You can create a good first impression with your driveway, and it adds value when it comes time to sell your home. Driveways are more than convenient off-road parking spaces. But where do you begin when planning one?
Table of Contents
1. Convenience and style
There are two main things to consider when installing a new driveway. First, consider the driveway’s practicality and its purpose. How many people are living in the house, for instance? Are there regular visitors? Growing families need car space to accommodate future teenagers and drivers. In order to increase the value of your home, homeowners who may be considering selling soon should focus on curb appeal; replacing old tarmac with new block paving will add value.
2. Easily accessible
Drives don’t have a set minimum width, so any design must be suitable for the vehicles that will use it. It is important to consider the number of cars near each other and ensure that car doors can be opened easily. Make sure your driveway is wide enough to allow you to reverse from the highway if necessary. It should also provide easy access from the highway to your driveway. Ask your landscaper for ideas on how you can separate your driveway from shrubbery or a pathway with driveway edging stones.
3. Trees and shrubs
You can make your front yard more private by planting trees and shrubs, but keep in mind that digging your driveway may damage existing roots, as well as utilities. To do this right, you need to hire a professional designer or contractor. Whether they plan to plant trees or shrubs, they will make sure they will not send their roots into the sub base of your new driveway, but will still add biodiversity. If you have any concerns about the work, make sure you voice them to the installer.
4. Accessories for the driveway
Your new driveway can be used in a variety of ways to create an inviting entryway to your home. The driveway could be illuminated with encapsulated LED lights or perhaps a series of lights can be installed into the curbs. For curbs, there is a choice to suit every taste.
5. Modern or traditional
In terms of designing your driveway, you can choose a variety of materials, but you should always take the style of your house into consideration.
When creating a classic look you often turn to natural stone paving, but you can also use cobble setts, which come in many shapes and colors. You can play with the laying patterns and colors of concrete block paving to create a truly unique driveway. Porcelain driveway paving is a great choice for a more minimalistic driveway with low maintenance.
The budget is of course a consideration, but keep in mind the 20/80 rule as it pertains to choosing your products; 20% of your project’s cost is in the products, and 80% comes from the subbase and installation. Consider asking your installer about a higher end paving product if you’re concerned it might be outside your price range, because it might make less difference than you think to the total cost.
