Help/Advice - Making a new drive & subsidence/foundations
Discussion
OK, hoping someone might be able to offer a little advice here.
On the attached photo you should be able to see the front of my house with a pic from about 5 years ago.........one of the things which has constantly annoyed me is the inability to get access to both cars at the same time (garage is tandem length).
I'm about to change the second car for a small one due to massively reduced mileage, and have come up with the idea of parking it under the office (so as you look at the house next to the drive in front/underneath the first window.
The space is both long enough and wide enough so no probs there and had planned to use gravel to retain some drainage etc.
One of my mates has suggested that I dig out the dirt to make the new drive level with the road/path and my current drive........
It may not show up on the photo but would need to dig away about 18 inches of soil right at the house (pitch goes up then down the other side of the path/steps quote severely) and am concerned there may be an issue with upsetting the foundations.......
The steps up to the house would stay so no probs there and I should just expose brickwork by removing the soil.
Instead I could keep the pitch as now and just drive the car up the slope I guess...
Does anyone have any experience or thoughts ?
On the attached photo you should be able to see the front of my house with a pic from about 5 years ago.........one of the things which has constantly annoyed me is the inability to get access to both cars at the same time (garage is tandem length).
I'm about to change the second car for a small one due to massively reduced mileage, and have come up with the idea of parking it under the office (so as you look at the house next to the drive in front/underneath the first window.
The space is both long enough and wide enough so no probs there and had planned to use gravel to retain some drainage etc.
One of my mates has suggested that I dig out the dirt to make the new drive level with the road/path and my current drive........
It may not show up on the photo but would need to dig away about 18 inches of soil right at the house (pitch goes up then down the other side of the path/steps quote severely) and am concerned there may be an issue with upsetting the foundations.......
The steps up to the house would stay so no probs there and I should just expose brickwork by removing the soil.
Instead I could keep the pitch as now and just drive the car up the slope I guess...
Does anyone have any experience or thoughts ?
The only problem i could forsee is you may expose the lower courses of brickwork which may be flittons or just very rough unpointed brickwork, which builders sometimes do when they know the courses will be covered by soil, that said as it looks like theres a slope all round i imagine it will be decent facework. Best to have a dig down and have a look before ripping it all out.
If you do want to lower it and the brickwork is rough then a plinth of some sort is an option.
No problems with exposing foundation, again a little dig down will reveal. Certainly no problems with subsidence.
hth
If you do want to lower it and the brickwork is rough then a plinth of some sort is an option.
No problems with exposing foundation, again a little dig down will reveal. Certainly no problems with subsidence.
hth
If you are intending to level the front garden to drive/pavement level and parking the car in front of the house it will do nothing for the visual impact of your house in comparison to all the others when the car is parked there. The expression used by estate agents is kerb appeal and you will be decreasing yours.
Edited by rlw on Saturday 29th January 10:18
A very good point you make and not one I'd completely considered....
The front garden doesn't look quite like that now (less conifers etc), and my original plan (for low maintenance) was to remove the hedge/shrubs/plants etc, replace with a fence and then gravel on both sides..........some other houses have done this, and in terms of being in keeping with the others, they're all styled slightly differently (only one other identical to mine) and have varying degrees of parking/gravel/shrubs/grass out the front.
However, thinking about it, to make the house have the potential for extra parking (and I'm not saying that everyone would like it that way) seemed a good option to me.......
I guess the other thing to say is I have no intention of moving anytime soon as I can't afford the next step up the ladder
The front garden doesn't look quite like that now (less conifers etc), and my original plan (for low maintenance) was to remove the hedge/shrubs/plants etc, replace with a fence and then gravel on both sides..........some other houses have done this, and in terms of being in keeping with the others, they're all styled slightly differently (only one other identical to mine) and have varying degrees of parking/gravel/shrubs/grass out the front.
However, thinking about it, to make the house have the potential for extra parking (and I'm not saying that everyone would like it that way) seemed a good option to me.......
I guess the other thing to say is I have no intention of moving anytime soon as I can't afford the next step up the ladder
I think its a grand looking place, and leveling the area to your garage side of the steps and finishing in a similar finish to your existing drive will look great.
I did, many years ago, make the mistake of ripping all the front garden out and made space for 6 cars. This was a mistake and it looked rubbish, but if you go steady and keep a little garden or something to soften the front view or kerb appeal - ie. to the right of the steps - it will look fine.
Remember kerb appeal also applies to those wanting room for more than one car...
I did, many years ago, make the mistake of ripping all the front garden out and made space for 6 cars. This was a mistake and it looked rubbish, but if you go steady and keep a little garden or something to soften the front view or kerb appeal - ie. to the right of the steps - it will look fine.
Remember kerb appeal also applies to those wanting room for more than one car...
I can't imagine there will be problems with unpointed brickwork etc, if its ok on the exposed side it will be on the other, the brickie's wouldn't of known what was/wasn't to be exposed at that stage of he build.
The house looks a fair size so I would of thought another accessable space would be a plus for most people.
IMO you won't be adding anything to the value but you won't be subtracting any either.
As your planning on staying there for a while go for it, a well executed design won't look too out of place.
Off topic, you work with my other half, I recognise the username relating to your plate. That's a lovely 997 cab you have.
The house looks a fair size so I would of thought another accessable space would be a plus for most people.
IMO you won't be adding anything to the value but you won't be subtracting any either.
As your planning on staying there for a while go for it, a well executed design won't look too out of place.
Off topic, you work with my other half, I recognise the username relating to your plate. That's a lovely 997 cab you have.
Dave_ITR said:
I can't imagine there will be problems with unpointed brickwork etc, if its ok on the exposed side it will be on the other, the brickie's wouldn't of known what was/wasn't to be exposed at that stage of he build.
The house looks a fair size so I would of thought another accessable space would be a plus for most people.
IMO you won't be adding anything to the value but you won't be subtracting any either.
As your planning on staying there for a while go for it, a well executed design won't look too out of place.
Off topic, you work with my other half, I recognise the username relating to your plate. That's a lovely 997 cab you have.
Cheers for the thoughts, think I am going ahead with it late in March..The house looks a fair size so I would of thought another accessable space would be a plus for most people.
IMO you won't be adding anything to the value but you won't be subtracting any either.
As your planning on staying there for a while go for it, a well executed design won't look too out of place.
Off topic, you work with my other half, I recognise the username relating to your plate. That's a lovely 997 cab you have.
Wow, small world - do I know your other half ? I have to say I do like the car
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