The median home prices have climbed to $359,200. The zero sales tax in Delaware and the business-friendly environment there are enough to grab homebuyers’ attention. As a result, homes just spend around 30 median days on the market.
With spring’s arrival, this good time to sell your house in Delaware will get better. Selling in the Diamond State now can be as smooth as a stroll along the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk!
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Prepare your home for sale with enhanced curb appeal, neutral decor, tropical landscaping, and clean outdoor spaces.
- Decide how you want to sell, whether it’s with a local Delaware Flat Fee MLS service, a discount broker, or a full-service Realtor.
- Houzeo, Delaware’s #1 home selling website, can save you thousands in agent fees. Your home will also be on the MLS within 48 hours.
- Before you price your home in Delaware, check the current median home price, recent sales, and mortgage rates.
- Conduct showings to attract buyers. Also, review offers quickly and negotiate smartly.
- Finally, schedule utility transfers, pay your closing costs, and prepare to move out.
7 Steps to Selling Your House in Delaware
Wondering how to sell your home? For a seamless sale, just follow this step-by-step guide on how to sell your house in Delaware:
Step 1: Prep Your Home for Sale
First impression is the key—especially in a state where tidy lawns and colonial charm are as common as crab cakes at a BBQ party. So, focus on the curb appeal and make your home look more presentable.
Here are 3 tips to make homes for sale in Delaware stand out:
- Redo the Landscaping: Give your front and back yards pop by giving them a new look. For this, you can plant blooming hydrangeas, trim the hedges, or mow the lawn.
- Repaint the House: A new coat of Delaware-inspired colors can make your home turn more heads. Go for shades like coastal blue, soft beige, and clean white.
- Highlight Outdoor Spaces: Perfectly stage your porch, patio or deck with cozy furniture and decor. Place the rocking chairs properly, style the shades, and make fire pits look appealing.
Step 2: Stage Your Home and Click Photos
A well-staged home can shine like the sun over the Delaware Bay. It can draw buyers like Thrasher’s fries draw a summer’s crowd! While traditional home staging is the basic, you can try virtual home staging to stage your home digitally too.
Follow these tips to stage your home:
- Declutter and Clean the House: The cleaner your home looks, the faster it can sell. Clean the garage and pressure-wash the driveway to make your home look “ready to move-in” for the buyers.
- Showcase Practical Features: Buyers in Delaware seek all year-round comfort and efficiency. So, bring your home’s updated insulation and HVAC systems into the limelight.
- Focus on Spacious Living Spaces: Homebuyers in Delaware appreciate homes that feel open and breezy. If your home has large windows, big doors and sunny rooms, make sure to emphasize them in your staging.
- Include a Home Tour Video: Home listings with videos get 403% more views than those without it. So, make a video that shows your property in the best light!
Step 3: Decide How to List Your House
Are you looking for the best way to sell a house? Here are 4 options most sellers go for when they sell property:
- Full-Service Realtors – Up to 6%: These Realtors provide various services from list to close, but charge a hefty 5% to 6% real estate commission in Delaware.
- Flat Fee MLS – $249: If you want to skip hefty commissions, you can list on MLS in Delaware for a flat fee. With Houzeo, your home can be on the MLS for just $249.
- Discount Real Estate Brokers: These brokers charge a lower fee than traditional agents, and offer services like contract reviews and negotiation assistance. Discount real estate brokers in Delaware charge between 0.5% and 2% as commission.
- Cash Buyers: They help you sell your home fast for cash. With cash buyers, you can get competitive all-cash offers and close on your terms.
- For Sale By Owner: You can sell your home FSBO without hiring an agent. This gives you full control over the process and helps you save thousands on agent commissions.
Step 4: Price Your Home Competitively
In Feb 2025, 24.5% of homes in Delaware sold only after price drops. An overpriced home can remain unsold like boardwalk fries gone cold—once tempting, but easy to pass.
It’s thus important to understand market trends to know how to price your home. Here are some tips to help you avoid overpricing your property:
- Check Delaware Housing Market Trends: Study the Delaware housing market and setting a competitive listing price.
- Use Online Home Valuation Tools: Price your home high, and it spends more days on market. Price too low, and you’re at a loss. Use our free home value estimator to calculate your home’s Fair Market Value.
- Get a CMA: A Comparative Market Analysis helps you understand your home’s worth based on its features and location. With your listing agent’s guidance, you can then quote the right price.
Step 5: Handle Showings and Manage Offers
Once your listing is active, buyers searching for Delaware houses for sale will submit showing requests. Here’s what to do next:
- Actively Manage Showings: Promptly accept and confirm any showing requests. Remember to create a good impression. Don’t cancel scheduled showings at the last moment, communicate clearly about clashes, and be a pleasant host.
- Host an Open House: Even a perfect home can get lost like seashells in the surf at Cape Henlopen. Consult your agent and announce an open house to attract buyers.
- Review and Counter Offers: If you only get one offer, you might have to reduce your asking price. But if many buyers show interest in your home, you can either negotiate or choose the highest and best offer.
➡️Remember: Selling your home in Delaware is like navigating Route 1 on a summer weekend—strategy, timing, and steadiness make all the difference!
Step 6: Ensure Your Home Is Inspection-Ready
A home appraisal is the fair valuation of a house. Buyers conduct your home’s appraisal to ensure that they aren’t paying more than your home’s FMV.
Your home’s condition largely affects your home’s appraisal and closing price. Buyers also conduct a home inspection to examine the structural and functional aspects of your home.
👉 All Set to Sell Your Home? List on the MLS Now!
Step 7: Prepare for Closing Day
Closing day can be emotional, but don’t overlook the formalities. Just follow these final steps and you’ll be good to go:
- Gather All Documents: Before you sell a house in Delaware, keep the paperwork for selling a house by owner ready. This includes the Affidavit of Title, Deed, Purchase Agreement, Tax Records, Settlement Statement, 1099-S Tax Form, etc.
- Prepare to Move Out: Pack up your belongings and get ready to bid your home goodbye.
- Transfer Ownership: You have to sign the escrow paperwork, title deed, and other documents to transfer ownership to the buyer. Then, the title company or escrow transfers their funds to you. The buyer’s name is then registered in the public record.
- Closing Costs: The cost of selling a home in Delaware includes taxes on selling a house, like Transfer Tax and Property Tax. Closing costs for sellers in Delaware also consist of HOA, real estate attorney, and home warranty fees.
Quick Summary 📝
From the historic streets of Dover to a quiet Newark neighborhood, selling a home in Delaware begins with the right plan. To start, prepare your home for sale, and click photos. Then, decide how to list your home.
Remember to price your home after checking the local trends. When your listing is live, you start getting showing requests. The buyer will conduct your home’s inspection before you can finally close the deal.
» Houzeo Reviews: Read what people have to say about Houzeo—Delaware’s best home selling website.
