We Buy Houses in Glenolden and Briarcliffe

Is my house in Glenolden Borough or Darby Township?

Your property tax bill will tell you. Both towns use the Glenolden 19036 mailing address, and the line between them is easy to miss on the street. Even Darby Township's own township building, at 21 Bartram Avenue, has a Glenolden address. The difference matters when you sell, because the two towns run separate inspections with separate fees.

Glenolden Borough had 7,223 people in the 2020 Census, and Darby Township had 9,219.

Briarcliffe: what should sellers know?

Briarcliffe is a neighborhood of brick rowhomes in Darby Township, next to Glenolden Borough. Its streets include Briarcliffe Road, Tremont Drive and Brookwood Lane. Listing records for Briarcliffe homes commonly show build years from about 1953 to 1955, and many are three-bedroom rowhomes of roughly 1,150 square feet.

Because Briarcliffe is in Darby Township, a sale there goes through Darby Township's License and Inspections department, even though the deed and the mail both say Glenolden. Start with the township office, not Glenolden Borough Hall.

After about 70 years, the big items in these rowhomes tend to be the roof, the sewer line out to the street, the heater, old wiring and plumbing, and water in the basement.

Briarcliffe is one of our favorite neighborhoods to buy and renovate in. We know it especially well, and we are especially interested in buying here, from houses that need a few updates to houses that need everything.

What does Darby Township require when you sell?

A use and occupancy certificate. Darby Township's permit list includes a Use and Occupancy Application for residential and commercial properties, and its License and Inspections department has a Use and Occupancy specialist for selling and renting. The township's current fees come from Ordinance No. 747, enacted February 10, 2021:

The township says applicants hear back on permit applications within 7 to 14 days and encourages applying early, so file as soon as you have a closing date in mind. Applications can be filed online through the township's iWorQ portal. Ask the Use and Occupancy specialist whether your sale also needs the sewer lateral inspection. The lateral is the pipe that carries waste from the house to the sewer main.

What about houses in Glenolden Borough?

Glenolden Borough has its own rules, separate from Darby Township's. It requires a certificate of occupancy before a house changes hands. The residential sale application is filed at Borough Hall, 36 Boon Avenue (610-583-3221), and costs $200 for a private home, payable to the Borough of Glenolden. That covers the inspection and the first re-inspection. If items are still open after that, each extra re-inspection is $50.

Plan ahead. The borough asks for at least 30 days between accepting a complete application and issuing the certificate, and says inspections are usually scheduled two to three weeks after a complete application comes in. An application only counts as complete when every question about the seller, the buyer, who will live there and the condition of the house is answered, and the borough has the check for the inspection.

The inspection follows the 2009 International Residential Code for one- and two-family homes. The borough's checklist covers the outside (house numbers at least 3 inches tall and readable from the street, sidewalks and steps in good repair, gutters and downspouts), the inside (railings, an emergency exit from any basement bedroom, working bathroom and kitchen basics), heating, plumbing and electrical. Smoke and heat detectors are required before the new owner moves in under Ordinance 848, and the checklist also calls for an electrical certification from a borough-approved agency. The borough's forms page also lists a U&O sewer lateral inspection notice with approved inspection companies. The lateral is the pipe that carries waste from the house to the street sewer. If the contractor's report shows it needs work, the borough can issue a Notice to Repair that gives the owner 60 days to fix it.

The borough has a wider mix of houses than Briarcliffe. Detached single homes are the most common, alongside rowhomes, twins and some apartment buildings, and most of it was built from the 1940s through the 1960s. Older singles bring their own list: aging roofs and porches, original electrical service, and wet basements.

Can I sell as-is if the inspection finds problems?

Yes. Both towns sit under the same state law. Pennsylvania's Municipal Code and Ordinance Compliance Act, as changed by Act 133 of 2016, says a town that requires a use and occupancy certificate must issue a temporary certificate when its inspection finds violations, rather than refuse the sale. If a violation makes the house unfit to live in, the certificate lets the buyer in to repair before anyone moves in. The buyer has 12 months from the purchase to fix the list, and the town cannot require an escrow or a bond.

For you, that means the report becomes the buyer's repair list. When you sell to us as-is, that list is ours to handle. More in our guide to selling a house as-is.

What will a cash offer look like for a Glenolden house?

Lower than a fully renovated house would bring on the open market, and we will show you why. The offer has to cover the repairs, the risks we take on, the taxes and utilities while we renovate, and the cost of selling again. What you get is a sale with no repairs, no showings, no agent commission, no fees from us, and a closing day you choose. We pay all the closing costs, and your written offer shows exactly what you walk away with before you sign.

If your house only needs paint and you can wait for the right buyer, listing may net you more, and we will say so. Read how we calculate our offer or our cash sale vs listing comparison.

Where are probate and sheriff sales handled?

Both happen at the Delaware County, PA Government Center in Media: estates go through the Register of Wills at 201 W. Front Street, and sheriff sales are held the third Friday of each month at 11 a.m. Our Delaware County, PA page covers how each one works.

Who sells to us in Glenolden and Briarcliffe?

Many calls come from families settling a parent's house; see our guide to selling an inherited house in Pennsylvania. Others come from landlords. Darby Township charges $175 per rental unit every year, and some owners would rather sell than keep up with licenses, inspections and turnover. Our guide on selling a house with tenants explains how a sale works with someone living there.

Tired landlord

Jerril, Germantown

How does selling to us work here?

1. Reach out. Call or text (267) 551-5554, or send the form. A real local person answers.
2. Show us the house. Leave it as it is, belongings and all.
3. Get a written cash offer, usually within 24 hours. Take your time deciding.
4. Pick your closing day. We build in time for the township or borough inspection so settlement is not held up.

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

What nearby areas do we also buy in?

Questions Glenolden sellers ask

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