We Buy Houses in Darby, PA

Darby, Darby Township or Upper Darby: which one is your house in?

Three separate places share the Darby name, and each has its own rules.

In Darby Township's Briarcliffe section? See our Glenolden page. In Upper Darby or Drexel Hill? See our Upper Darby page. Your tax bill names the place you actually pay.

What are Darby houses like, and what usually needs fixing?

Mostly older brick rowhomes and twins on small lots, with shared walls and back alleys, plus some larger old singles. Decades of patching show, and the problems we see most line up with what the borough inspectors check: flat roofs and the seams between neighbors' roofs, missing bricks and worn pointing, downspouts or sump pumps tied into the sewer, damp basements, old wiring with too few outlets, and tired heaters and water heaters. Near Darby Creek, also check FEMA's flood map; the borough posts its floodplain ordinances online.

What does Darby Borough require before a sale?

1. A certificate of occupancy (the resale inspection)

Call the borough's Code Department, 1020 Ridge Avenue, to schedule. The borough's application requires two weeks' notice before the settlement date, "no exceptions," and the certificate takes about a week to process after that. The fee is $175 for a residential property, $75 for a no-show and $100 for a third inspection.

The borough's resale checklist covers, outside: sidewalks and driveway, a railing on 3 or more steps, the service cable, downspouts draining onto grass or dirt, 4-inch house numbers, the roof, and missing bricks or holes in the pointing. Inside: two outlets in every room, GFCI outlets near water and in every bathroom, walls and ceilings without holes or leaks, a smoke detector on every level and in every bedroom, a carbon monoxide detector in the basement, the heater and water heater, stair railings, and no sump pump draining into the sewer.

2. A sanitary sewer certificate (the dye test)

Under Ordinance 785, passed in 2017, a seller applies at least 21 days before the sale. A registered, licensed plumber runs a dye test to prove no downspouts, roof drains, driveway drains or basement water flow into the sanitary sewer. If it passes, the borough issues the certificate for $25, and it is good for five years. An illegal connection counts as a substantial violation, and no certificate is issued until it is removed and a licensed plumber certifies the removal. The ordinance treats any transfer as a sale, paid or not, including one to a relative.

3. If the house does not pass

You can still sell. Darby's Ordinance 784 follows Pennsylvania's Municipal Code and Ordinance Compliance Act: the borough issues a temporary use and occupancy certificate for ordinary violations, or a temporary access certificate for serious ones, meaning nobody can live there until those are fixed. The buyer signs a notarized form agreeing to make the repairs, and has 12 months from the purchase. When we buy a house as-is, we take on that list.

What about Collingdale and Colwyn?

Collingdale inspects a home for sale against the same list it uses for every home it inspects: smoke detectors in every bedroom and on every level, carbon monoxide detectors where gas or oil is burned, a 2.5-pound ABC fire extinguisher in the kitchen, GFCI outlets, and a recent service sticker or invoice for the heating system. Since Ordinance 2026-01, approved April 6, 2026, the sewer lateral must also be video inspected by an approved vendor before any transfer. If it shows damage, the seller pays for repairs unless the buyer signs an affidavit taking them on, which the borough may accept, with repairs due within six months of the transfer.

Colwyn issues a certificate of occupancy for a residential sale. The $75 fee covers the first inspection and one re-inspection; later re-inspections are $35, and a no-show or late cancellation is $75. The form asks for the expected settlement date and who will live in the house.

Is your Darby house empty or rented?

Empty. Darby Borough's vacant property ordinance (Ordinance 778) calls for a $750 registration fee for a home, proof of $500,000 in liability insurance, a posted sign with the owner's contact information, and weekly checks under a maintenance agreement, with windows boarded no more than 90 days. Breaking the agreement can mean a $3,000 fine.

Rented. The borough's 2026 fee for a single-family rental is $200. If you are tired of being a landlord, our guide to selling a house with tenants lays out your options.

Where do probate and sheriff sales happen?

Both are in Media at the county Government Center, 201 W. Front St.: estates go through the Register of Wills, and sheriff sales are held the third Friday of each month at 11 a.m. More on our Delaware County, PA page.

Why do Darby owners call us?

• A house still in a late parent's or grandparent's name. Our inherited house guide is written for Philadelphia, but most Pennsylvania steps apply here too.
• A repair list longer than the house is worth fixing. See how selling as-is works.
• Back taxes or a sheriff sale date. Call early, while there is time to choose.

How it works with us here

Vivid Properties is a local, family-owned company based in Philadelphia that buys houses directly; we are not agents and do not list houses. You reach out, we see the house as it is, and you get a fair written cash offer, usually within 24 hours. You pick the closing day, with room for the borough's two weeks and the 21-day sewer certificate.

A cash offer for a house that needs work will be lower than the same house would bring fully repaired. That gap pays for the repairs, our risk and the months we carry the house. You skip repairs, commissions, showings and the risk of a buyer backing out over an inspection. We pay all the closing costs, and your written offer shows exactly what you walk away with before you sign. Compare a cash sale with listing.

Get my cash offer Text or call (267) 551-5554

Nearby towns we also buy in

We also buy across the line in Philadelphia.

Darby questions

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. For your situation, talk to a Pennsylvania attorney or tax professional.