within 3 or 4 days the tank is filled with liquids again.

Sue, With regard to your roof dilemma, here are a few questions you should ask: What is the roof material? If it's composition shingle, do you like the colour and style? Would you rather have something else? If you like what you have, how much life is left in the existing roof? If you keep it, can your roofer match it on your addition? If so, will it be apparent which is old and which is new material. If it's apparent, will it bug you? How long to you plan to live in the house? How much old roof is there in relation to the new roof needed for the addition? What will the difference in cost be to do the entire roof vs. just the new addition? Once you've answered those questions, it should be fairly easy to decide on a course of action. A couple of other things to look at would be the age and condition of your flashings and gutters. If they're nearing the end of their life, an opportune time to replace them would be at the time a new roof is installed. Hope this helps. James

Hi @Simplysherona, sorry if I sound patronizing, but I am afraid for you and want to ensure you get the very best advice you can before you purchase this property. Posting on Houzz is great to give you direction, but if you go into this transaction without knowing your options and risks from a local expert, you may pay for this for a long time. A holding tank may be perfectly adequate and the cost to pump it out regularly may be very reasonable, but until you have real information from people in your area, it's only a guess. You indicated there was a previous septic system. Do you have it in writing that the previous tank was removed and remediation was done properly? Have you talked to the neighbors and found out their experiences with the holding tank setup? So many questions need to be answered. I have totally been star struck with houses e.g. our first house, a 1880's shotgun, did not have a sink in the bathroom. I didn't notice that until after the purchase. Duh. In our 1940's second house, the washing machine drained into the back of the three acre property. That was all fine until Chicago winter set in, the drains froze and I had to manually start and stop the washer to haul water out until it drained. Who knew to ask these things before we bought? Certainly not us as we were young fixer uppers, struck by the possibilities of the house, not the as is. $$$$ duh. No one on Houzz can answer the questions you asked in your last post unless they inspect the property. Get real advice from local experts. You can never do too much due diligence. I want you to have a lovely lake house, not a nightmare.