If you have decided to have a driveway, here are two tips that might be useful to you.
Opt for asphalt paving if you want a low-maintenance driveway
If you would prefer not to spend a lot of your spare time taking care of your driveway, then it's best to instruct your contractor to install asphalt paving, rather than concrete or brick.
There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that asphalt is naturally quite dark in colour; this means that any dirt, grime, or oil stains from your vehicle won't be very visible on its surface. This, in turn, will mean that you won't have to hose your driveway down and spot-clean stains every few days just to keep it looking presentable. The same cannot be said for concrete or brick driveways, as stains tend to be extremely noticeable on these lighter-toned materials.
The second reason is that, unlike concrete, asphalt can tolerate quite extreme temperature fluctuations without cracking. As such, you won't have to spend time patching up cracks in your driveway (or pulling up the weeds that tend to sprout through unrepaired driveway cracks).
Make sure to take drainage issues into account if you live in a place with a wet climate
If you live in an area with a wet climate, you must ensure that your contractor takes this into account when building the driveway.
Firstly, they should avoid making the driveway completely level, as this may result in rainwater pooling on the surface and then seeping underneath your home's garage or front door. If you happened to be away from your home when this occurred, the water could inflict major damage on your property that could cost an enormous amount of money to fix.
Instead of doing this, your contractor should construct the driveway on a gradient (with the highest part of the gradient being positioned by your house and the lowest part at the end of the driveway). This will ensure that the rainwater which falls onto your new driveway flows in the opposite direction of your home.
If it is not possible to make the driveway sloped (or if your contractor can only create a very slight gradient), then they may need to use a permeable driveway material and install stormwater baskets below the driveway. This will allow rainwater that lands on the driveway to percolate through the paving and into the stormwater baskets, and thus prevent it from flooding your home.
