Driveways are the First Impression of a Home

Driveways are the first impression of most homes. Not only do they help form the overall aesthetic but they serve an essential role; access in and out of the property. In an ideal world, the driveway is easily accessible, flat, and easily used. In the real world, most driveways don't hit every positive aspect. The challenge then, is what characteristic is considered adverse and negatively impacts value and/or marketability? If people are intimidated or put off by the driveway, it doesn't matter what the home has going for it. This video examines a home in a mountain community of North Georgia. Settings like this are common not only here but in all mountain communities...and they present a challenge.  

The clip below highlights the characteristics of driveways in general. As mentioned, they play an integral part of the overall appeal of a home and we occasionally have buyers that reject a home due to the driveway. Most often that occurs on steep inclines/declines and narrow, constrained drives where access and movement is a challenge. Much depends on the owner; a buyer with kids and a minivan likely avoids inclines, a couple with no kids a Jeep...not so much.

The most important part of buying a home is selecting one that fits the specific requirements. "Value in use" matters more than anything; the home has to function for the owner. Every home sells at some point, including homes with challenging driveways.

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