Standing water and drainage fails after storms

If your inspection lands two days after a storm, every low spot on the property is still telling the story. Ponding against the foundation, clogged catch basins, and downspouts dumping at the wall all show up as site and envelope items. What drainage work gave you the most points back per dollar?

You cannot schedule the weather around an inspection, but you can know your property's water story before the inspector reads it off the ground: where it ponds, which basins clog first, which downspouts dump at the foundation. Most of the cheap wins are unglamorous — a basin that has not been cleaned in years, a splash block that walked away, one regraded corner. Which drainage fix bought you the most relief — regrading, a basin cleanout, downspout work, or something else entirely?