East Fallowfield and Newlin share the Brandywine’s west branch valley and a habit most townships lack: both answer the seller’s first question on their own websites, in plain words. No use and occupancy certificate for a resale or a rental. New construction only.
The Brandywine countryside picture
The two townships hold the countryside between Coatesville and Unionville, and the school district line between them does the pricing. East Fallowfield feeds Coatesville Area schools and sells acreage and newer developments at the county’s approachable end. Newlin feeds Unionville-Chadds Ford and trades at the premium that district commands, with roughly 539 housing units, the ChesLen Preserve as its centerpiece, and seven miles of township roads deliberately left unpaved. Both markets reward sellers who document what buyers came for: the land, the systems, and the protections on the view.
The answer, in writing
East Fallowfield’s page says it with the township’s own emphasis: you do NOT need a use and occupancy certificate for the resale of a home or for a rental. Newlin’s permits page repeats the formula almost word for word. That written clarity is worth something practical: no application to file, no fee to pay, and no municipal inspection standing between the agreement of sale and settlement in either township.
What matters instead
- Wells and septic. County-permitted, buyer-tested, and far cheaper to document in advance than to negotiate at the diligence deadline. A current water test and a pump-out receipt belong in the listing folder.
- The permit file. Newlin’s published 15-business-day residential review period signals how the township treats permits. Unpermitted additions, sheds, and finished spaces surface in title work; close them out before listing.
- Easements and preserved land. Agricultural preservation easements and sold development rights are common, especially around ChesLen. The easement documents and boundary survey answer the buyer’s biggest question before it is asked.
The Pennsylvania money
Both townships sit at the standard 2% total realty transfer tax, customarily split, so the seller’s half on a $550,000 Newlin sale is $5,500 and on a $375,000 East Fallowfield sale is $3,750. Pennsylvania withholds nothing at settlement, and the federal exclusion, $250,000 single and $500,000 married, covers most owner-occupants. The home-sale tax guide and the cost-to-sell guide carry the detail.
Getting started
The countryside order: a free valuation, the well and septic records gathered early, the permit file pulled from the township, and the easement paperwork staged for the buyers it will impress. The Coatesville guide covers the city north of East Fallowfield, the Valley and Sadsbury guide continues west along Route 30, the Chester County downsizing guide maps the county, and the sequencing guide settles what to do first.