My dopey driveway

[DoomsDave]

My driveway is a wreck and I’m considering redoing it. 
 

It’s asphalt now about 110 feet long by about ten feet wide with a concyspron in back. 
 

Any thoughts appreciated!

 

[bubba]

Like that not to perfect but lush look. Keep it!

[DoomsDave]

2 hours ago, bubba said:

Like that not to perfect but lush look. Keep it!

Yeah, lush maybe, but gonna have to spruce the joint up. Wanna put the house on the market over the next few years, don't want buyers to run screaming . . . .

[DoomsDave]

It’s going to be hard to give it up 

(Turned left and skyward for palm pic below.

[NOT A TA]

What do neighbors have? Pavers? Concrete? Asphalt? Don't want to upscale too much and loose ROI if you're planning on selling.

[DoomsDave]

30 minutes ago, NOT A TA said:

What do neighbors have? Pavers? Concrete? Asphalt? Don't want to upscale too much and loose ROI if you're planning on selling.

They have a bit of everything!

[NOT A TA]

On 2/28/2020 at 11:13 AM, DoomsDave said:

They have a bit of everything!

Well then the next questions are about the neighborhood in general. Is it getting nicer as homes are sold and new people move in or declining? And then what's the appearance of your home like compared with the rest of the neighborhood? Sometimes it's better to just save the cost and hassle of "fixing up" and just sell as is. Sometimes modest improvements will get a better ROI. Rarely will large investments get a good short term ROI. An example would be a new kitchen for $25,000.00 wouldn't likely increase the sale price by that amount but a couple loads of gravel to make a driveway look better might unless all the other homes have been modernized recently and yours is the last one that hasn't, then it might be worth investing more.

[DoomsDave]

13 minutes ago, NOT A TA said:

Well then the next questions are about the neighborhood in general. Is it getting nicer as homes are sold and new people move in or declining? And then what's the appearance of your home like compared with the rest of the neighborhood? Sometimes it's better to just save the cost and hassle of "fixing up" and just sell as is. Sometimes modest improvements will get a better ROI. Rarely will large investments get a good short term ROI. An example would be a new kitchen for $25,000.00 wouldn't likely increase the sale price by that amount but a couple loads of gravel to make a driveway look better might unless all the other homes have been modernized recently and yours is the last one that hasn't, then it might be worth investing more.

My plan is to spruce up and wait and see. 
 

Yeah it’s old; the oldest in the ‘hood I think.

First part built in 1946.

[NOT A TA]

1 minute ago, DoomsDave said:

Yeah it’s old; the oldest in the ‘hood I think.

First part built in 1946.

Any others nearby been knocked down to build bigger modern homes?

[DoomsDave]

6 minutes ago, NOT A TA said:

Any others nearby been knocked down to build bigger modern homes?

Nope. Beverly Hills this ain’t.

But the owner of the house with the drive pictured above paid $700k for a house about half the size of mine, more the asking price. It had been majorly remodeled inside; very nice.

[DoomsDave]

Other driveways in the hood include Cracker Concrete 

[DoomsDave]

Plain but nice concrete 

[DoomsDave]

Nice asphalt 

With lip to keep water in the street

[DoomsDave]

And concrete with brick Thingies in it to make it look purtier.

[NOT A TA]

How do you have a 110' driveway in that neighborhood? Double lot?

[DoomsDave]

Half an acre!

Admit I bought the land more than the house!

[NOT A TA]

Can you sell it as two parcels? That's where the money would be!

[DoomsDave]

34 minutes ago, NOT A TA said:

Can you sell it as two parcels? That's where the money would be!

I don’t think so

[Darold Petty]

Dave   Don't waste any money remodeling the kitchen or bath.  Buyers today are so flush that they commonly remodel these rooms to their own taste BEFORE moving in.  So you would just be wasting the money, and increasing the take by the real estate agent.  If you agent insists, get a different agent.

  I would suggest pavers for a driveway replacement,  The loose pieces are a feature, not a bug, as they avoid the inevitable cracking of a poured concrete slab on grade.

[DoomsDave]

@Darold Petty i might just remodel for me!

[Gonzer]

Why do people drive on parkways but park in driveways?

[dalmatiansoap]

I would suggest something like this, sorry missing the term in English

https://www.bauhaus.hr/travna-ploca-siva-60x40x10-cm.html

Easy to install, asphalt below will stop the weeds, fill it with plain gravel.

You can even fill the borders with different color gravel for better visual effects. Lining elements on right angle will even look it wider. 

[jimmyt]

1 hour ago, Gonzer said:

Why do people drive on parkways but park in driveways?

Crazy ain't it?    It is a mad, mad world!   

[DoomsDave]

So yeah: leaning towards concrete: more expensive to put in but MUCH  less maintenance as a very high maintenance lady asphalt contractor admitted in a moment of low maintenance candor.

[RJ]

On 3/3/2020 at 8:24 PM, DoomsDave said:

So yeah: leaning towards concrete: more expensive to put in but MUCH  less maintenance as a very high maintenance lady asphalt contractor admitted in a moment of low maintenance candor.

I can't imagine asphalt being all that high maintenance... a new coat of sealer ever 5 years or so. I'm originally from New England and that's all we had up there. Concrete was a no go because of frost heaves. Now that I'm in the south east I almost only see concrete. They still crack even with expansion joints because they lay it over clay that makes a poor base, but folks seem to have to pressure wash them to keep them looking decent. Perhaps not an issue on the left coast without our humidity? The asphalt will get HOT though in the direct sun out there. 

