How Not to Distract From a $5k Front Door

Where does the lockbox go?

That one seems like a no-brainer:  doesn’t it always go on the front door?

Usually, but not always.

Exceptions to Rule

If you’ve never bought or sold a house, the lockbox is the device that stores the house key(s) and lets Realtors (and prospective Buyers) gain access.

The best place to put a lockbox is the front door ” if it fits.

However, sometimes it doesn’t; other times, it fits but will readily slide off the door handle (that’s the case if the handle is an open-ended lever rather than a closed loop).

At $150 a pop for an electronic lockbox, that’s not something Realtors want to regularly replace (not to mention the security risk associated with a missing house key!).

Custom Front Door

And then there’s the $1 million home I showed yesterday with the custom, $5k wood and glass front door.

Yes, the lockbox could have securely gone on the front door, but it would have banged against the glass every time the door opened and shut.

The listing agent’s solution?

They wrapped a 6 foot cable lock ” color-coordinated, no less ” around a column just to the right of the front door, and attached it to that.

Neat: nothing marring the aesthetic appeal of the front door, and no risk of damage, either.

See also, “Creative Lockbox Placement: Exhibit A“; “Especially Bad Choices for Lockbox Combo’s“; “Lockbox Combo’s”; and “Always Be . . . Selling.”

About the author

Ross Kaplan has 19+ years experience selling real estate all over the Twin Cities. He is also a 12-time consecutive "Super Real Estate Agent," as determined by Mpls. - St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business Magazine. Prior to becoming a Realtor, Ross was an attorney (corporate law), CPA, and entrepreneur. He holds an economics degree from Stanford.

Leave a Reply