Turning a paved driveway into... Something!

[Solaia]

Hi all

We are thinking of buying a house which has one big disadvantage, it's on quite a busy road and the front is noisy. I suspect that part of the reason for the noise is that the entire front garden has been paved over so there is no protection at all from the road.

The house is at the top of the budget so we are trying to figure out the costs involved in turning the front yard into something more beautiful and importantly, with noise protection!

Anyone have any ideas what might be involved in something like that? Can you just dig up a driveway and just plant hedges? Also I'm a total novice - I assume hedges can be bought fully grown? Is that expensive?

Can complete first item gardeners manage something like this or do we need landscapers? My gardening experience involves buying flowers at b and q and putting them in planters on the front steps....

Sorry also wondered if we should just buy plants in pots to start with to create a barrier from the road. Is that cheaper/easier or a waste of money longer term?

Any advice would be very gratefully received!

Oh dear! Sorry to see you have been ignored so long!

Is it 'block' paving, so could be dug up? Or is it concrete, that might need a pneumatic drill?

Any plant will be more expensive the larger it is, as the grower has had to be nurturing for possibly many years, and transportation costs will be higher. Obviously it CAN be done, as witness the instant mature gardens at Chelsea every year, but they have money to invest, whereas you don't!

Will you not need the space for your vehicles?

If you intend to stay there many years, obviously little trees/shrubs will get bigger over time. Just turning the flat surface into garden beds or lawns, will help to avoid noise reflections, but I don't know by how much. Several lines of shrubs might help.

Is the house fully double glazed to cut down noise? And just HOW noisy if the road, and how far from the house?

Maybe see if you can find a web site of acoustical engineers, and canvas their ideas?