Driveway Extension - Lower Priced Options?

last year

I am considering widening my driveway (when people park both sides of the road it becomes an awkward angle to drive into), and looking for ideas on potential lower priced solutions, either to be done by myself or a Professional.

I'm only looking to extend the driveable area by 2 to 3 feet, rough area in the blue box below.

One option I'm considering is removing the pillar, removing a few columns of bricks from the wall, and putting in a concrete post (may look strange compared with the other side), then using Permeable Plastic Pavers on the grass and either filling with stone or letting the grass grow back through. I know this would be a lower price option but apprehensive as it may look odd.

Anyone out there done anything similar or have any good ideas?

Thanks for taking the time to read.

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Comments (6)

User
last year
I've seen neighbours do something similar. Rather than add another post, they just square off the shorter wall and put in a strip of gravel, or replace all the grass with gravel.
Sonia
last year
Cheapest option for a drive is gravel. It can be messy at times so needs sweeping back in place every now and then. I would widen the drive even more, remove the grass but leave a bed for a bit of planting. Dare I say it, but I’d remove the walls too, as they are just asking to be driven into! You could plant some attractive shrubs instead.
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This is a handsome house. First...symmetry. Can you make the front pillars the same height. I would lower the LH one to match RH. A strong iron railing along the LH side and in the small front piece LH. Keep front door a strong colour....dark green/blue, navy, whatever, and paint the iron railigs the same colout. Avoid lots of small pots...messy and lots to water. You could i) have a narrow raised bed along the RH wall between you and the next property planted with a mix of small evergreen shrubs and trailing plants..small Choysia Ternata, etc., There is a trailing euphorbia (Amagloides ?) which is sculptural but relaxed. ii) Acquire or have built two or three large tree pots. When they are empty, position them in various places, with bamboo canes, to see where they would work best, and how many you want. I would suggest something deciduous with autumn colour and blossom, like a prunus autumnalis; a crab apple; a quince on dwarf stock; a columnar flowering cherry,Prunus Amanogawa....the choice is huge. Avoid cottagey annuals and too much patchy, mixed planting. I would keep pots square, in harmony with the raised bed. This house is formal and urban. Keeo it elegant and with strong lines broken by the foliage and trailers. I needs beauty, not prettiness. cheers
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Hi! I'm Chorlton based too! There are lots of ways you could tackle this. To answer your questions: 1. It depends on your budget! A lower cost kitchen might be around £10k and a lower cost bathroom around £2k to fit out. Cheaper is possible, especially if you look at buying second-hand etc. You could spend your money where it's going to give you the most impact and longer term investment - in the bricks and mortar part, and go the lowest cost route possible for the kitchen and bathroom, even reusing what you've got already where you can, but in a new configuration, and then later on when you've got some more budget you could replace the kitchen and the bathroom as straightforward fit-outs. You can spend as much as you like on a kitchen and bathroom - the sky is the limit! Equally there are lots of clever ways around things to bring it within budget. 2. Depends if the wall is structural or not. It doesn't line up with the ground floor wall, which tends to suggest that it isn't but it's best to check. Either way it's possible to move the wall because you can always add in a steel, but equally there's potential to make a corridor taking part of the bathroom to reach the extension. 3. There is no strict requirement to retain the existing roof pitch, but there are planning issues that can restrict/limit what you can do. There are different ways to approach the roof form. I think you may be thinking of permitted development. You can also apply for extended permitted development, which allows you to extend back further. If you're looking for a 2-storey extension then to get your best solution it may be better to just apply for planning permission and get what you want, without restricting yourself to PD. Again you have options. If you'd like to have a free chat with me to talk this through then you can book one in here: https://calendly.com/iarchitect/20minchat
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PRO
Earl & Calam Design and Build Ltd
last year
could you do as you said with the base, but rebuilt the brick pier?
Jen
last year
Would it help both you and your neighbour to get into each of your drives if you removed the pillar between them?
User
last year
Excellent suggestion @Jen. It does look redundant doesn't it?
Ste R
Original Author
last year
Thanks for the suggestions everyone, yeah gravel seems to be the cheapest route, was thinking the pavers and gravel would get around the mess they can cause, just not sure if the border would look odd.

@Earl & Calam Design and Build Ltd, I had thought about this, I have seen people build the pillar behind/into the wall to create a wider opening, but it would just be abit of extra cost.

@Jen, unfortunately the neighbours extended their drive long before I moved in and they have a great sized opening, as a result they are wanting to keep the shared pillar.

Thanks again

Driveway Extension - Lower Priced Options?

Comments (6)

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Sonia

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Driveway Extension - Lower Priced Options?

Comments (6)

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Sonia

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Ste R
Original Author