Josh

You said your driveway was in good condition. You may want to consider concrete paint or stain. Lowes has some that will make your old concrete driveway look like those newer textured driveways.

There are three levels of home filtration. You can get basic water softeners which filter sediment and some minerals. You can get charcoal filtration which removes most chemicals. And for drinking water, you can get reverse osmosis, which is equivalent to bottled water. I recommend the first two for whole house, and the third for under the sink in the kitchen. Should you get one? Yes. All municipal water systems contain contaminants and additives like chlorine. Chlorine can be the worst as it is absorbed by the skin and breathed through the lungs in shower water vapor. Drinking other contaminants can adversely affect your health. I purchased a Culligan system with all three parts for about $3,000. It works great, will protect my family's health, and increase the value of our house. I'm sure there are other companies. Try a Froogle search.