Roll out the red carpet, form a guard of honour, turn your theme music all the way up… Who wouldn’t want to arrive home every night to great fanfare and festivity?
Whilst we’re not able to organise such a celebratory ‘welcome home’ for you, we can offer some ideas on how to make the lead-up to your door feel as welcoming as possible. With that in mind, here are 7 purchases to bring both functionality and flair to your driveway.
Provide Protection & Privacy With A Carport
A carport provides the same benefits as a garage – of giving a shaded area for your vehicle and protecting it from the elements, such as the sun’s UV rays and frost – but without the high installation costs and need for a large amount of real estate involved.
At the same time, your car will be parked more privately than if it was simply out in the open. When considering that the average cost to build a canopy here in the UK is £3’000, whilst a garage will set you back, on average, somewhere in the region of £22’000 to £30’000, installing the former certainly makes a lot of sense.
You can even reduce the costs further by investing in a carport canopy, which is a little more lightweight and temporary, with all the added perks of both flexibility and reduced costs that entails.
You’ll also not need planning permission for a carport (as you would a garage) providing the structure isn’t over 4 metres high, the eaves don’t exceed 2.5 metres, and the carport isn’t at least 2 metres from your property’s boundary.
Not only can you use a carport for your car, but you it creates a covered area for your bicycle, too. It has many other uses as well, including providing shade for patios, children’s play areas, a garden seating area, and even a porch. If you are looking to create a space in your home that is more private and offers protection from the sun, a canopy can provide you with a flexible and affordable way of doing so.
Accentuate Your Driveway With Hedge Or Stone Columns
We spoke earlier of channelling that sense of the red carpet being rolled out each and every time you approach your property. The best way to do it? By accentuating your driveway and the path to your front door with a border.
For larger properties, well-maintained hedges or matching trees either side of the walkway can look super glamorous. In smaller homes, brick or stone columns can accentuate the entrance of your driveway perfectly. There’s a huge variety of different columns to choose from out there from stacked to stone and beyond. When choosing your columns, you want to draw a connection between them and the materials used in the rest of your property.
Illuminate The Route To Your Door
Speaking of that route to your front door, another way to define your driveway is via a few carefully placed lights. While you don’t have to go for the full runway effect, the addition of a lighted border, powered on by motion sensors ideally, can also add an extra later of security to your home, scaring off potential cat burglars (and regular cats) from walking up the drive and opportunistically surveying who’s home.
Choose something subtle that won’t disturb the neighbours, unless you want a lawsuit on your hands!
Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind With A Bin Shed
You’ve gone to all that effort to illuminate your driveway… But what if the lights are shining on the more unsightly areas of your home’s exterior, such as your bins?
Something as simple as keeping your bins out of sight can do wonders for sharpening up that walk up to your front door. No one wants to arrive at their house after a long day at the coalface to find bins overflowing with rubbish. Not only does it not look appealing, but there may also be all kinds of foul odours that won’t set the right tone for a relaxing evening ahead.
If you can, it’s wise to place your bins at the side of your home. If you don’t have any space to do this, buying a bin shed is a wise move. Other ideas you can look into to hide your bins include using slatted style fence panels, or even buying a more glamorous looking bin. Yep, they do exist!
Keep Things Spick & Span With A Pressure Cleaner
You can add all the flair and flourish you like to your driveway, but if the driveway itself isn’t sparkling clean then there’s little point in all the dressing and garnish. Fortunately, we’re here to help with that, too. Enter the pressure cleaner.
There are few cleaning projects more satisfying than blasting away dirt off anything and everything in your driveway. Indeed, dislodging years of dust and grime is a very gratifying feeling, with pressure washing perfectly suited at cleaning the drive, fences and even smelly wheelie bins.
Make sure it’s not your money being washed away this summer before you fork out on one, with this guide on the pros and cons of soft and pressure washing when cleaning your home’s exterior.
Add Character With House Numbers & Signage
First impressions count, and there’s no simpler way to elevate your driveway’s kerb appeal than with stylish house numbers or a bespoke address sign. Whether you opt for sleek modern metal numerals, traditional cast iron plaques, or contemporary LED-lit displays, the right signage transforms your entrance from functional to sophisticated.
Beyond aesthetics, clear house numbers serve a practical purpose too – they make your home easier to find for guests, delivery drivers, and emergency services. Choose materials that complement your property’s existing features, whether that’s weathered brass for period homes or minimalist stainless steel for modern builds. From budget-friendly basic numerals to custom-designed statement plaques, this is one of the most cost-effective upgrades you can make to your property’s exterior.
Define Your Space With Driveway Edging
Nothing says ‘well-maintained property’ quite like crisp, defined borders between your driveway and garden. Driveway edging not only looks smart, but it also prevents gravel from scattering onto lawns, stops grass encroaching onto paved areas, and provides a neat framework for your outdoor space.
Options abound depending on your budget and style preferences. Brick edging offers a classic, timeless look, whilst metal edging strips provide a sleek, contemporary finish. Natural stone creates an upmarket feel for those willing to invest a bit more. The installation is straightforward enough for a keen DIYer to tackle over a weekend, or you can hire a landscaper if you’d rather leave it to the professionals.
The Bottom Line
That stroll up your drive in anticipation of an evening in with the family should be a pleasurable experience, not one that fills you with dread and shame. With a a few simple additions and adjustments, your driveway can be both fun and functional. We can’t wait to see your driveway in person at your massive house party next week…. Oh, your wife didn’t tell you?
