Driveways in Wixams

Many Wixams streets have open plan frontages where drives, lawns and footpaths flow into each other. That can look smart when it is new, but it also means your drive does a lot to define your house from the street. A little design thinking goes a long way.

Driveway ideas we often suggest for modern Wixams homes:

• Define the boundary. A low edge or a band of contrasting blocks along the property line marks your drive clearly without building a wall.
• Break up tandem parking. Where two cars park nose to tail, widening at the front to allow side by side parking can make daily life much easier, if the kerb and verge allow it.
• Choose a finish that suits the brick. Many Wixams homes use buff or red brick. Warmer driveway tones tend to sit well with buff, while greys and charcoals complement red brick.
• Plan for charging. If an electric car is in your future, laying a duct under the drive during any work saves digging it up later.

A driveway extension is the most common Wixams request we hear. It is often possible, but space is usually tight between plots, and lawns may hide utility runs laid when the estate was built. We check what is underground before suggesting anything, and we make sure new paving does not push water towards your house or your neighbour's.

Driveway designs on a new build should look settled rather than tacked on. Keeping a strip of planting, matching the edge detail of the existing drive or deliberately contrasting it all help. Driveway cost depends on the area, the dig and the finish, so we visit before pricing and set out the options in a free written quote.

Timing is worth a thought too. If neighbours on your row are planning similar changes, coordinating can mean one set of deliveries, one period of disruption and frontages that look consistent along the street, which many Wixams residents appreciate.