How to Sell Your Home in Carlisle: A Step-by-Step Guide to Selling a House in Carlisle, PA

Selling a home requires coordination of a lot of things. It’s not just sticking a sign in the yard and wishing on a star. In order to get the most money possible for your home, do it in your desired timeline, and do it with the least amount of headaches and issues, you’ll need to follow this proven system for listing and selling a house. Whether you’re selling on your own, or hiring an agent, this applies. Here’s everything you need to know and do in order to have a successful Carlisle home selling experience…

Carlisle Home Selling Stages:

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• STAGE 1: Preparing Your Home
• STAGE 2: Listing and Marketing Your Home
• STAGE 3: The Transaction Process: Getting from sales contract to closing
• STAGE 4: Moving Out and Closing

Unique things to know about selling in these specific municipalities:

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• Carlisle Borough Things to Know
• Dickinson Township Things to Know
• North Middleton Township Things to Know

STAGE 1: Preparing Your Home for Sale

Pack and Clean

The ultimate goal with this is for potential buyer to wonder whether someone is still living in the house or not. They should have to open closets (which they will) and drawers (which they will), and look in the garage, shed, and basement to figure out if someone is still living there. You should start by packing up and decluttering EVERYTHING other than furniture (and maybe get rid of some of that too depending). Literally EVERYTHING. No nick nacks left on top of things, and ALL surfaces cleared off. Throw away anything you don’t want to take to the next house, and put the keeper stuff in your storage areas (garage, basement, etc)…Buyers understand that you are moving and need to put your stuff somewhere. And it’s better to make the living space as awesome as possible. Just make sure buyers and inspectors and appraisers can access all of your house’s systems (example: don’t put a bunch of boxes around the water meter and shutoff making it impossible for people can’t get to it).

Once you get everything out, clean like you’ve never cleaned before. Seriously, the cleanest it’s ever been. The more sterile and free of any dirt and odors, the better. Other people’s grime grosses people out. And don’t cover up odors with a bunch of air fresheners, try to address the cause…The best odor is zero odor. Not cleaning supply smells, not potpouri, not plug-ins, not candles, not sprays… as close to literally zero odor, the better. Smells (even if you think it smells good or better) really have a negative effect on people and they just want to get out. And some people, like me, actually get naucious and sick from scented things, pet smells, etc.

Pre-Listing Inspection and Repairs

Getting a home inspection is a great way to prove value to potential buyers. You can provide your inspection report(s) along with receipts for the repairs, thereby reducing the risk of buying your home for potential buyers. This, along with a Pre-Listing Appraisal, is a must to include in any “Certified Pre-Owned” selling strategy. Buyers want certainty, and this gives it to them. Which, in the end, equals more money in your pocket.

This can also reduce the amount of inspections buyers will feel the need to do, and will put you at ease knowing you won’t be hit with lots of unknown issues during the sale transaction.

Buyers still might want to do their own inspections, and inspectors can vary. So it’s possible that you could get an inspection and then still have to let the buyer do their own, and that inspector might find something that yours didn’t (and visa versa). But if you get your own pre-emptive inspection, chances are you will uncover most of the issues, have the opportunity to correct them before buyers try to beat you up on price because of them, and the buyer might not even ask do do their own inspections.

The down side…

Once you know about an issue, you have to disclose it to potential buyers. If you uncover issues via your inspections, now you have to tell everyone, whether you are going to fix them or not. And it’s possible you might get a buyer who does not request inspections, in which case any unknown things would not have to be addressed. But if you had done your own inspections, you almost have to fix all the things (or tell people about the issues and that you are not going to fix them). So it is possible you are opeing a can of worms that never would have existed without the pre-listing inspection.

However, in my opinion… If you 1) are financially able to fix any issues found, and 2) want to get the most tippy top premium dollar for your home, a “Pre-Listing Inspection” is a good idea.

The 3 inspections you should do (and most buyers in our area like to elect) are…

1. General Inspection (comprehensive look at the entire home and the mechanical systems)
2. Radon Testing (tests for harmful cancer causing radon gas – learn more about radon)
3. Wood Destroying Insect Inspection (looks for any evidence of wood destroying insects on the property)

Total for all 3 of these inspections should cost you around $1,000 right now in the Carlisle area.

If the property has a well and/or septic, then people will likely want to elect those inspections as well. You could get those pre-emptively too.

A few Carlisle Home Inspection Companies…

this is not an endorsement, do your own research and select the inspection company that’s right for you

• Enviroquest (they also install Radon Mitigation Systems)
• A’ n S Inspect
• Inspection Center by Mike Biechler, Inc.
• More inspectors

Updates You Should Do

Instead of just Googling “What home updates add the most value?” and blindly doing what that says, you need to find comparable homes to yours (very similar home, same location, closed as recently as possible) that are nicer and more updated than yours and sold for more than you think yours would sell for in the current condition. Then you look at the things that those homes have that yours doesn’t, and see what you need to do to get yours up to the same condition (and value).

