Cheapest driveway options

JuzaMum

Thanks for all the responses. Where I live there is very little parking available as most houses do not have off road parking or space to put it in. The area is 3m x 6m and currently looks awful and neighbours seem to think it is a dog toilet!

GDB2222

Perhaps a photo would help?

Nobbie1967

I think the idea of just clearing it, putting down landscape fabric and gravel with a few planters is the most cost effective solution. Tidies it up at low cost and potential buyers can easily see the potential for more parking if required. Equally, those who like plants can remove the gravel easily and plant stuff.

Albermarle

Nobbie1967 said:

I think the idea of just clearing it, putting down landscape fabric and gravel with a few planters is the most cost effective solution. Tidies it up at low cost and potential buyers can easily see the potential for more parking if required. Equally, those who like plants can remove the gravel easily and plant stuff.

In the meantime the fabric/gravel will kill off all the weeds after a year or so.

FreeBear

Albermarle said:

Nobbie1967 said:

I think the idea of just clearing it, putting down landscape fabric and gravel with a few planters is the most cost effective solution. Tidies it up at low cost and potential buyers can easily see the potential for more parking if required. Equally, those who like plants can remove the gravel easily and plant stuff.

In the meantime the fabric/gravel will kill off all the weeds after a year or so.

And new weeds will take root in the gravel. If caught early enough, they are easy to pull out. Left too long, and the roots knit in to the fabric and you end up with something that can only go to landfill when disposed of.

TELLIT01

Albermarle said:

TELLIT01 said:

My thoughts pretty much match with those of @Albermarle.  The OP may think it would be better suited to additional parking but that doesn't mean potential purchasers will think the same.  I wouldn't even spend the money on textile and weed.  I would tidy it up as best I could and leave it at that.

Another point that would put me off, is that I would not want to sit in my front room, and all I could see was a car parked right in front of the window.

We had our front garden converted into an area where we can park a car i.e. full hardcore base etc, but it was done as the only really practical option as cats kept leaving their messages on the lawn.  As we were going to gravel the area it made sense to us to do a thorough job.  We only occasionally have a car parked on there.

Bigphil1474

OP, if your neighbours think the area is a dog toilet, then it probably needs something doing. Personally, I'd just dig it all clear, weed membrane, gravel over, so it looks tidy, and market it as a potential second car space. I don't think getting it done as a parking space would necessarily add enough value to the property to make it worthwhile given you already have one car space, , but I could be wrong. As others have said, some people would prefer more garden and you want to appeal to as many buyers as you can. The house we just bought used to have a caravan on as well as car space, but I'd prefer a smaller drive and more garden. I just can't be bothered removing the block paving they had put in.

FreeBear

Bigphil1474 said: The house we just bought used to have a caravan on as well as car space, but I'd prefer a smaller drive and more garden. I just can't be bothered removing the block paving they had put in.

If th job had been done properly, there will be a thick layer of hardcore/MOT1 under the blocks. Digging it out will not be a trivial exercise, and you'd need to concrete in new edging.

Bigphil1474

Thanks, hence the can't be bothered.

JuzaMum

I've added a couple of pictures to show the 'front garden' and driveway. As you can see, it does lack kerb appeal. Sorry it has taken so long, I have issues of being crap with technology at times!