Planning the flower bed plantings etc. is definitely the fun part. Most people skip to that step because it is the part of the landscape you see- and the most enjoyable part to think about. It's a classic mistake to do so because you will pay a long term price for all the seemingly little details you skip in the beginning. I take it that the advice of a good engineer feels out of the budget for you? Drainage issues are the boring stuff but it's already obvious you're going to have a significant drainage concern. Trenching and piping are okay but eventually trenches can fill with sediment and no longer work. You really, really need to have an engineering consult to determine if what the builder proposes will be adequate. It shouldn't cost more than a couple hundred bucks at most. Perhaps some other neighbors will pitch in since you'll all need the same thing? I used to be a City Planner. I've seen developers pull a lot of crap. Sometimes, they are well-intended but the data they based their information on was faulty. Other times- they're just out to make a buck as quickly and cheaply as possible. At an absolute minimum, call your City offices and see if someone from the City engineering Dept. can advise you on appropriate methods to handle the drainage. In theory, they've already required the developer to deal with this but sometimes really different to say it will work on paper and to see it once everything is going in. Building codes are the 'minium acceptable standard', they are intended to set the bottom threshold. Something can be up to 'code' but not necessarily be a great solution. Also, ask them what level of storm they design for. Sometimes they require them to design the drainage to handle the runoff from a 10, 50, or 100 year storm. You'll want to know which they planned for in your case as it will give you a better idea of what it will handle. As for your other issues- a patio will be much lower maintenance over time than a deck and will certainly last longer. I would also make sure to have a 2' high by at least 3' deep berm for flowers and shrubs against the house as sort of a 'back up' in case your drainage system clogs or is overwhelmed.

Most turf grasses in the PNW will be blends of various cool weather grass seeds, however sod farms seem to prefer monocultures and often go with a single type. Because many of these grasses look virtually indistinguishable from each other, best to go back to the source and ask where you purchased the sod. Because our cool season grasses want to go dormant in summer, I tend to recommend fall as the best time to overseed or do much remedial lawn care. What you can do now is to aerate the soil, using a plug or core aerator. Aerating is one of the best things you can do for a lawn or the ideal first step in lawn care prep. After aerating, spread a thin layer of compost, just a half inch or so. Water as necessary but not too frequently and deeply when you do. In my Puget Sound climate, once every week to 10 days is usually sufficient through summer provided the water penetrates down 6-8 inches. Weed manually as required. Then in fall you can overseed. Again, cover with a thin layer of compost (better than peat or topsoil) and keep moist until full germination, usually about 10-14 days. Mow when the new grass is at least 2.5 inches tall. And you can still fertilize before winter. If you overseed in September, you should be able to fertilize in mid to late October. Of any time of year, the fall fertilizing is the most beneficial in our region. And opt for an organic product if you can.

jmonette1, I see you're in southern Calif, which is in Africanized bee (AHB) territory (as your posting seems to indicate that you're aware). I've got some experience with them (AHB), and as the previous two posters have advised, I would recommend that you not leave them in place either. From your description, the current bees you've got are undoubtedly European honeybees (EHB - the desireable kind). If they haven't attacked a barking dog or someone mowing grass nearby, then they're not likely AHB - even though the nest is in the open (which is unusual but does happen on occasion, as pointed out previously). Here's the real danger: since AHB are dominate in any area they move into, the long term prospect of this colony staying EHB, is very slim. When (not IF) AHB take over this hive, they will pose a deathly danger to your dog and/or cat (at a minimum). And it doesn't take much to "set them off" - certainly, something as simple as a dog barking can do it; not to mention a lawnmower! I, likewise, would recommend you contact a local beekeeping club and see if you can get a 'volunteer' to come out and collect up this colony. Describe to them, what you've said here and let them know they're not inside a structure (wall of a house) but be honest when they ask how far off the ground they're located. The main thing is to not let them stay around very long (the bees...not the beekeepers).

I'm in Virginia. Are you sure there's been no rain? It can be pouring like crazy five minutes down the road and I don't get a drop, and vice versa. Plus, from my experience here in Virginia for 7 years, the fall is our rainy season. We get a lot of rain this time of year. It's raining right now. It's also very hilly here in Virginia and like I think it was LuAnnPA who said it--it's the norm and if you ruled out properties because they are downhill, you're ruling out a lot of good properties. The last place I lived in was downhill and that basement was bone dry. The property actually stayed wetter than where I am now but that's because we were in a holler and surrounded by trees so got little sun and wind. But it was never a problem. Just took a little longer to dry. Ask them when they had rain last. Ask them why it's wet! Actually, now that I'm remembering, our barn here is a little low and during heavy rains, a stream would go down the middle. Hubby just dug a ditch around the barn and diverted it away, filled it with yellow pebbles, and in five years we've never had a problem. I encourage you because that house looks beautiful.