Driveway design - Help Required!

Well Mrs.H is on at me to tidy up the front of the house a bit and in particular the driveway as it is apparently the worse in the road. I never really took much notice before but it is a bit of a sh1thole.

I have the will and also the ability (within reason) to do the work myself, but simply lack the vision.

Ideally I would like as much space as possible to have room for both the car and the bike, currently there is only room for one or the other.

Most people have drives that slope from their third step down to the pavement, but I would prefer it to be flat as it currently is as it makes things easier bikewise and that's the most important part.

Can any of you clever lot help?

Please see below:

Rip up the steps and path. Continue the steps down from the front door to ground level. Extend brick wall back to new steps to retain border. Cover "ground" level in surface of choice (tarmac, blocks, slabs) park bike where steps and path are now, park car where bike is.


DONE!

Option a, now supplied!

Don't put a driveway there! Get a garden!

I'm with option A but also keep an area in front of the left windows and door as a terrace/porch. Any security concerns at all? You could keep the entrance a little narrow with a small gate on the left still but at ground height, then open it up still when you are in side this area. It may help discourage anyone wandering in. Add gardens under the window or at the bottom of the terrace to give it more kerb appeal. Keep the gardens on the right and put bark in all of them. Add low maintenance shrubs that dont need much water - lavendar etc.

[Luckypants]

Hmm pedestrian access problems to the front door at all? Would putting steps to the front door cause problems with elderly relatives or folks with prams? (This may also affect saleability if you decide to move). This has a bearing on what gan be done at the front.

[embee]

Just an awareness note about the new Planning rules on driveway/garden paving. Lots of links on there, the pdf document is useful.

Can't remember for definite but I'm pretty sure it also applies to renewing of existing paving.

Yep,that big black bag thing makes it look especially untidy.

If anyone can photoshop an idea that would be great too! I've just tried and I'm rubbish!

Would it have helped if I had titled it 'GSXR Giveaway'?