How to create an attractive front garden that increases the value of your house and makes it easier to sell.
An attractive front garden and driveway improves kerb appeal and saleability of your property. A well designed front garden can greatly improve the value of your home and provide convenient secure off street parking.
You only have 8 seconds to impress.
The approach to your house is where first impressions are made. Creating the Wow factor will make your property easier to sell and make it the envy of your friends and neighbours. A front garden that looks shabby and overgrown gives the impression that the property is unloved and neglected. Cutting back overgrown shrubs instantly creates a lighter and more managed look to your property.
When your guests are approaching your house you want them to be impressed. A well maintained garden with a definite line of site to the front door is essential. By removing visible barriers such as bushes and bins by the front door gives the impression of a safer route to the front door.
Extra parking is essential
With the average number of cars for a family now 2 and growing, parking has become a big issue for many house holds. Most people want safe extra parking in front of their home without turning it in to a carpark.
A well designed front garden can incorporate extra parking spaces as well as an elegant lawn and planting scheme. There is no need to pave over the whole area. The use of planting areas is a brilliant solution to make a more eco-friendly garden.
For gardens with limited space a flower bed to the side of the driveway which when planted with dominate the area and the area infront of the window is also a perfect place for planting. A well designed front garden will have planting in the places where you can’t park cars. Only in very isolated cases should the front garden be completely paved over.
Which type of driveway should we have?
Styles have changed over the years, Crazy paving was the rage in the seventies. Block paving has been popular since the eighties due to it being a very versatile paving system but its major drawback is weed growth in the joints. In recent years resin bound gravel has increased in popularity. Resin bound gravel looks fantastic and doesn’t suffer from weed growth and is extremely easy to maintain.
Resin bound gravel is a modern paving system which looks fantastic and blends in to every environment. Coloured stone is mixed with resin to create a hard wearing surface. The finished surface is hard wearing and very durable for the domestic driveway.
Modern block paving is a popular choice thanks to the array of styles and shades available. Choose from rustic cobbles that suit period properties to ultra-modern clean lines more suiting to the contemporary home.
Sandstone setts or granite setts laid on a concrete base is an extremely hard wearing surface and is in our premium range.
Stabilised gravel system is fantastic for when a gravel driveway is required. The stabilizing system creates a gravel drive which looks natural but is hard to walk and drive on.
Frame the driveway.
The boundary of your property is the first thing people will see. If the space is large enough an ornamental front wall or railings will add security to the home. Planting infront of the wall will soften the look.
A contrasting border to the paving will finish the look of the driveway.
Do I need Planning permission for my new driveway?
No Planning Permissions is required if.
Permeable paving is used such as resin bound gravel or when using standard paving rainwater is directed onto a permeable area in the garden such as a soak away, just like the driveways below. Conventional paving simply slopes so that water runs off into the garden and is stored temporarily or is channelled to a soak away. Then the water can soak into the ground or evaporate.
The key is the design.
The trick is to maximise parking space but DO NOT pave over the whole space. Add planting around the edges to soften and make the front door the focal point. It is important to plan and style your driveway so that it suits your way of life and character of your home. The design is the key to realizing the potential of your driveway.
Designer Nick Turner BSc (Hons) www.turnaboutdrives.co.uk
Award winning Turnabout Drives 01992 577034