As long as the cost of the work to get yours up to snuff + the current non-updated value = less than the amount you could get for the house after the work is done, you should consider doing the work. You can essentially flip your own house. But be careful, if you update your home and clean the crap out of it, you might not want to sell anymore! lol

Stage

Now that you’ve cleared it out and cleaned like crazy, you can arrange your furniture as needed, add selective decorations back in, and fine tune each room for optimal looks and flow.

Consult a stager or research best practices for staging. In general, for most people, when in doubt, get it out. Less in generally is better. And don’t leave out any super personal things like family pictures, holiday decorations, religious items, sports teams items, etc.

Once you’re done cleaning and staging, your home should look the best it has ever looked.

Pre-Listing Appraisal

Getting an appraisal is a great way to prove value to potential buyers. You can provide your appraisal with matching value to your asking price, making your list price hard to argue with or negotiate against. This, along with Pre-Listing Inspection and Repairs, is a must to include in any “Certified Pre-Owned” selling strategy. Buyers want certainty, and this gives it to them.

The more certainty they have…

• the more they will pay
• the less contingencies they will ask for
• the quicker they will close

Keep in mind, the buyer of your property will likely still get an appraisal, especially if getting a loan (their bank will typically require it), but yours still gives you and the buyer confidence in the list proce and value in order to get under contract. Then when their appraisal happens (typically a couple or few weeks after getting under contract), hopefully that appraiser comes up with the similar value. Time, info provided, the person doing the appraisal, etc could affect the appraised value – an appraisal is “that person’s opinion of value on that day”.

But even with the likelihood of the buyer getting their own appraisal, providing one up front in your marketing showing that the asking price is not out of thin air or what you personally think or want out of the property, but rather a professional appraiser’s opinion of value, that can go a long way.

List of What Makes Your House Awesome

With the new appraisal procedure taking effect in Novebember of 2026, the Appraiser will be spending a lot more time at your home than with the previous procedure. Instead of like 5 minutes buzzing through quickly, the Buyer of your home’s bank’s Appraiser will be spending more like a couple or few hours at the property. And instead of the old manual input forms, there is a new digital interface with lots of fields and questions about the property, down to the materials that were used, updates completed, and generally finer detail about the home.

So now it is even more important (was important before too) to provide the Appraiser with absolutely everything you can think of that is special or above average about your home. Updates, upgrades, replacements, repairs, maintenance, materials used, scopes of work, costs, receipts, location benefits, method of construction, etc. etc. Anything you can think of that might make your home worth a little more or be a little more desireable to a potential Buyer than the next similar house that sold recently. The Appraisal will be looking for certain things, but giving them a nice complete full information packet can make it easier for them and give them information they might not have otherwise known.

This is also a great resource to give to potential buyers for showing more value and providing more disclosure. (if you are using a real estate agent, they will not be able to discuss or promote school or safety information because of fair housing and steering laws, so I would leave that information out; buyers can easily look that info up themselves)

Will the new appraisal process increase the cost of the appraisal you get in order to price your house?

I haven’t heard anyone talk about that, but I don’t see how it couldn’t. Time equals money, and if the appraisers are needing to spend much more time at the property than they were before, that should eventually lead to increase appraisal costs.

A few Appraisers:

this is not an endorsement, do your own research and select the inspection company that’s right for you

• Heckman Appraisers
• Ty C Eby Real Estate Appraisals
• Central Penn Appraisals
• More Appraisers

Familiarize Yourself with These 5 Common Real Estate Documents You Will Encounter

Even if you are selling For Sale By Owner, you will likely deal with at least the Consumer Notice (when you talk to Buyer’s Agents), the Seller’s Disclosure (by law you have to provide some form of this), and the Sales Agreement (if a Buyer’s Agent is involved, they will likely use this exact form. If not, you will still need a sales contract of some sort to clearly spell out all the sale terms. You are also very concerned with how much money you’ll get in the end, so the Seller’s Estimated Costs should be of interest to you as well.

1. Consumer Notice

The Pennsylvania Real Estate Consumer Notice is a notice, not a contract. Though you might be asked to sign it when you first meet with an agent (because it is required to do in the “initial interview” with the client/you), you are not agreeing to anything or binding yourself to anything. You are simply acknowledging in writing that you have been provided this document, understand it, and have had the opportunity to ask questions about it or research it. Essentially, it briefly explains the different representation and non-representation roles that real estate agents can act as… Buyer Agent, Listing/Seller Agent, Dual-Agent, Designated Agent, and Transaction Licensee.