[bubba]

Palms man lush. Half an acre in So Cal. Tear down the house, borrow Jimmy Buffet's luxury hammock and plant more palms! Lush.

[DoomsDave]

On 3/5/2020 at 8:03 AM, RJ said:

I can't imagine asphalt being all that high maintenance... a new coat of sealer ever 5 years or so. I'm originally from New England and that's all we had up there. Concrete was a no go because of frost heaves. Now that I'm in the south east I almost only see concrete. They still crack even with expansion joints because they lay it over clay that makes a poor base, but folks seem to have to pressure wash them to keep them looking decent. Perhaps not an issue on the left coast without our humidity? The asphalt will get HOT though in the direct sun out there. 

Asphalt has to be sealed and resurfaced periodically, which mine needed and which I didn’t do.

No mas! Basta! Viva concrete!

[Kim]

Interesting dilemma you face. I like keeping up my place for my own enjoyment, not for buyers. Eventually, yes, a buyer will be involved when I'm no longer around. If you are doing the driveway for your own enjoyment, go for it.  But to sell? Maybe not. A buyer might scrape the house and rearrange the whole building placement, ripping out your lovely new expensive concrete driveway in the process. That lovely palm garden might look even lovelier with a nice drive beside it.

Thinking over your problem, I found this website. Interlocking concrete pavers are visually an upgrade, but might add too much to the budget at 10-15% over poured concrete. https://www.installitdirect.com/learn/concrete-vs-pavers-cost/  Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about paving!

[DoomsDave]

On 3/13/2020 at 2:41 PM, Kim said:

Interesting dilemma you face. I like keeping up my place for my own enjoyment, not for buyers. Eventually, yes, a buyer will be involved when I'm no longer around. If you are doing the driveway for your own enjoyment, go for it.  But to sell? Maybe not. A buyer might scrape the house and rearrange the whole building placement, ripping out your lovely new expensive concrete driveway in the process. That lovely palm garden might look even lovelier with a nice drive beside it.

Thinking over your problem, I found this website. Interlocking concrete pavers are visually an upgrade, but might add too much to the budget at 10-15% over poured concrete. https://www.installitdirect.com/learn/concrete-vs-pavers-cost/  Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about paving!

Thanks for the link!

Absent a major change in monetary status I’ll have to sell long before my “expiration date.” I'm trying to maximize value, without overdoing it, and turning the house upkeep into a second career.
 

This isn’t the kind of ‘hood with a lot of tearing down and rebuilding, at least so far. 
 

I’m expecting to have to install at least a somewhat conventional landscape some day. Which means, much more minimalist than what I have now. Some serious editing will happen someday.

I'd like to have a nice driveway, then have a PSSC meeting with a long banquet table down it for the potluck.

[DoomsDave]

My neighbor directly across the street did a really spiffy paver job on his place.

[NOT A TA]

1 hour ago, DoomsDave said:

My neighbor directly across the street did a really spiffy paver job on his place.

And by doing so raised the value of your place. Have you investigated the cost of pavers?

[DoomsDave]

3 hours ago, NOT A TA said:

And by doing so raised the value of your place. Have you investigated the cost of pavers?

Oh yes

[NOT A TA]

2 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

Oh yes

Aaaaaand? Is it a viable option?         They do look reeeealy nice!

[DoomsDave]

1 hour ago, NOT A TA said:

Aaaaaand? Is it a viable option?         They do look reeeealy nice!

For the driveway not so much. It’s mostly hidden from view.

The front parking cutout might be better.

[NOT A TA]

2 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

For the driveway not so much. It’s mostly hidden from view.

The front parking cutout might be better.

Maybe you can start a trend! Ya know, keepin up with the Jones's (and Daves). Then all the values in the hood would go up.

[DoomsDave]

Pavers appear very costly, at least the ones from Home Depot.

My driveway is about 2,500 square feet, including the apron in the back.

Thanks again @Kim, for the link!

[Kim]

Then are you going with the concrete? That's a lot of concrete.

Stupid questions -- does the driveway lead to a garage? Do you park in the garage? What is the primary use of the driveway? Is it used daily?

Maybe you should look into DG -- decomposed granite -- as a lower-budget, but still attractive alternative. The more compacted and stabilized, the more durable. You might want to create an edge of some sort, embedded pavers or stones, to give it a snazzy look and increase durability. The more natural look will complement your jungle perfectly, and the porous nature of the DG treatment is more eco-friendly.  https://www.landscapingnetwork.com/paving/decomposed-granite.html

 

It will probably require maintenance similar to the asphalt? 

 

 

[DoomsDave]

There is a garage, though it's been converted to storage space. But the linkages for a garage door are still there.

It won't get used a lot by me, but there's a possibility that a buyer will want to do so. If it's not prohibitively expensive I'd like a nice driveway, too, to make it easier to haul things up and down it.

That DG sounds cool, I'll look into it. Thanks again @Kim!

[Really full garden]

On 3/1/2020 at 6:02 AM, dalmatiansoap said:

I would suggest something like this, sorry missing the term in English

https://www.bauhaus.hr/travna-ploca-siva-60x40x10-cm.html

Easy to install, asphalt below will stop the weeds, fill it with plain gravel.

You can even fill the borders with different color gravel for better visual effects. Lining elements on right angle will even look it wider. 

These eco pavers are commonly used here in Guatemala. You can plant grass in them or just fill with gravel. They are really good to prevent runoff when it rains.

[DoomsDave]

My driveway will end up as a highway for stuff hauled down it on forklifts, etc. So, @Really full garden, while your suggestion is cool and imaginative, I don't think it's for me here. But thanks!