Lacey's point is well made :-)) There really isn't any other type of groundcover more suited to this large expanse of real estate than turf grass nor would be as well-suited to play and traffic from kids and pets. Turf grasses - lawns - are really the ultimate in low maintenance and inexpensive GC's to cover large, mostly flat, open areas. I'd suggest you contact your local extension office as to what sort of grasses would work best for you - they could differ considerably depending on location and I am not familiar enough with your area and its climate to make specific suggestions. Most areas that tolerate or recommend cool season grasses recommend blends or mixes of various types of grasses that offer different characteristics at different times of the year. Cool season grasses - if appropriate to your area - offer the benefit of going dormant in summer so mowing frequency is reduced during that period. They also require less water during this period of dormancy as well, as long as a somewhat dried, browinsh look is tolerated. They green up again promptly with cooler temps and more rainfall in fall. But also start growing again as well :-) Sorry, but you cannot escape the need for frequent mowing unless you select some sort of meadow grass.

The right and left halves of the main house are not the same conditions and require either different shrubs, or, it's possible to use the same type but trim to different heights. (It is the top of all these shrubs that will be trimmed at a uniform height relative to the window bottoms.) I don't think we're to the point of calling for the right-hand shrubs to be removed, as we haven't seen good, face-on pictures of them with the windows in the background. I'm pretty confident that all the other shrubs should be removed based on their size and position. "... the bottom of the window trim is about 4 feet above ground on the left side, so max plant height should be just below that?" That would be my goal. If new shrubs are treated well -- never going dry, but not being constantly we either, and given some fertilizer, they usually can get up to decent size within a couple of years. They only need to be 3 1/2' high. ",,, should i push the HOA on some solution to cover the electrical box in front corner?" You have to be careful what you wish for. Sometimes the "cover" is more offensive than the box being covered, as the overall "object" can grow exponentially in size. I don't think it's necessary to cover the entire box per se. If there was a judiciously planted, arching foliage grass or two that covered mainly the bottom half, that would take care of the main offense. For the top half, I don't know how much you'd be willing to apply paint, but if in my yard, I'd be considering a neutral/camouflaged/non-offensive color ... and asking permission after the fact. But then, I would never live in HOA place so you'd likely be up against forces I couldn't anticipate or predict. I think you have the wrong idea about how to treat the holly tree. It is not the top of the tree that gets trimmed to keep it in check. It is the bottom of the canopy that gets limbed up so as to get out of the way of all ground activities, and so as to not "smother" the lower portion of the house. It is VASTLY easier to maintain this as a small tree than it is to maintain it as a giant shrub. The trunk(s) are retained while all the side branching is removed. One is visually safe to de-limb up to 50% of the total plant height (which would now be to the top of your garage windows. Next year, it will be a little more.) I'm sure you've noticed that whenever a plant has a lot of foliage removed, it turns around quickly and grows a bunch more somewhere else. Here, that somewhere else would be at what remains of the upper portion of the tree, especially the top. Consequently, after you remove limbs & branches to 50% of the height and the tree grows taller, it will automatically create a new ratio that has it appearing as though you only removed limbs & branches to 40% of the tree's total height. Keep it's back side trimmed about 12" away from the wall, which will never be noticed from the front. I'm sure this holly tree is planted too close to the house (as is the case wherever a builder installs a landscape.) You have the choice to accept its placement as long as you can, or get rid of it and start over with another tree better positioned. If you decide on the latter, it may be possible to start a new tree while the old one stands and then cut it down a bit later.

None of those are likely to thrive in that much shade. And wire vine is just that - a very aggressive vine that will climb anything close by so really a poor choice for a groundcover. I've seen it 10' up into trees and shrubs! For a shady area under trees and for moderate foot traffic, Vinca minor would be my first choice. Can be an aggressive spreader under the right conditions but dry shade will slow it down. Ajuga reptans would work also. Pachysandra would be another choice but grows taller and will tolerate less foot traffic....now and then is OK. Deadnettle, Lamium maculatum, is another possibility but not great for much foot traffic.

you have some beauties!..I really like Lime Ripple..Sugar Plum..Bluetooth.. this might help..crop the pic..even cropping slightly can make posting easier..can't explain why but this has helped me..