Learn more, view, and download the PA Consumer Notice

2. Listing Agreement

This is the contract between you the home seller and your real estate agent. It spells out the terms of listing your home for sale. Here are the main things a Listing Agreement covers:

• Time Period
• Asking Price
• Seller/Listing Agent Commission
• Buyer Agent Commission
• Who pays for marketing
• What’s Included and Excluded with the Sale
• any additonal special stipulations

Obviously, if you sell without an agent, you will not be dealing with a Listing Agreement.

Learn more, view, and download the Listing Agreement

3. Seller’s Property Disclosure

By law in Pennsylvania, Sellers of Real Estate must provide some sort of disclosure of known property defects. Essentially, if you know something is wrong with the property, you must tell the buyer prior to them signing a sales contract. If there are no known issues, then you need to provide a written statement saying that. If you use a real estate agent, they will provide you with a form. If you sell on your own, you’ll need to write it out, or source a form from somewhere.

Learn more about the Seller’s Property Disclosure

4. Seller’s Estimated Costs

Before signing a Listing Agreement or Sales Agreement, your real estate agent must provide you with an estimate of your selling costs and what you’ll be left with after closing costs. If you’re selling on your own, it would be in your best interest to know and understand your costs to sell a home in Carlisle so that you’re not caught off guard. In some situations, if the spread is tight, you might not even be able to sell. And if you sign a contract to sell and then can’t perform, you could have legal issues. Research what your costs to sell will be, or hire a professional. A real estate agent and/or a title/settlement agent could help you with this.

Learn more, view, and download the Seller’s Estimated Costs

5. Sales Agreement

This is the contract between you the home seller and the buyer. It spells out the terms of the sale transaction. You want to have everything in writing and agreed to so that there are no misunderstandings or disagreements about the terms later on during the sale process. The more precise the sales agreement can be, the better. Then everyone knows exactly what’s going to happen and nobody can try to change things willy nilly. And you will need to provide the sales agreement to people like lenders and settlement companies, who will likely be involved with your transaction whether a real estate agent is helping you or not. Here are some of the main things a Sales Agreement should include for selling a Carlisle home:

• Sale Price
• Seller Assistance Amount
• Deposit Amount
• Buyer Agent Commission
• Settlement Date
• Financing & Financing Contingency Time Period
• Inspections & Inspections Contingency Time Period
• Included with Sale (things like refrigerator, washer, dryer, etc)
• Excluded from Sale (example: a shed you intend to remove from the property and take with you to your new home)
• Spell out any real estate agents that are involved
• Signed Seller’s Property Disclosure
• Any specific Carlisle area municipal requirements
• any additonal terms

If you sell with an agent, they will provide, advise, and complete this for you. If not, you’ll need to source or write a Sales Contract yourself.

Learn more, view, and download the Sales Agreement

Learn more about the 5 Listing Real Estate Documents You Need to Know

STAGE 2: Listing and Marketing Your Home

Now that you’ve prepared your home for sale like a pro, you need to market it properly to maximize the number of buyers that see it. The more buyers that see your home, the more you will get for it. I strongly believe that private sales and not putting the property out to the most agents and buyers as possible is a huge mistake when trying to get the most for your property. There can be exceptions when high profile or privacy is a true concern, but I find that usually privacy issues can be addressed and we can still get it out to the masses. And thereby get more potential buyers, and money for the property.

Disclosures

In Pennsylvania, all home sellers are required to provide some sort of Seller’s Property Disclosure to Buyers. The law requiring home sellers to provide a property disclosure to buyers is the Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law. Specifically, 68 Pa.C.S. § 7303 establishes the affirmative duty for the seller to provide a signed and dated property disclosure statement to the buyer prior to signing an agreement of transfer (sales contract).

Here are the direct links to the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s official statutes:

• Specific Section (Disclosure of material defects): 68 Pa.C.S. § 7303
• Full Chapter (Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law): 68 Pa.C.S. Chapter 73

When completing your Seller’s Property Disclosure for listing your home, make sure to give as much known information as possible to potential Buyers. But if you are not aware of something, obviously you would not be able to disclose it. Things to disclose are things like active current issues, issues that were repaired (whether still an issue or not), updates completed at the property, potential municipal or utility changes, and anything else affecting the property. If you use the PA standard form Seller’s Property Disclosure, it will ask you all of the main questions that you need to be thinking about.

However, just because it is not explicitely asked about on the form, doesn’t not mean you don’t need to dislose. You can always add to the disclosure with more infomration and supporting documentation. And you should also provide documentation whenever possible (receipts, warranties, manuals, scopes of work, contact information, etc), especially if they are recent or you are doing the just to list the home for sale (but should always provide if possible).

