A steep slope has the potential for major water penetration into the house when it rains. You need to look to see if there is visible water damage and a home inspector should look hard for suspected damage behind the walls. You are talking major money for 10' retaining walls and regrading the driveway. Will the local building codes allow this in the front yard? I would keep shopping for the right house.

Peggy, Sorry it's taken so long to get back to you. It's been so crazy busy around here. There's a lot about your house that I like... 1. I really like the Bahama shutters. They add character/visual interest to the house. 2. I also like the vestibule that contains the front door. It really makes the house seem inviting. I fear that if you bring the door forward, your house will start looking like a bunch of boxes joined together. The vestibule indent is architecturally interesting. 3. Your landscaping is nice. I like the different layers/heights of the bushes and trees. Having some of the trees overlap onto the second storey, softens the angles of the house and adds a little intrigue around the windows. I always think that some trees like this are good, so that the house doesn't look bald. Revealing the house a little at a time piques your interest to see more of it...it adds mystery. ______________________ So here's what you might do: 1. On top of the flat roof, add a second storey with a front-facing gable that ties into the current second storey roof. It'll break up the visual of too much roof that you currently have, give you more space, and of course to fix the problem that you have with the flat roof. You could have this addition follow through all the way to the other side of the house, or maybe you could stop it a little short on the backside to reserve a little space for a balcony (if the insurance company would check it off that this is a balcony, and not just a flat roof). Change up the siding application by cladding it with white board and batten. This does two things...it gives the whole house architectural interest by adding architectural detail, and it gives a nod to the white trim on your cool little front door vestibule. Add visual interest by exposing the rafter tails on this addition and adding brackets and large dentil moulding. 2. On top of your staircase addition, add windows all around with white trim. Expose the rafter tails, and add a hefty moulding around the bottom of the windows, to help set this apart from the rest of the addition. It kind of hearkens to a lookout, and would add a lot of light to your staircase. Having this all white helps tie to the new gabled addition and the vestibule. ______________________ Now your house has balance and even more visual interest. All the horizontal siding and roofing are broken up into smaller more manageable visual chunks. And you have no more flat roof. I feel like this adds to the character of the house, and it could be paid for by the savings from the insurance company.

The rock and grasses will take care of the edge on the concrete. Ornamental grasses need to be cut back every year. I'd try to put in a few ornamental grasses and a Japanese maple(like a Bloodgood), for interest, or a trio of trees that do not grow that tall(15-20')..

Bamboo is often mis-understood. There are varieties that DO NOT spread and root ball stays in basic original shape extending roots out around the basic root ball. The type that "spreads" is a rhizome so it sends out shoots for what can be a very long distance and new shoots pop up. The "container" type do not do that. I have had Giant Timber Bamboo for over 14 years in our backyard and the roots have spread a little bit, but the new "canes" simply come up from that root ball basic shape. Wonderful, beautiful almost all year round. This variety comes from China in the mountains, so it is hardy and has survived 3 below freezing nights in a row, lost all the leaves and came back with avengeance in the spring. So research and find the "container" type for best results.