Despite often being left until last during the renovation or self build process, this humble element is still an incredibly useful part of any architectural scheme. Charley Ward outlines what you need to know to get this detail right

This house, part of a WardBurges development, has a pale grey gravel drive that perfectly complements the modern building.

LOUIS SINCLAIR

A properly designed driveway performs an important role by providing a convenient, safe space to park any vehicles while giving you easy access to your property. Plus, as it is usually situated at the front of the house, it tends to have a huge impact on your home’s kerb appeal. Here, I’ve outlined the basics you need to consider to ensure you end up with a stylish, properly installed driveway that makes an attractive and well-functioning addition to your scheme.

Cost considerations

There are several main material options. Asphalt, block paving stones, gravel or resin-bound gravel (which offers a similar appearance without the potential movement issues) are all popular. These span a range of price points but overall costs will always depend on the size of the driveway and the amount of work needed for installation.

Using an existing tarmac drive as a sub-base will always be cheaper than starting from scratch. Gravel will likely be the most inexpensive up front at about £30-£60 per m2 installed, followed by asphalt at £50-£70 per m2 and around £90 per m2 for block paving. For resin-bound options, expect to pay something in the region of £60 per m2 for a drive with an existing sub-base and more like £110 per m2 for a full installation. “Price-wise, resin-bound is comparable with high quality materials such as natural stone paving, so it’s more expensive than asphalt,” says Ben Shave, commercial director at SureSet, “but it comes with a 21 year guarantee, so when you consider the life expectancy and the fact that after three or four years your nice black tarmac drive will fade to a horrible grey, the cost-effectiveness of resin is pretty good.”