When in doubt, disclose it. You don’t want to be in court later with a buyer accusing you of not disclosing something.

Learn more about all 5 Listing Real Estate Forms You Need to Know

Marketing Your Home For Sale

To get the most money for your home, you need the most showings and interest. To generate the most showings and interest, you need to market the property properly. If the property is not marketed in the right way and to the most people possible, it will directly affect your bottom line.

There are special circumstances when you might want to or need to sell “privately” or “off market”, but those true situations are few and far between. In my opinion, 9 times out of ten, you are better off going on the open market. If an agent is too quick to sell it privately or within their own personal or brokerage network without explaining thoroughly to you that you will likely be missing out on more opportunities and therefore more money, then you might want to speak with a different agent. Again, there are times when it makes sense, but usually that is not the case and the property really should be marketed as widely as possible. More eyeballs equals more interest equals more money. And if one party is interested in it privately, chances are others will be too, and that buyer will still be interested if marketed to the masses. Really a private sale benefits the buyer more than the seller usually (unless you really are getting some ridiculously crazy price via selling “off market”).

Assuming you choose to market your property correctly, here are the minimum things you should be doing:

• Sign at property (and possibly directional signs leading to the property)
• Professional Photos & Video: The first time people see your property is online. Online is where you convince them that your home is worth looking at. The better it looks online, the more showings you will get. To ensure it looks awesome, let a professional handle it. You don’t have to be a real estate agent to hire a real estate photoggrapher or videographer, they work directly with home sellers too.
• Listed on all major real estate home search sites (Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, and Homes.com) – if you are selling with an agent, this will happen automatically when the property is added to the multi-list, but if selling on your own, you will need to go to each platform and add it
• Social Media Posts: Image Post(s), Video Post(s), Post to Carlisle Area Real Estate Facebook Groups, Add as a home for sale on Facebook Marketplace, Post on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, and YouTube.
• Open House(s): Have a time when the public can simply walk in and check the place out. You’ll get nosey neighbors too, which is fine (unless you’re embarrassed for some reason) because they might know someone who wants to live in the neighborhood.

Taking Photos and Video Yourself

Photos

If you decide to take pictures and video yourself, make sure you take the time to take enough and get high quality photos. Use the newest and best phone you have access to (yours or a friend or family member). That will do a lot of the processing for you, and the outputs can be high resolution. Make sure images are taken in landscape/horizontal/wide format (maybe some exceptions when it makes sense), are as straight as possible, and are framed nicely. Your home’s first impression is online, you want to make it an awesome one! The better it looks online, the more showings you’ll get, the more offers you’ll get, and the more money you’ll get.

Exterior Photos

For outside, do it on a nice blue sky day with the sun in front of the house (bonus points if you wait until the sun is shining on the back of the house to take pictures of the rear). There should be 8 shots (or more) of the exterior:

1. Straight on Front
2. Left Front Angle
3. Right Front Angle
4. Straight On Left Side
5. Straight On Right Side
6. Straight On Rear
7. Left Rear Angle
8. Right Rear Angle

Interior Photos

For the inside, take photos on an overcast day when there is some light from the windows helping light the space, but they’re not super bright or lots of sun shining in, which makes it hard for cameras/phones to optimize the exposure correctly. Interior images should include every room and multiple angles of any rooms that might be more impressive or bigger or more important (great room, kitchen, primary bedroom). Window treatments, curtains, and blinds are typical wide open.

Basically, you should try to recreate and mimic the shots that a professional photographer would do. You can check out example photos here.

Video

Buyers love to have a video of your property to watch. This gives them additional and different perspectives of the home and can show the layout and flow of the home. And properties with more photos and videos typically get more exposure and clicks on the listing platforms. A professional video with higher production and editing is great, especially for posting on social media and stopping the scroll. But you don’t have to. A simple walk-through video giving prospective buyers a true unedited view of the property can do the trick.

Again, use the best phone you have access to. Shoot it in wide/horizontal/landscape mode. Use the widest shot lens it has. And turn on super smooth steady shot if it has that feature. Then just literally walk around the outside of the house and the inside of the house showing the entire property. And obviously make sure you’re filming steady and straight. This method should require zero to little editing. It’s not fancy, but real buyers with real interest just want to see the house, they don’t care about all the fancy editing as much.

If there are sensitive, private, or unattractive areas that you don’t want to film or have out there in the world, you can always skip or edit out those areas. Same with the photos.

