Can a freshly-paved driveway add value to your home? Of course it can!

Now, true enough, the exact dollar amount of this value can be tricky to calculate. But one thing is for certain: an ugly driveway is a turnoff to absolutely everyone.

It’s no surprise that a repaved driveway can add a tremendous amount of value to your home’s value.

Your driveway is, arguably, the most noticeable factor of your home’s curb appeal. It’s one of the first things buyers see when they drive up to your house or view it online.

Showing buyers an unpaved driveway is like going to a job interview in dirty, wrinkled clothes. If you’re hoping to make a good first impression, it’s essential that you have a presentably paved driveway. Or, if you don’t care about impressing your buyers in this way, you better lower your asking price.

So how much value will it add to pave your driveway? Read on to find out.

Do all driveways need paving or repaving? How can you tell if it’s worth it to pave yours?

Here’s a checklist of driveway situations that will benefit the most from paving. 

Dirt Driveways

A dirt driveway is really no driveway at all. It’s unstable and it kicks dust everywhere with each use.

When it gets wet, it can shift and get your vehicle stuck in the mud. And when it dries, it may leave hard ruts that are bad for any wheels and tires that drive over them.

Paving adds the most value to this type of driveway. It provides maximum improvement of the functionality and appearance of your driveway. 

Gravel Driveways

A gravel driveway is a far cry better than dirt in both function and appearance. But it’s still the second-most impermanent, unstable driveway type.

After a while, the rocks shift from use and must be manually adjusted. Gravel also offers less traction than pavement.

Stained or Damaged Pavement

If the surface layer of your current paved driveway is full of stains, cracks, or other damage, it’s worth it to get it resurfaced. These eyesores ruin your curb appeal. One glance at your ugly driveway will instantly turn away a large percentage of buyers.

Even patches give a worn, shoddy look to your driveway. It’s best to give your home a facelift by resurfacing your driveway with fresh pavement.

That’s especially true if your neighbors’ driveways are all in very good shape. This makes your worn out driveway look extra bad by comparison.

Remember, buyers judge your property by appearance before anything else. To them, the ugliest driveway on the block equals the worst property.

When Is a Paved Driveway Less Valuable?

In the above situations, paving your driveway yields maximum value. Likewise, there are situations that minimize the value of paving. 

Rustic Homes

Homes in a rustic, woodland setting may look nicer with a gravel driveway. A paved driveway may clash with the natural look of the rest of the property.

Cobblestone Driveways

Cobblestone the crème de la crème of driveway materials. If you’re looking to improve the appearance of your driveway, you can’t do better than cobblestone. As such, if you already have a cobblestone driveway, paving it will most likely worsen its appearance.

However, cobblestone isn’t as sturdy as pavement. It shifts slowly over time and will eventually have to be redone. When this happens, paving is a far less expensive option.

Very Large Driveways

All driveway materials are priced per square foot. For very large driveways, paving is a significantly larger investment than gravel.

This doesn’t change the fact that paving it would add value to your home. But it may conceivably be beyond your home improvement budget to do so.

Which Type of Pavement Is Best?

There’s more than one type of paved driveway. In fact, there are two: concrete and asphalt. Here, we explain the main differences between them.

Concrete Driveways

Concrete is definitely the more expensive option for paving your driveway. But that doesn’t mean it’s the better option.

The advantage of concrete is mostly a matter of appearance. Many people prefer a driveway that matches the sidewalk rather than the street.

But concrete is notoriously more problematic than asphalt. First of all, it takes longer to set. So, after laying the concrete, you’ll have to wait longer before you (or potential buyers) can use it.

It’s also more prone to damage than asphalt. It’s easier to crack and less easy to repair.

And you can’t use salt products to melt snow and ice off of a concrete driveway. Such products damage concrete. You’ll have to shovel it instead.

Finally, concrete is easy to stain and hard to clean. It takes a ridiculous amount of effort to remove a single drip of motor oil off your concrete driveway.

Asphalt Driveways

Asphalt driveways are the preferable option for most people. Asphalt is cheaper than concrete, it’s attractive, and it’s very durable in all types of weather.

Salt and other de-icing products aren’t a problem with asphalt. Neither are cracks.

Cracks and other minor damage can be inexpensively resealed. And it won’t leave unsightly patches like repairing concrete would.

Stains aren’t a big deal, either. Since asphalt is black, most stains won’t even be visible on it.

Additionally, you can further improve the look of your asphalt driveway with stamped asphalt. Stamped asphalt is designed to look like bricks, cobblestone, or other decorative patterns.

In almost every situation, a paved driveway will add value to your home. It looks better, and works better, than any type of unpaved driveway. 

As for which type is best for your home, we’ll almost always recommend asphalt. But there’s no need to guess. 

In addition to following the advice on this list, you can contact us for more information. We’ll discuss with you your options and determine which is right for your needs. Get in touch with us now for more information and a free price quote.