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dnsource_gw

Driveway and curb appeal. Needs Help!!

dnsource
9 years ago

Hello everyone! We are going to be working on our front yard and would like to get all the help and advice we could get.

First, we would like a driveway on the right side of the home. Our current walkway will be removed. Below are pictures of the home, an inspirational pic and also a terrible drawing I did so you guys can critique and tweak.

*it was already getting a little dark. I can get better pic if needed.

We need all the help we could get with the front of the home...Specially with landscaping looks a little dead!

Thanks

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Comments (10)

  • designoline6
    9 years ago

    Should improve L shape of the house,add a gable porch,a fence,replace the windows,paint the roof black with blue,replace the walkway with other...

  • dnsource
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I like what you did there but that's not the look I'm going for. Also I would really like a 2 car driveway.

  • dnsource
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I would like a more modern look

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    Dn, why don't you explain that driveway idea? It goes to a part of the house that is not a garage ... and there is no cover (carport) for the cars? It's for guest parking? It will be used how often?

    Notice that you don't see any segmented drives and very, very few walks. The practical reason for this is that it is difficult to grow the typical turf in the narrow spaces between slabs, and that all of it must be edged, probably tripling or quadrupling the total edging. (Notice how thick/tall St. Augustine becomes after a few years.) It would need to be drip irrigated. What a pain if you are already set up with spray and rotor heads. But if you do all that edging and never drive on the driveway, it will look pretty good.

  • dnsource
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Yardvaark, We wanted to add the driveway because we usually end up parking in the patch of grass by the street . It is so much closer to the door. We have 3 cars total and now a jet ski which I will be keeping on the side driveway.

    Any ideas?? I have provided more pictures of the house and side parking
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  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    First, I suggest you check with local authorities as most city codes have stringent restrictions on where you can park in your own yard and where you can place driveways. Many of them restrict you from placing a drive or parking except where it leads to a garage or the singular destination that is BEYOND the front yard. Many do not allow parking spaces IN the front yard, except by variance. Variances are generally difficult to obtain unless you can demonstrate special needs or conditions that are out of the norm, or unless you are set substantially behind the front building line. (FYI, parking on the grass may bring a ticket if neighbors complain and if your city has restrictions against it.)

  • dnsource
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I have already checked and there is no problem putting a driveway in front. I can even make a circular driveway if I wanted to. It's been asked in the past. A couple of neighbors have recently added driveways.

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    If you head the driveway toward the right side of the house as per your plan, that end would look like it used to be a garage but was remodeled into another bedroom ... and that the driveway wasn't removed. We've all seen that innumerable times. It looks "make do" or like a budget compromise. I think you'd be better off with some variation on a circular drive, connecting the new drive to the existing drive, or taking it toward the front entrance as if it was a nice, wide walk.

  • dnsource
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    The driveway on the left of the house actually led to the garage which the previous owner closed up (w permits).

    If I did go circular how would I design it so I have a walkway to the front door?

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago

    Making the walkway connection between drive and house would be something you work out in plan view ... done on a plan that is accurate and to scale. If you have the survey from when you bought the house, make copies and work on that, or use tracing paper over it.

    BTW, the photo of "segmented" that you showed is in pattern only. Other than pattern, it is a solid, expansive piece of paving, probably 40' in width.