Walk-Through Video Example:

A few Real Estate Photo and Video companies:

this is not an endorsement, do your own research and select the inspection company that’s right for you

• 360 Tour Designs
• Nieri Creative
• Next Door Photos
• More providers

And if you hire an agent like me, all these things will be done for you, plus a lot more. And done in a specific, proven, and proprietary way. Check out what’s included in my listing packages here.

Showing Your Home to Potential Buyers

It’s important to make it easy for buyers to tour your home. Make it available as widely as possible… any day and any reasonable time. As much as possible, you want to cater to whatever works best for the buyer (within reason of course). Make it easy for them to see your house. If it’s a pain in the butt just to see your house, that is an indication of how the sale process might happen with you. And you might deny a showing simply because it’s dinner time for you or your baby naps at that time, but then the potential buyer might not be able to see your property that day. You run the risk of not even being included in their options if they aren’t able to accomodate your exact showing timing. It’s worth being inconvenienced a little bit in order to get the most showings possible. If marketing your home properly and the price is right, you shouldn’t have to deal with showings for too long.

When showing the property, you want to stay out of the buyer’s way and let them look on their own as much as possible. If you are hovering, they feel rushed and watched and will not spend as much time in the home. They also won’t feel comfortable conversing about your home with the people they are with (their agent or others). If you are going to be there during the showing, it’s best to greet them, let them in, give them your spiel and details about the property, then go hang out outside or in your car or something while they tour your home. Give them space.

It’s also important not to say too much when buyers are there. You might accidentally say something that ends up costing you money or turns the buyer off. If you’re going to be there and insist on going around the house with them, try to speak at a minimum and stick closely to the information in your written details and Seller’s Disclosure. You’re not trying to hide things, but you don’t want to accidentally show your negotiating cardsor say something that might work against you later. If you list with an agent, you will never speak directly to the buyer for this exact reason. We protect and shield you from being taken advantage of or making a mistake that could cost you.

STAGE 3: The Transaction Process: Getting from sales contract to closing.

Sales Agreement

This is the contract between you the home seller and the buyer. It spells out the terms of the sale transaction. You want to have everything in writing and agreed to so that there are no misunderstandings or disagreements about the terms later on during the sale process. The more precise the sales agreement can be, the better. Then everyone knows exactly what’s going to happen and nobody can try to change things willy nilly. And you will need to provide the sales agreement to people like lenders and settlement companies, who will likely be involved with your transaction whether a real estate agent is helping you or not. Here are some of the main things a Sales Agreement should include for selling a Carlisle home:

• Sale Price
• Seller Assistance Amount
• Deposit Amount
• Buyer Agent Commission
• Settlement Date
• Financing & Financing Contingency Time Period
• Inspections & Inspections Contingency Time Period
• Included with Sale (things like refrigerator, washer, dryer, etc)
• Excluded from Sale (example: a shed you intend to remove from the property and take with you to your new home)
• Spell out any real estate agents that are involved
• Signed Seller’s Property Disclosure
• Any specific Carlisle area municipal requirements
• any additonal terms

If you sell with an agent, they will provide, advise, and complete this for you. If not, you’ll need to source or write a Sales Contract yourself.

Learn more, view, and download the Sales Agreement

Deposit

There should be a deposit put into an escrow account upon execution of the Sales Agreement. The amount is to be negotiated between you and the buyer. This deposit typical goes to you the seller if the buyer defaults and breaks the terms of the Sales Agreement, or gets applied towards buyer’s purchase if it goes to settlement (unless otherwise stipulated… there could be multiple staged deposits, non-refundable deposits, etc etc). In Carlisle, PA, a residential real estate sale deposit usually ranges from 1% (unacceptable to me personally) to 5%. You just want it to be enough that the buyer will not want to lose it. Too low, and you run the risk of them backing out without much consequence or compensation to you.

Inspections and Repairs

Unless you’re providing very recent home inspections to prospective buyers and you’ve fixed all the items, most buyers will want to have the home professionally inspected (general/comprehensive, radon, wood destroying insects, and possibly others) by inspectors of their choice. And even if you’re providing an inspections and repairs list, a lot of buyers will still want to do their own inspections. If you agree to allow inspections, make sure they are clearly spelled out in your Sales Agreement and don’t let the buyer perform any inspections or even step foot on the property for anything that was not agreed to in the original contract. And make sure they adhere to timetables that were agreed to. Typically an inspection period deadline for selling a home in Carlisle, PA is around 7-14 days from the date of full execution of the sales agreement, but can vary. By the deadline, buyer should be done with all their inspections and provide you with something in writing saying:

1. they accept the home in it’s present condition
2. they are requesting repairs based on the inspections in order to move forward with the purchase, or
3. they are backing out of the purchase and requesting a return of their deposit.

