As you all know, because I’ve harped on about it a billion times, we’re redoing our driveway and back garden.
We’ve officially accepted a quote for the driveway to be dug out so our project is starting in May.
I’ve spent hours looking at cost options, paving options, artificial grass, decking, fencing. You name it, I’ve probably looked at it. The problem is, we’re trying to do it as cheap as possible, so we can’t be too fussy about what the end product looks like. Once the house is finished, we’ll be putting it on the market, so we don’t necessarily have to LOVE the result.
But choosing the right driveway materials can be a minefield. It all depends on the main function you want for your driveway. Do you just want somewhere to park the cars, or do you want a pretty front drive full of pots and plants?
Depending on your budget and the main purpose for your driveway, these are the most popular options.
Paving
Paving is what we’ve actually decided on. Concrete paving comes in SO many colours and sizes, and you can decide what pattern you want to put it down in. It’s so versatile and hard-wearing, but will be on the pricier side.
Me and Jay have decided to buy all our block paving second-hand and Jay will be putting it down himself. We think we’ll be saving about £2000 doing it this way. If we were going to live in our house for longer, we’d definitely have taken the time to save up, buy it new, and have someone else put it down. But we’re trying to make as much money on our house as possible, which means doing everything on a tight budget.
If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen my post about our scary experience in the van last week. One of the back tyres blew out when we were transporting half a tonne of second-hand brick back home. Safe to say, we won’t be doing that again any time soon!
Tarmac
Tarmac is basic and cheap, but it does the job. It can be dressed up to look nicer as well. You can block pave the edges of the tarmac to give it a neat border. You can add pots too, or use lots of greenery like the house below.
I like it because it makes everything look uniform.Nice tarmac can be pricey, and if you want it to last, you’ll be looking at putting a bit more money into it.
Gravel would still be your cheapest option, if you could cope with the stones going everywhere!
Bonded Resin
This is something we’ve seen a lot of in recent years. It’s like gravel, only neater and much easier to maintain as it doesn’t move.
It’s modern, but can cost A LOT.
Again, it comes in so many different colours, that I’m sure you’ll find something that compliments your house. Choose grey for a modern new build, or yellow/red for an older house.
Choosing the right driveway materials can be a minefield. First look at your budget and what you can afford. It’s also worth measuring your garden to find out the metres squared. Then look at some paving and work out how much it’ll cost to cover the area.
You should get in touch with some local garden renovation companies and get a few different quotes together too. You’d be amazed at the difference in cost. Me and Jay managed to get £1000 off our quote to have everything in the garden and driveway removed, just by shopping around.
Take your time choosing the right driveway materials and it’ll all work out fine.
What would be your material of choice?
Sarah is the creator and founder of Dream of Home, a website that began during Sarah’s first home renovation project. Since then, the site has grown and Sarah produces content around all things home, including home decor, DIY projects, renovation tips, inspiration and more. In her spare time, she loves to read and garden.
