Brought to you by Scott P. Rogers, Funkhouser Real Estate Group, 540-578-0102, scott@HarrisonburgHousingToday.com
Brought to you by Scott P. Rogers, Funkhouser Real Estate Group, 540-578-0102, scott@HarrisonburgHousingToday.com
Monday, May 18, 2026
You're looking for a four bedroom home with at least 3000 square feet, in a great neighborhood. And there's that one house on the market that checks all of those boxes... so why has it been sitting on the market for six months?
A lot of buyers assume it must simply be a pricing issue. Maybe. But sometimes, the answer isn't the house at all.
It's the lot.
The lot matters more than most buyers (and sellers) sometimes realize...
That home might have a gorgeous kitchen, a finished basement and an amazing primary suite. But if the lot has a few specific challenges, it can shrink the pool of buyers who will seriously consider it.
Three common lot attributes that can affect the pool of interested buyers...
1. A busier street. Not every buyer is bothered by road noise or traffic volume. But plenty are -- especially buyers with young kids or dogs, or anyone who just wants a quieter feel to daily life.
2. A sloped driveway. A steep driveway going up to the house or dropping down from the street can be a concern for some buyers -- for icy winters, for aging-in-place, for hauling groceries and car seats.
3. A small backyard. This is probably the biggest one I see derail an otherwise great home, especially for families. Parents with kids want space to run around. A yard that backs up tight to another structure, or just doesn't offer much room, can be a deal breaker for many buyers... even if the interior is everything they wanted.
None of these are automatic disqualifiers for all buyers. There are absolutely buyers who don't mind a busier street, or don't need a flat driveway, or have no interest in a yard. But those buyers are a subset of the overall pool. And when you're selling, a smaller pool of potential buyers usually means one of two things: it takes longer to sell, or you end up accepting less than you might have expected given how nice the house itself is.
So if you're buying, it's worth thinking about lot attributes as carefully as square footage and bedroom count. And if you're selling a home with a challenging lot, we should spend a bit of extra time thinking through and talking through pricing and expectations before your house hits the market for sale.
A lot of buyers assume it must simply be a pricing issue. Maybe. But sometimes, the answer isn't the house at all.
It's the lot.
The lot matters more than most buyers (and sellers) sometimes realize...
That home might have a gorgeous kitchen, a finished basement and an amazing primary suite. But if the lot has a few specific challenges, it can shrink the pool of buyers who will seriously consider it.
Three common lot attributes that can affect the pool of interested buyers...
1. A busier street. Not every buyer is bothered by road noise or traffic volume. But plenty are -- especially buyers with young kids or dogs, or anyone who just wants a quieter feel to daily life.
2. A sloped driveway. A steep driveway going up to the house or dropping down from the street can be a concern for some buyers -- for icy winters, for aging-in-place, for hauling groceries and car seats.
3. A small backyard. This is probably the biggest one I see derail an otherwise great home, especially for families. Parents with kids want space to run around. A yard that backs up tight to another structure, or just doesn't offer much room, can be a deal breaker for many buyers... even if the interior is everything they wanted.
None of these are automatic disqualifiers for all buyers. There are absolutely buyers who don't mind a busier street, or don't need a flat driveway, or have no interest in a yard. But those buyers are a subset of the overall pool. And when you're selling, a smaller pool of potential buyers usually means one of two things: it takes longer to sell, or you end up accepting less than you might have expected given how nice the house itself is.
So if you're buying, it's worth thinking about lot attributes as carefully as square footage and bedroom count. And if you're selling a home with a challenging lot, we should spend a bit of extra time thinking through and talking through pricing and expectations before your house hits the market for sale.
