How should I rework the steps?

Zola.

Last year I widened the driveway... it was very narrow previously and a nightmare for the car.

An old, small retaining wall was removed to allow for this, and I put in a new retaining wall to hold up the garden, with new bricks you can see at the side of the attached photos.

As a result, the old steps are not so good to approach from the front now, you have to go to the side as it was before, it is also a bit of a drop/risk which I want to correct.

I would like to improve the look of the steps and also make it more approachable from the front. I have a builder coming out in the next week or two, but what would you recommend I could do?
Once I have this done I will maybe look to tarmacking the drive next year.

Apodemus

I think I would want to enlarge the area immediately in front of the (porch?) door so that you can open that door  without knocking anyone off into the garden.   Probably taking it out to the level of the fourth of your coping stones on the wall.  That would then give you room for a suitable width of steps to your newly widened drive.

grumbler

Zola. said:

As a result, the old steps are not so good to approach from the front now, you have to go to the side as it was before, it is also a bit of a drop/risk which I want to correct.

I would like to improve the look of the steps and also make it more approachable from the front.

Well, ignoring the cost, round (~ 1/4 of a circle) steps would be most natural in this case.

theonlywayisup

Both the two posts above - move the wall / reduce it in length so you have a larger area out the front of the door.  Then use a 1/4 circle as a step design to make access seamless. 

A very quick sketch of what I mean.

Zola.

Thanks for the feedback, I like the design idea, would just worry about cost!! I will get a few quotes for an idea of cost. Ideally, I don't want to be spending more than a few hundred as it's more of a want than a need for right now. I would get it done for sure before selling the house in approx 5 years. I may also look to change the door so it opens on the inside that out, totally daft design that haha

FreeBear

Zola. said: I may also look to change the door so it opens on the inside that out, totally daft design that haha

Don't be too dismissive of outward opening doors - I have one, and it is good for those cold callers that come banging on the door. A blooded nose gets rid of them pretty sharp.

An inward opening door will dribble water all over the floor if it is raining. Not a problem with a tiled or vinyl floor, but could cause issues with carpet or laminate.

Apodemus

Zola. said:

Thanks for the feedback, I like the design idea, would just worry about cost!! I will get a few quotes for an idea of cost. Ideally, I don't want to be spending more than a few hundred as it's more of a want than a need for right now. I would get it done for sure before selling the house in approx 5 years. I may also look to change the door so it opens on the inside that out, totally daft design that haha

It's difficult to tell from the pictures, but it doesn't look as if you have enough depth to the porch to allow for a full width door to open inwards (which may well be why an outward opening door was installed in the first place).

Also, while we are all guilty of spending the money just as we are bout to sell, there is a strong case to be made for spending it now, and getting some of the benefit yourself!