Cheapest way to do up a driveway?

[hormental]

our driveway was previously gravel but looks really run down. What's the cheapest way to make it look presentable? Tarmac? Paving stones? Monoblock? Any ideas?

We had a single Tarmac drive extended widthways to fit two cars, paved with block paving and a nice border, for £2300.

Thanks Zola!

If it was gravel on a proper base, you could have another layer of hoggin laid and rolled

It should not just be a cartload of pea shingle. Proper hoggin is stones and sand mixed with clay to bind it, and with minimal maintenance lasts a hundred years.

Plain shingle goes into ruts and hollows, and gets kicked about.

Making place. Ours is patchy worn down looking gravely Tarmac.

If it was done properly the first time then the cheapest thing to do would be to top up the gravel. Don't skimp though you need a lot of gravel to make a diference.

I love the idea of hoggin being explained by a piglet!

How's drainage in your area? Will there be drainage and flooding issues with tarmac?

Following! Also have a really big but looks shite gravel drive

I'd love a resin drive when I win the lottery.

What's a resin drive? Also we live at bottom of a hill so imagine the driveway gets quite wet if that makes a difference

Resin is an expensive way to do your drive. Lots of tiny weeny pebbles mixed with resin (like a clear glue) and then rolled flat. Rainwater can get through the tiny gaps between the pebbles so it's drainage friendly. It kind of looks like smart smooth gravel. I'd like it too but the quote for our drive came in at £13K

Anyone got any views on imprinted concrete?

We had imprinted concrete done afew years ago. It was a big job - as the whole area (driveway and round the back area of the house) was regular concrete done by the previous owners.

looks great actually - and negligible maintenance.

But it was concrete previously.. So we've not made the drainage issues any worse.

Was about £4000 ? Can't remember exactly, but something around that figure.

Such a lot of money. I don't mind gravel and DM says it puts off intruders but our drive slopes down to the pavement.

If you're at bottom of hill, you need an option with excellent drainage. NOT tarmac.

Oh no not a hill. Slight slope and already Tarmac but ropey looking.

sorry Leliv, my last comment was to OP.

I'm interested in responses, too. My entire front garden is currently badly-laid concrete, which is particularly annoying as we don't even have a car, so the space is only used for visitors to park on. I want to rip it up and put down something with enough space space for a car to park and a path to walk down and have the rest free for planting.

But not gravel, because I want to be able to rush out in bare feet to put the bin out when I hear the lorry coming if I forgot the night before.

Yes I agree jasper gravel looks fine if you weed it but is really not user friendly at all .

We looked at getting a resin drive - it totted up to over £25k. We have a rubbish gravel drive with weeds growing rampant. Ugh. Need to do something.

After losing the will to live with cats using the garden as a toilet a friend's very handy husband laid gravel after doing thorough preparation and laying down the sheeting. More than ten years later there is only the occasional weed which is soon seen off with a squirt of weedkiller. The main problem is the smaller children sometimes helping themselves to the gravel and then having to go and retrieve it from the pavement and road!

Resurrecting this thread!

We have been quoted £20kish for various driveway options, even cotswold stone gravel is £15k. So I am looking for (much) more affordable options please.

PigletJohn mentioned hoggin above - is that cheaper than using 100% stone? Any other ideas?