If they come to you after the deadline, too bad so sad, too late. Depending on what your contract says, once the deadline has passed, if they didn’t say anything, they have automatically waived that contingency.

If you agree on any repairs to be made prior to settlement, make sure you complete them within any time periods agreed to, and provide any paid receipts, warranties, manuals, and any other documentation to the buyer. I believe it is always best to have a professional perform all work in this situation, but sometimes the seller can complete certain things. Along with the items to be repaired being spelled out very clearly, make sure you and the buyer also agree in writing as to who is going to complete the repairs.

Buyer’s Financing

Some buyers can pay cash for your home, but a majority will be getting a loan. First, buyers should be providing a mortgage pre-approval with an offer. Do not sign a Sales Agreement until you have a pre-approval in hand. You need to know for sure that they are capable of buying your home. And you’ll want to know exactly what type of financing they plan to get, the bank/lender, and their timetable for formal application (some of the loan application process can’t happen until they have a signed Sales Agreement) and for getting fully approved (final mortgage commitment). Some types of financing might not work for some properties for whatever reason, so you need to know ahead of time. This is the money to buy the house, don’t leave it up to chance and “hope they get their money”. Keeps tabs on the buyer’s financing during the sale process, get updates, and make sure they are adhering to the agreed upon dates and terms.

Appraisal

If the buyer is getting a loan, the bank will almost always require an appraisal to ensure they aren’t lending money for something that isn’t worth it (some exceptions, like when someone is putting down a large chunk of the purchase price). And many times, even if a buyer is paying cash, they will want to get an appraisal to make sure they aren’t overpaying for your home.

In either case, hopefully you priced your home correctly and the agreed to sale price is at or below the appraised value. If not, you will need to negotiate what happens. Either you agree to decrease the purchase price to the appraised value, the buyer comes up with the extra cash to make up the difference, you split the difference, or you just terminate the sale.

Like with any contingencies, make sure the terms of the appraisal or waiving of the appraisal are in writing.

Utilities

You don’t want to be paying for someone else’s utilities after you close, so be sure to provide all the utility companies to the buyer and confirm cancellation on your end with the utility companies. The transfer of any items run by the municipality (like water, sewer, or trash sometimes) will typically be handled by the settlement company. All others should be arranged by you and the buyer prior to settlement.

If you have any services like automatic heating oil or propane delivery, lawn mowing, pool treatment, etc, make sure to cancel those services. Buyer can make their own arrangements for those.

And remember, utilities typically need to be on and working for inspections and pre-settlement walk-through, so don’t go turning them off as soon as you sign an agreement to sell. They should be on through the day of settlement, then the day after it’s not your problem.

Pre-Settlement Walk-Through

It’s a good idea for both the you and the buyer to have the buyer do a Pre-Settlement Walk-Through. This is usually done right before settlement (like if Settlement is at 12:00PM, Pre-Settlement Walk-Through would be at 11:00AM). In this visit to the property, the buyer should confirm that the property is in the condition it is supposed to be in, any repairs have been completed, everything that is supposed to be removed was, anything that is supposed to be included in the sale is still there, and there are no new issues (example: crazy rain storm the night before that flooded the basement and that had never happened before). Doing this protects you the seller because the buyer cannot come back later after settlement and say something is wrong. And it obviously protects the buyer by ensuring they are getting what was agreed to.

Settlement

This is when you actually sign the final documents and deed and get your money. Once settlement (also known as “closing” or “close of escrow”) is done, the property is now the buyer’s and you have no further claim to it. You should provide all warranties, manuals, documentation, keys, garage door openers, and anything else related to the property at this time. Or just leave it all at the property for them. And anything that was agreed to be included with the sale should still be there, and everything else should have already been removed for the Pre-Settlement Walk-Through. Remember, once settlement is complete, the home is no longer yours.

STAGE 4: Moving Out and Settlement (AKA “Closing”)

Moving Out

Unless there are special stipulations in your sales agreement about how you’re supposed to turn over the house at settlement, it typically needs to be turned over in “broom clean” condition. Meaning, all personal property and debris needs to be removed from the property. It doesn’t have to be deep cleaned and spotless, but there shouldn’t be trash or significant dirt left behind. And no items that were not explicitely spelled out as being included in the sale should be left there. The buyer does not want your stuff or the responsibility of having to get rid of it.

You’ll want to make sure you’re completely moved out and cleaned up by the day before settlement. Usually the buyer will do a “Pre-Settlement Walk-Through” the day before settlement or the same day right before settlement, and the property needs to be in broom clean condition for that. In this walk-through they are ensuring the property is in the same condition it was, making sure you are moved out, making sure all the systems still work (hvac, water, appliances, etc), and confirming any repairs that were agreed to are done.

