Selling a house in Kent County, DE: a step-by-step timeline

Every sale starts with a free comparative market analysis. Kent County homes range from older houses near the Dover Green and in downtown Smyrna to newer communities and homes on country lots, so the right comparisons matter. We pull recent nearby sales, adjust for the differences, and agree on a price range with you.

We walk through the home and give you a short prep list. Some items are worth doing, like small repairs, fresh paint in worn rooms and clearing clutter; others aren’t worth the money before a sale.

Delaware sellers of most homes complete the Seller’s Disclosure of Real Property Condition Report before the buyer makes an offer, so this is also the time to gather receipts for a new roof, heating and cooling work, or well and septic service. If the home has a septic system, ask us early about the inspection buyers and lenders will want, so it doesn’t hold up settlement.

Professional photos come next, then the listing goes on Bright MLS, which shares it with agents and home search sites. Each of our listings also gets its own page on this site with every photo and a tour request form.

Buyers’ agents request showings through ShowingTime, an online scheduling service, and you approve the times that work for you from your phone. Open houses are held when they fit your plans. We pass along feedback from each showing. See how home showings work.

When offers come in, we lay them out side by side: price, financing, down payment, contingencies, settlement date and seller costs, with your estimated net for each. VA, FHA, USDA and conventional loans each have their own steps, so we explain what each offer means before you sign. With Dover Air Force Base in the county, VA offers are worth understanding; see selling to a VA buyer.

After you accept an offer, the contract sets the dates. The inspection and any repair talks usually come first, then the appraisal and the buyer’s loan approval. In Delaware a settlement attorney handles the closing, including the deed and Delaware’s realty transfer tax (4% of the price in most of the state; who pays it is set in the sale contract, and it is often split between buyer and seller). On settlement day you sign, the attorney pays off your mortgage and closing costs, and you hand over the keys.

Most sales take a few weeks to get ready and list, then the time on the market, then the contract period. The contract sets the settlement date, and a financed buyer needs time for the inspection, appraisal and loan approval. Your own timeline can be faster or slower. We plan it with you at the first meeting.

If the house came to you through an estate, read selling an inherited house in Kent County. If it needs more work than you want to take on, see selling as-is in Dover. Or start with how we sell a home.