CARPORTS, GARAGES AND

DRIVEWAYS

BONUS TOPIC:

CARPORTS, GARAGES & DRIVEWAYS2 — THE RENO SCHOOLM

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CARPORTS, GARAGES AND DRIVEWAYS

If you’re looking for maximum street appeal (which you

should be), you can’t ignore the fact that your garage

or carport, along with your driveway, is going to impact

this. Those elements are at the front of the house and

on display for everyone to see.

Furthermore, your driveway is actually the first and

last experience you have with your home each day,

so it makes sense to invest some time, energy (and a

small slice of reno budget) in getting this space right.

It needs to look great, bring your vision to life and

function well too. By Erin

TOP 3 THINGS TO THINK ABOUTTHE LOOK: In a nutshell, your carport/garage and driveway must match your

vision board. Case in point, Lana’s driveway was a key design element of her

house. She chose man-made concrete pavers (also known as crazy paving) to

replicate the real cobblestone paving she saw in one of her favourite inspo pics

from Greece. This ended up being one of the most convincing design choices

she made to bring her vision of #santoriniinsydney to life.

ONE

Reality

Inspo

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MAKE SURE YOU DO YOUR RESEARCH ON WHAT IS EXPECTED IN THE AREA. IN

THE MORE SUBURBAN AREAS WHERE BONNIE AND I LIVE, A DOUBLE GARAGE

(AT LEAST) IS EXPECTED TO GET TOP DOLLAR. WHEREAS IN MANY INNER-CITY

NEIGHBOURHOODS, ANY FORM OF OFF-STREET PARKING IS CONSIDERED

GOLD. WHEN FLIPPING, ONLY PROVIDE THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR CAR

PARKING THAT YOUR AGENT TELLS YOU IS REQUIRED. DON’T OVER-INVEST IN

THAT SPACE.

F L I P

T I P

This will depend on a mix of what you need and what you can afford. Both are great options. Either

way, make sure you choose materials that complement those used on your house to create a

connection.

Freestanding Garages

CARPORT OR GARAGEACCESS: You need to ask yourself what type of access you want to your house

from the garage. If you have, or want to have, direct access to the house from

inside the garage, it’s likely that this will act as one of the main entrances to

your house (for your family at least). This is totally convenient and something I

personally really like. One thing you should consider is that if your family use this

door, is there also a space to put the schoolbags and shoes that will inevitably

follow? Don’t go and build your mud room near the front door if your family are

never going to use that entrance.

SIZE MATTERS: Provided you have the space, don’t scrimp on the size of your

garage or carport. A single garage should be no smaller than 3.2 x 6 metres of

internal space. A double garage, therefore, should be 6 x 6 metres. And, if you’re

lucky and have the space, a triple garage can work at 8.6 x 6 metres. Whatever

you do, make sure you measure your car, too, as some cars are larger than

others. If you want to store other things as well (hello bikes, camping gear and

lawnmower), then you are going to need extra space on top of the above.

TWO

THREE

As with all things reno, you will need to check with your local council or a private certifier to find out

if your carport/garage/driveway plans will fall under exempt, complying or require a DA. Look back

at Module 1, Topic 6: From Vision To Approval to refresh your memory on this process.

Garages built into houses

This is hands down the most expensive option you can choose. Not to mention, it will require more

planning at the initial design stage of your entire home, as the garage needs to be structurally

sound and approved as part of your home’s plans. On the plus side, it will add value to your home,

and you can create access from the garage directly into your house.

Freestanding garages are often built when the

land requires it (like on a sloped block) rather than

being the most practical choice. They can also

be the best option when your home doesn’t have

a garage and you want to add one. You can go

for either a prefabricated or a non-prefabricated

freestanding garage. The second option is more

expensive, but it does allow you a lot more freedom

with what you do, and we love options!

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Carports

Of all the solutions that provide shelter for your car, carports are the most affordable and can still

look pretty damn good when designed to tie in with your home. There’s nothing worse than a

cheap looking carport, so if you do choose this option, make sure you execute it well.

DRIVEWAYSIn the world of driveways there are endless options. I recommend going for something that’s in

your budget and complements the façade of your house.

Driveways can chew up a big chunk of your budget, and the high cost of creating

them can rub salt in your reno-budget wounds. #ouch Bon felt this pain when she

received the quote for her dream driveway. She was forced to (temporarily) shelve

her plans for a sealed driveway and embrace a true farm-style rotor mill driveway

that was much kinder to her budget. But her driveway dreams aren’t buried, just

postponed. She hopes to seal the driveway in a few years’ time.

