I mean this literally. I - can't - get - in - the - door.

 There is nothing worse when showing a house and you can't get the door open. The buyers are at peak anticipation (unless it looks like a dump from the outside, which is a whole other issue). I open the lockbox. Take out the keys. Figure out which key goes in which lock.

And I can't get the door open. I fiddle with the key -- you know, that little wiggle that you give it in the lock. Nothing.

I pull the door towards me while I turn the key in the lock. Nothing.

I try other keys. I try my car keys. Nothing.

The BUYER tries the keys. No dice. (Though in the interests of full disclosure, I am key-challenged. Sometimes the buyer is successful when I'm not. It's HARD to smoothly open a door while everyone is staring!)

Then, to cap it off, the agent/owner/tenant or whoever say, "oh yeah, the door sticks. You just have to kick it/push it/lift up/fill in your own solution."

Sellers! Agents! If you do nothing else, make it easy to open the door!

Fix that first!

Before it goes on the market!

(C) Susan Pruden.