Since we are nearing the finish line on the inside of the house I am starting to think about what I want to do with the front outside.

The front of the house is a disaster. There is an area that used to be a garden, then was overgrown and overrun after the house was foreclosed on. There is chain link across the front of the house just inside the front sidewalk. All of the houses on the street are like this.

The problem is the driveway is on the right side of the house. The front side walk is to the left. If you park in the driweway you have to walk back out to the sidewalk around and in the gate. Doesn't make much sense. Also, the fencing makes the driveway tight. It is difficult to get in and out of the vehicle. This leads to us parking on the street all the time. Here is a diagram and some pictures;

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Another wrench in the works is that there is an opening to access a storage area under the porch. This would be great for trash and recycling if it was more accessible

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I was thinking about either

1) Move the chain link back to the yard to the left the house behind the porch, creating a fenced in back yard. Don't like this idea because our dog is used to going in and out the front door. He would not be able to do this anymore. Also, it's nice to be able to sit on the front porch and let my granddchildren play in the yard, without worrying about the wandering out into the street. Advantage would be that the dog is confined to the back yard, and will be less of a pita when people walk down the sidewalk.

2) Get a gate for the driveway something like below, then eliminate the fencing between the driveway and the front yard. DH likes this idea because we could also remove the fence and gate at the back right of the driveway, gaining access to the yard with vehicles.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100322497/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=driveway+gate+chain+link&storeId=10051

Ideally I would love to get rid of the chain link and replace it with something nicer, like wrought iron or a picket fence. But I don't think it's in our budget.

Both of these options will lead to some re-grading, which is not a problem. I plan to till everything in the front up anyhow and start a new lawn/garden.

Any ideas would be appreciated.