TRUE STORY

Rotor mill is a form of road base made from a mix of recycled asphalt and the road

base material underneath.

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A concrete drive is uber-practical and can look fab. Even though it will cost you less than pavers, it’s

still pretty expensive (especially if it’s a long driveway), but it should last a very long time if prepped

and poured properly. Make sure the look of concrete works with your overall vision board. If you’re

going for a traditional, rustic-style home, gravel or pebbles might be a better option.

If you already have a concrete driveway, bring it back to life by giving it a good wash with a high

pressure hose. If it’s still not bright enough for you, consider using paving paint or concrete paint

... but just be aware that this might flake over time depending on the product you choose, the

condition of your driveway and how much you drive on it.

WE CREATED A NEW DRIVEWAY

IN HOUSE 5 AND USED CRUSHED

STONES AS IT WAS CHEAPER

THAN POURING CONCRETE OR

LAYING PAVERS, BUT THAT WAS

STILL ENOUGH TO GET US TOP

DOLLAR FOR THE SALE. THE NEW

OWNERS HAVE SINCE INSTALLED

A CONCRETE DRIVEWAY.

If the romance of a driveway that ‘crunches’ floats your boat, gravel or crushed stones are for you.

Both come in loads of colours, are relatively cheap and provide that simple, rustic look. Because

the materials are loose, they will need regular raking and compacting. They can be dusty and

will likely need to be weeded. For these reasons, they can be better suited to smaller driveways

unless you can manage the maintenance. If you love this look but hate the maintenance, you can

glue the stones together using a gravel binder which gives the appearance of loose stones but

without the movement ... or the ‘crunch’ factor.

Concrete

With many roads made from this material, asphalt definitely has the durability cred to be considered

for your home’s driveway. It also comes with a stack of benefits when compared to concrete.

Asphalt is faster to prep, lay and cure. Expect to be driving on it within 48 hours of starting the job

– perfect for the busy parent on all those school runs. You can also expect to pay MUCH less for

asphalt than concrete and you won’t have the running repair costs because it’s flexible and won’t

crack with movement from the soil underneath. BUT (and it’s a big BUT) asphalt is black, so you

need to be comfortable that such a dominant colour won’t destroy the façade of your house. A

black, asphalt driveway in Lana’s forever home would have buried her #santoriniinsydney vision.

Asphalt

Brick pavers not only look great, but they don’t need a lot of maintenance either. A high-pressure

hose once a year will do the trick. Fancy patterns, such as herringbone, will look great but just

keep in mind that the material and install costs will set you back more cashola if you opt for a fancy

pattern, so be sure to put this in your scope of works document.

Brick

FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH A STEEP DRIVEWAY, ASPHALT ALSO GIVES MORE

GRIP FOR YOUR TYRES THAN CONCRETE. Tip:

DON’T FORGET TO ASK WHAT THE CURING TIME FOR YOUR NEW CONCRETE

DRIVEWAY IS. YOU’LL PROBABLY HAVE TO WAIT A WEEK BEFORE YOU CAN

DRIVE ON IT, WHICH IS A CRUCIAL CONSIDERATION IF YOU’RE ON A TIGHT RENO

TIMELINE. YOU DON’T WANT TO UNWITTINGLY DELAY YOUR PROJECT BY A WEEK

BECAUSE NO-ONE CAN ACCESS YOUR PROPERTY DUE TO YOUR DRIVEWAY. IT

WILL LITERALLY BE LIKE WATCHING PAINT DRY. #SLOW

Tip:

Gravel or Crushed Stone

F L I P

T I P

Also known as ‘exposed aggregate’ this is an old-fashioned concrete solution with exposed

stones mixed in for an added decorative edge. It’s a very durable surface that’s non-slip and will

last a long time. But beware, it can look dated and is more expensive that standard concrete.

Pebblecrete

Pavers come in a variety of colours, shapes, styles and price points making them a great choice

when you’re trying to bring your vision board to life on a budget. Pavers are very durable (often

coming with a lifetime warranty) and individual pieces can be replaced if needed. They’re non-

slip, skid-resistant and provide better drainage than a concrete slab. For a cheaper alternative you

could look at using a few feature pavers that are pricey and then surround those with cheaper

gravel or pebbles.

Pavers

T H E R E N O S C H O O L . C O M

# T H E R E N O S C H O O L

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