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If every home tells its own unique story, then the front door is the introduction. For that reason, realtors love a good-looking, well-cared-for front door, because it helps tee up expectations for what’s to come inside the home. A home with a cherry-blossom-pink front door? You know that home tour won’t be boring! Swinging pivot doors that operate on a spindle? You’re stepping into the future.
While real estate agents all have their own personal preferences for front door colors and styles — some of which are influenced by the region (and climate) where they’re selling properties — there are a few features they agree are great. (Windows, ftw!)
Here, realtors from across the U.S. share the front door styles they love seeing the most — and will give you extra curb appeal points.
A Dutch Door
Traditionally, Dutch doors are divided in half horizontally, allowing the bottom to remain shut while the top is open to let in a breeze (or facilitate a socially distant conversation with a neighbor). Secure a latch and it transforms into a traditional door. AJ Olson Whitfield, a realtor with Villa Real Estate in Orange County, says her favorite door style is a modified version of the Dutch door. Instead of a divide in the middle of the door, the split is higher up.
“You still get to enjoy the breeze and the look of a Dutch door, but you have privacy because the bottom panel is higher,” she says.
Interestingly, the Dutch door style is one that’s catching on indoors as well, according to Simpson Door Company. Chalk it up to the new normal of remote work, where you may need to keep your pandemic puppy or young child from dropping into your office unexpectedly while on a Zoom call, but can still keep tabs on your household with the top open.
Doors with Windows
Glass windows on your front doors come with pros (like letting the sunshine into your entryway) and cons (people seeing inside). That’s why realtors tend to be drawn to front doors that strike a balance with strategically placed windows.
“I like styles that have some windows that are either high up or have skinny vertical slats of windows to allow for privacy,” says Deb Tomaro, an Indiana-based realtor.
Ellen Schwartz, a licensed associate real estate broker with Compass in New York, is also on Team Window. “My favorite front door is a door with lots of glass,” she says. “I myself have a glass door with 12 panes of glass with divided light. I like when a front door allows light into the home.”
Brandon Thomas, a Maryland-based strategic real estate advisor with Real Estate Bees, says his favorite is a country-style door with a small window. (Think: A wooden door with a small half-circle window at the top).
“It just makes the home feel a little more cozy, even from the outside looking in,” he says.
A Pivot Door
Want a door where you can really make an entrance? Take a look at pivot doors, suggests Daniel Milstein, with Aaron Kirman Group at Compass in Los Angeles and Orange County. These sleek, design-forward doors are the best match for contemporary homes. Instead of hinges, these bigger doors typically have a pivot point at the floor that allows them to rotate.
A final note: When you’re looking at doors (or want to switch yours out to upgrade the curb appeal) you’ll also want to consider comfort and security in addition to style, points out Michael DiMartino, senior vice president of installations at Power Home Remodeling. Be on the lookout for the door’s U-factor, he recommends, which assigns a number to the rate a door conducts non-solar heat flow.
“The lower the number of the U-factor, the better the door’s insulation,” DiMartino says.
Keep reading on Apartment Therapy.
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