Opinions wanted - buy a home with gravel drive?

[FogCityM3]

Owning a performance 3 series that sits fairly high off the ground is a much different story vs owning a porsche, aston martin, ferrari, etc.. it's expected to be somewhat trashed as a daily driver and dusty wheels really wouldn't be an issue for me. My issue would be hearing other cars on the shared driveway, dust, etc. With single family home ownership, one expects a certain level of privacy, lower noise, and control over your environment.. think the bigger question is whether you would mind hearing other cars drive slowly by you, hear rocks under the other cars' tires, and be subjected to dust around your house. Then you have to ask yourself whether giving up that control over your environment is worthwhile in exchange for owning this particular property.

[glockperfect]

I am really surprised by the number of folks who would find this to be a deal-breaker. Maybe it's because I grew up in the country.

The most important part is that you would have a garage. You aren't going to be doing burnouts or speed passes in your driveway anyway. A little dust wouldn't ruin my day. Just drive slowly on the driveway and you are fine.

Hell, I've seen pictures on here of guys (and gals) who drive their Ms through all kinds of snow and other crazy stuff. A bit of dust rinses right off.

[dreamspeed]

I don't like gravel but I don't like the easement style driveway even more.

Everyone has different priorities but if I was buying a single family home I would want ample space between me and the next guy

[JABSprings]

Absolutely a deal breaker! I currently have the same exact situation, only longer dirt drive, and hate it! Drive 3 MPH for about a quarter mile everytime I want to go somewhere. California Duster has become my best friend.

[///WeissBisBlau]

I want to thank everyone for their opinions on this. I read every single one and considered them all. My wife and I have decided to move on from this place--at least for now. There were things other than the drive that we just weren't convinced about. We were looking again yesterday, and may have found a place much, much better! Thanks again, to all!

[FVM3]

If you like the house so much, just pave it

[Powerbeast]

Why not buy the home and repave the driveway?

[gazosnic]

deal breaker unless you want to pave it. find another spot where there are paved roads. Appreciation will suck as well if your area doesn't have this already.

[IzzyGray]

OP has moved on and (good news!) potentially found a better house. I did have a thought however: OP was talking about downtown, which really restricts many things. For example space. Sharing a driveway/being close to neighbors might not be something you can avoid(unless money isn't an issue). Additionally, I had lived in a downtown area, right by the lake and the house was considered(and registered) as a historical house, in a historic district. I cannot even paint the exterior of the house until I received an ok. Heck, when the house flooded due to a burst pipe a few winters ago, the interior had to be redone in the original fashion. Bah~ I have since moved to the burbs ;p

ETA: Lmao. Just realized this thread is over 6 months old. Doh.

[///WeissBisBlau]

LOL, do you know, I was JUST thinking about this thread!

UPDATE <cue unsolved mysteries music> We actually did buy our home in that same neighborhood, it is just a different house...and yes, we do still have a shared gravel driveway!

We love it here, though. Absolutely feel like it was the right move for us. And the gravel is not the end of the world--so long as I crawl over it with that idle speed thingy that our Ms do, it's fiiiiiiine. With that said, however, since it is new construction there are nails EVERYwhere, and that makes me very nervous. That, and when it rains the dirt under the gravel makes for some very nasty mud.

But, she's all nice and cozy at night now in a garage, and not out battling the elements like she was while at our condo!

[paddy335]

Delete, didn't realise was an old thread!

[roastbeef]

Buy it and pave it.

[RR-NYC]

I grew up living in a house off a gravel street.

Hated it. No matter how often you wash the car, the car was always dirty; When its dry, dust gets everywhere and when its wet, it gets muddy crap everywhere. The wheel wells have permanent dirt build up

[M3LISSA]

Pave that shit... I would never drive my car up that on a daily basis...

[Edward]

Location is more important in the grand scheme, but every morning while taking a piss I'd be wondering why I ever moved into a house that requires me to drive through a litter box to park my car.

[iatros]

a gravel drive.....deal breaker....shared drive....double deal breaker. Sharing personal property space is a recipe for disaster...

[grantmax]

Originally Posted by Edward

Location is more important in the grand scheme, but every morning while taking a piss I'd be wondering why I ever moved into a house that requires me to drive through a litter box to park my car.

Because litter boxes are so Lake Como.

OP - I say do it. You can feel like a Bond villain every morning when you chew on your unlit cigar and spray your facade with rocks.

[Edward]

Originally Posted by grantmax

Because litter boxes are so Lake Como.

OP - I say do it. You can feel like a Bond villain every morning when you chew on your unlit cigar and spray your facade with rocks.

Bond villains don't share driveways in TN though..... so.

[grantmax]

Originally Posted by Edward

Bond villains don't share driveways in TN though..... so.

Maybe they are laying low. Maybe its a covert op.

YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'VE HIDDEN THE THIRD GOLDENEYE SATELLITE. Jimbo.

[Edward]

So what's everyone's favorite Bond movie?

What would this world be like if Clive Owen accepted the offer to be Bond? Would he have a gravel driveway? Would his bathroom walls be covered in Calacatta?

Would he have a residence in TN near the city?

[grantmax]

Originally Posted by Edward

So what's everyone's favorite Bond movie?

What would this world be like if Clive Owen accepted the offer to be Bond? Would he have a gravel driveway? Would his bathroom walls be covered in Calacatta?

Would he have a residence in TN near the city?

There's a city in TN? I'm not mathematician but I think you've got your state abbreviations confused. Mistuh Bohned.

Clive Owen would have made for a weird Bond imo. He doesn't have a "classic" look. ALthough, Craig Daniel isn't much better.

OP - What is the consistency of the gravel you're considering? Smaller stones could make for a bigger mess and tread issues. Maybe a larger gauge stone would give you the best of both worlds.

[Edward]

This thread is ungraveling. Your car will never be free of dust, OP. Gravel is always on top of much finer dust and sand or it is constantly being broken down into dust so even after a wash, by the time you get to the road, you'll have a nice film of dust on your paint. You may need to get a California Duster. But a Tennessee version, cuz the CA one only works on CA cars.