How should I layout my driveway?

by John
(Burlington)

Hi! I love your website! I am building a house on a semi-busy road and I am interested in driveway designs. I have a couple of options drawn out below, and I would love to hear some feedback from an expert. I have a 2 car driveway on the left side of the house, and I am looking to add the U shape to the right side, I just do not know how close I should get to the house / porch considering the house is only 34' from the property line. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

I like things about both designs, so maybe you can merge the best of the two together. Having the walkway come straight out to the U-shaped driveway is definitely a better design. It allows a guest to pull up to the house and easily get to the front door. I don't like to connect the front door to the side parking as is shown in the top drawing. However, I do like the distance from the house that is shown in the top drawing. It allows more planting room by the house and looks more in proportion to the rest of the property. One thing you may have to be aware of with this design is the ability of a guest to continue around the "U" when a car is parked in front of the garage. You do have the advantage of being close to the street, so if a second car doesn't pull in behind the first car, they can easily back out. If you are entertaining you may need to park your vehicles in the garage or on the street to make an easy drive through for your guests.