doorstep

A doorstep is the area directly outside your front door.

When people talk about standing on someone's doorstep, they often mean literally being at their front entrance. Maybe you're visiting a friend and waiting for them to let you in, or perhaps you're selling something like insurance and want to chat with neighbors while you wait. Sometimes "on the doorstep" is used more figuratively, meaning that something is about to happen - like your job application on the doorstep of success, after many tries. This expression implies a close call or almost-there feeling.