My sister insists we need a French drain and retaining wall because we have groundwater damage. I think it is a costly expense that is unnecessary if we only have the gutters repaired or replaced? Am I right?

It depends on your situation. If you have a high water table or water coming off another property she is right.....if you have no gutters or downspouts draining the water AWAY from your house...it will likely cause a problem on its own or make an existing one worse.

How do I know if we have a high water table or water coming from other property? I know water is pouring down down the side of the house into the ground. The front stoop plants get drowned after every rain and the stoop is soaked, in winters icicles attach to the siding and sometimes melt and we see condensation puddles inside the window pane. And I can see it pouring out from the spouts and onto the hill at the side of our house. The dirt has worn down where have plants and you can see the protective mesh underneath--it is exposed. Plus there are mildew stains on the front of our siding.

You can look at how the ground is sloped. It NEEDS to be sloped away from your house... water runs downhill.

If you have a really high water table... you or your neighbors probibly won't have a basement, you will have a sump pump in your basement if you do (and maybe even if you don't).

But if your roof drains right against your house... you are likely to have problems and that will need taken care of regardless. Definitely do that first Gutters and downspouts, emptying as far from the house as practical.... I needs done either way... the other you can do if the problem continues.

If you replaced the gutters where would they drain to? To a slope away from the house or they drain into a depression and back to the house? Let me know, Tom