But they came today and finished it and we are so excited - hence the forty bazillion pictures in this post.
I've been asked how come we put in a driveway when we're about to leave. Two reasons, really:
1) I suspected that we had so little interest in the house when it was up for sale because potential buyers were driving past and seeing that it had no off-street parking and a double yellow line on our side of the road (no stopping). When we eventually come to sell I believe it will greatly increase saleability to have a driveway.
2) The calibre of rental clients we'll be targeting will expect off-street parking.
So, here are the photos. Again, I apologise for so many pictures but we are excited!
Before:
During (Noah loved watching the digging):
After:
With the car on:
And because we all love a good before-and-after comparison:
They will be returning in March to seal the driveway. Here are the details of the contractor. I highly recommend them. They really care about their work, didn't slack off, were neat and tidy, efficient and friendly, gave great attention to detail and were reliable.
Having stayed with my brother in Kingston, I can appreciate the need to park your car near your house. Is it hard to get planning permission to make parking in front?
ReplyDeleteThey did a super job.
We didn't need to get planning permission, thankfully. We do need to get the kerb dropped and it has to be done through the council - we'll have that done in a little while.
ReplyDeleteI love it. That stone/brick is beautiful and looks like it has always been a part of your home.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in Ireland and N.I. this past spring I loved how the houses had parking spots like this. It makes sense. As you know from photos of homes here in America it doesn't go that way.
So... you can just drive over the curb? That's something I've never seen here, too.
Very cool! Good luck!
We'll drive over the kerb for now but we will have it dropped soon. It has to be done through the council.
ReplyDeleteLooks fantastic! I bet you wish now that you had done it a long time ago. Better late than never right? Enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteI just want to stop by and say that I look at your blog about twice a week and I love your homes. I have applied some of your storage and organization tips to my own home but I am having trouble with beautification of of my apartment. I have trouble spending money on something that maybe wont go with whatever home we end up buying. We dont have a lot of money so buying anything at all is hard but I want my apartment to seem more like MINE. I am tired of our home feeling so temporary. Do you have any tips on how to decorate on a budget and purchase things that can go with many different locations?
ReplyDeleteI totally understand the longing to personalise your place but not having much in the way of cash. I think the more you look at pictures of rooms online the more you get a feel for what kinds of things you like. Then you can slowly start to build your style. Thrift stores and flea markets are great for finding little treasures if you can see past the current state of things. Many items can be completely transformed with a little paint - even tester pots of paint go quuite far when painting picture frames, for instance. Try to add little items here and there that make you smile and you will soon feel like you are in your sanctuary.
ReplyDeleteIt looks brilliant Jen, so much space! xxx
ReplyDeleteWow, what a difference! We really want a nice asphalt driveway up to our home from the street. It's going to be a bit costly since it's about a 400 ft driveway. So maybe in the next year or so..
ReplyDeleteBeauty and function - it looks great and I hope it results in a sale for your family!
ReplyDeleteI love a front garden!! Dumb cars!! :)
ReplyDeleteHey, Thanks. I guess I always thought then when decorating, you need big pieces to make a statement but now I think I will try more for little things that are special to me and that way they will for sure be coming with and can go in different places. Thanks! I knew you would have something good.
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