It is known that the three most important words in real estate are: location, location, location. But there's a new word that can be added to that list: concrete. Yes, concrete. One of the most positive things a homeowner can do is to create great curb appeal. And now such a mundane home improvement as paving can become an aesthetic overhaul in the form of a designer driveway, and with minimal investment.
There used to be only two choices of material for a driveway, like grocery bags with either paper or plastic, and they were asphalt or concrete. Asphalt creates the look that the street continues right up to the garage door while concrete was just a plain gray with no particular style. But nowadays there is a wide array of decorative concrete options for paving a driveway that allow a sense of style to continue from the home's exterior all the way to the curb.
Rather than the limited nature of just plain poured concrete slabs, what is called stamped concrete (or better known as patterned concrete) allows for a textured look and feel. This technique easily recreates the look of more elegant materials such as slate, tile, flagstone, and brick. Both cost-effective and low-maintenance, the design possibilities are left to the limits of your imagination.
Patterned concrete can even go one step further with the addition of color. With color, one can compliment the scheme of the house with the driveway or even continue a specific look, such as brick, by staining the porous concrete to match the brick tones. The driveway can even match a blue tiled roof! Since you never have a second chance at a first impression, the right addition of color and texture might be a worthwhile effort that can truly transform a home into an irresistible designer must-have.