Transfer of Utilities

Give the buyer a list of all your utility companies so that they can contact them and put the utilities into their name as of the day of settlement. Once that happens, your accounts should automatically be terminated and transferred to the new owner. Do not cancel them as of the day of settlement… Utilities must be on for Pre-Settlement However, I recommend contacting the utility companies a couple days after settlement to make sure you are removed from that property and nothing is in your name anymore.

Settlement

“Settlement”, also known as “Closing”, is when you sit down and sign the deed over to the new buyer, sign the settlement sheet outline of your costs and proceeds, hand over the keys to the house, and get your money. After Settlement is done, the house is no longer yours and is now the property of the buyer/new owner. So say your goodbye’s to the home before settlement! And be sure to save all the photos and videos in a safe place to reminiss on down the road.

Unique Things to Know About Selling a Home in Carlisle Borough Specifically

Statutory Disclosures and Resale Inspections

• Seller Disclosures: Under Pennsylvania law, sellers must disclose all known material defects. In Carlisle, this explicitly includes unpermitted zoning modifications or unapproved structural additions. Failing to disclose these defects exposes the seller to lawsuits for up to two years post-closing.
• Code Compliance: Carlisle Borough does not universally require a comprehensive point-of-sale use and occupancy (U&O) inspection for standard, owner-occupied single-family homes. However, if an inspection is conducted and substantial violations are found, state law guarantees buyers a 12-month window to correct the code violations or demolish the structure.
• Rental Property Inspections: Properties operating as rentals must be registered with the Borough and undergo a mandatory inspection cycle every two to five years, depending on past compliance.

Historic District (HARB) Restrictions

• Certificate of Appropriateness (COA): Any exterior alteration, reconstruction, or demolition visible from a public right-of-way requires a COA approved by the Borough Council.
• Material Mandates: The HARB prioritizes historical accuracy over homeowner cost-savings. For instance, the board often rejects modern vinyl or single-pane windows, forcing owners to install historically accurate divided-pane wood windows. Artificial siding that obscures original craftsmanship is also generally prohibited.
• Demolition: Tearing down any structure (including detached garages) requires extensive proof via engineering and economic reports that the building is beyond repair or lacks historical significance.

Municipal Taxes and Closing Financials

• Realty Transfer Tax: A 2.0% tax is levied on the total value of the real estate transfer. This is split evenly, with 1.0% going to the State and the remaining 1.0% divided between Carlisle Borough and the Carlisle Area School District.
• Tax Certifications: Settlement agents must submit a Tax Certification Request Form to the Borough along with a $25 fee per property to prove all municipal taxes are satisfied. If taxes are delinquent, they must be paid to the Cumberland County Tax Claim Bureau using certified funds, as personal checks are not accepted.
• Recording Fees: The Cumberland County Recorder of Deeds charges a $40 base fee for standard documents, plus a mandatory $20 Uniform Parcel Identifier (UPI) certification fee per parcel to verify the deed matches county tax records.

Utilities and Environmental Mand

• Sidewalks and Trees: Adjoining property owners carry the full liability for maintaining and clearing public sidewalks. Additionally, any planting or removal of street-facing trees requires authorization from the Shade Tree Commission.
• Final Utility Clearances: A Final Utility Request Form must be submitted to the Borough prior to closing to generate final meter readings for water, sewer, and solid waste accounts.
• Mandatory Trash Program: Single-family homes, two-family dwellings, and apartments with up to three units are legally required to participate in the Borough’s flat-fee municipal trash program; opting out is prohibited.
• Stormwater Utility Fee: Carlisle enforces a dedicated stormwater management fee based on the total impervious surface area (e.g., roofs, driveways, patios) of a property. This acts as a permanent quarterly carrying cost, meaning heavily hardscaped properties cost more to maintain.

Unique Things to Know About Selling a Home in Dickinson Township

Mandatory Disclosures and Land Designations

• Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law: Pennsylvania requires sellers to formally disclose all known material defects before an agreement of sale is signed. In Cumberland County, it is especially important to disclose past sinkhole activity (due to karst topography), prior structural repairs, or water infiltration, even if previously remedied.
• Clean and Green Program (Act 319): If your property receives preferential agricultural tax assessments, you must disclose this to buyers. If a buyer changes the land’s use (e.g., subdividing for development), it triggers seven years of retroactive rollback taxes at 6 percent interest across the entire enrolled parcel.
• Agricultural Security Areas (ASA) & Easements: Properties enrolled in an ASA or bound by an Agricultural Conservation Easement are permanently protected from commercial or residential subdivision. These deed restrictions transfer to the new buyer and must be clearly disclosed.

