Big Ideas to Improve Your Home's Driveway

If you have a driveway at the front of your house, you might not have given it much thought before. But it's an important thing to think about because it plays a significant role in the first impression people get of your home. Not only do you want your friends and neighbors to admire your house as they approach it, but if you ever want to sell up, it could make your home more attractive to buyers. "Curb appeal", the attractiveness of your house from the sidewalk, is a necessary factor to think about when you want to improve the value of your home. And of course, a pleasant driveway is for your pleasure too. Driving onto your beautiful driveway after a long day at work is sure to put a smile on your face. Check out some of these landscaping ideas to make your driveway a cut above the rest.

Decorative Borders

A plain driveway doesn't look very enticing, but not everyone can afford to pave their entire drive with decorative paving. If you want to add a special touch to your driveway without spending too much money, you can choose to install a border, band or apron. You can add your accents in flagstone, cobblestone or other decorative materials while you fill in the rest of your surface with something more affordable. The driveway apron is where it widens to meet the road, and this can be an excellent area to highlight for a more exciting look. You could create a circular, sunburst or compass design in the middle of the apron. Borders are a good choice too and can be practical as well as decorative. If you have a gravel drive, the edge will keep the gravel in place.

Fences and Gates

A fence and gate around your driveway can give you a bit more privacy, as well as make your home look a little more exclusive. Gates need to look beautiful and work well to ensure that everyone can gain access to your home. One option that can look either traditional or more modern, depending on how you style it, is an aluminium gate. For example, the range of Fencemakers aluminium gates has some stunning models. You can choose a swinging gate or a sliding one. You will have to consider how much space you have available before you settle on what type of gate you want to install.

Plants and Flowers

Driveways can look quite dull if they only consist of stone and concrete. By planning some landscaping for your drive, you can brighten it up significantly. But you must remember to be practical when you're choosing plants. You need to allow room for both your vehicle and its passengers to move around. You don't want to step out of the car into a hedge or scratch your paintwork because of a low-hanging branch. You might also consider planting things that don't need a lot of attention. If you like gardening, you could use plants that need tending to. But hardy things, that you don't need to care for too much are probably better.