On-Lot Sewage and Water Management

• Mandatory Septic Pumping: Under Dickinson Township Code Chapter 159, private on-lot sewage disposal systems must be pumped at least once every three years by a registered hauler. Proof of pumping is generally required by title companies and lenders prior to closing.
• Sludge Test Waivers: You can bypass the immediate pumping requirement if a registered hauler performs a sludge test verifying that solids occupy one-third or less of the tank’s capacity.
• Hazardous Substances Affidavit: The township requires property owners to sign an affidavit certifying that no hazardous substances have been disposed of in their septic system.
• Public Water Compliance: If the property is connected to the Dickinson Township Municipal Authority (DTMA) water system, a final water meter reading must be arranged prior to settlement to pay off any utility balances and avoid municipal liens.

Local Zoning and Aesthetic Ordinances

• Clear Sight Triangles (Chapter 205-22A): Corner lots must maintain a 100-foot clear sight triangle at intersecting streets with no visual obstructions exceeding 30 inches in height. Overgrown landscaping, fences, or structures violating this safety ordinance must be remediated prior to transfer.
• Reflective House Number Signs (Chapter 71): To assist emergency services, properties must display a highly visible, reflective house number sign. If your property lacks compliance, replacement signs can be purchased from the township for $23.00.
• Accessory Uses and Heating Systems: Ensure your property complies with township codes governing the non-commercial keeping of livestock, as well as specific setbacks and emission standards if your home relies on an outdoor wood-fired boiler.

Taxes, Title, and Conveyance Prerequisites

• Deed Execution Formatting: In addition to a notary public, Pennsylvania law uniquely requires two witnesses for the execution of certain instruments, such as quitclaim deeds. Additionally, all exempt family transfers still require a completed REV-183 Statement of Value form.
• Real Estate Transfer Tax (RTT): The total real estate transfer tax in Dickinson Township is 2.0% of the property’s value (1.0% state, 0.5% township, 0.5% school district). Customarily, this is split evenly (1% each) between the buyer and the seller, but it is negotiable.
• Uniform Parcel Identifier (UPI) Certification: Cumberland County requires all deeds to pass UPI certification prior to recording. The fee is $20.00 per parcel, and every deed must reserve a two-inch blank space at the top of the first page for the UPI barcode sticker.
• Tax Certification: Sellers must secure a tax certification from the township’s tax collector (typically for a $5.00 fee) to prove all county, municipal, and school district property taxes have been paid in full.

Unique Things to Know About Selling a Home in North Middleton Township

Municipal Permitting and Code Compliance

• Building Permits: North Middleton Township uses a third-party agency, Approved Code Services, to handle structural building codes and inspections under the state Uniform Construction Code.
• Zoning Permits: Administered directly by the township’s Zoning Officer for exterior improvements, such as sheds, fences, and low-elevation decks.
• Unpermitted Work: Any past structural renovations or accessory structures erected without the proper municipal authorization must be disclosed to buyers. Resolving unpermitted work retroactively is highly invasive and frequently delays real estate settlements.

Environmental and Geological Disclosures

• Karst Topography (Sinkholes): A significant portion of the township sits on limestone bedrock that is prone to subterranean voids and sinkholes. Sellers must strictly disclose any history of surface subsidence, sinkhole remediation, or foundation underpinning.
• Conodoguinet Creek Floodplain: Properties situated near the creek may fall within FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Areas. Sellers should be prepared for buyers to request Elevation Certificates for flood insurance and must ensure that protective riparian buffers haven’t been illegally cleared or disturbed.

Utilities and Infrastructure Obligations

• On-Lot Septic Systems: The township enforces a mandatory four-year pumping and inspection cycle for private septic systems. Prior to having the system pumped, the property owner must purchase a $10 Septic System Report manifest from the township for the approved hauler to execute.
• Stormwater Utility Fee (MS4): All developed residential properties are assessed a flat quarterly stormwater fee ($24 per quarter). Sellers must secure a final reading or payoff certification to ensure this municipal utility account is cleared and prorated at the closing table.

Taxes and Legal Transaction Requirements

• Rental Property Registry: If the property being sold is a residential rental unit, the township’s zoning ordinance requires a change of occupancy or vacancy report to be filed within 15 days of the change.
• Pennsylvania Seller Disclosure Law: State law mandates that sellers provide a written disclosure statement detailing all known physical and structural material defects prior to signing an agreement of sale.
• Realty Transfer Tax: Real estate transfers in the township trigger a 2% total transfer tax (1% state, 1% local), which is customarily split evenly between the buyer and the seller (1% each).
• Clean and Green (Act 319): Sellers of large agricultural or forested tracts must address potential rollback taxes if the land is enrolled in this tax-relief program and the incoming buyer intends to alter the land use.