Upland is a square mile of rowhomes and twins tucked between Chester and Brookhaven, with borough-level affordability and a resale process that keeps things simple: a $100 certificate of occupancy paid at application, an inspection through the code office, and reinspections at $25 per inspector, the gentlest failure penalty in the county.
The Upland seller picture
The buyer pool is first-time buyers stretching into their first mortgage and investors working the county’s value blocks. The Crozer campus next door has injected real uncertainty into the immediate area, which makes street-level comps matter more than usual. The houses are mostly pre-war twins and rows, long-held, and the inspection findings track that stock: rails, detectors, and exterior wear.
The $100 certificate, step by step
Borough code Chapter 69, certificates of occupancy, spells out the process:
- Trigger: a certificate of occupancy is required for the sale of a property, before the new owner takes possession.
- Fee: $100, paid at the time the application is filed with the code office.
- Inspection: the borough schedules the visit after the application, and the certificate issues on a pass.
The $25 reinspection and how to not need it
A failed visit costs $25 per inspector to re-close, which is cheap insurance but still a delay on the calendar. The pre-inspection walkthrough for a borough twin takes an hour: detectors on every level, handrails tight on both stair runs, no open junction boxes, hot water at every tap, and the front steps and porch rails solid. Do that, and the $25 stays in your pocket along with the week the reinspection would have cost.
The Pennsylvania money
The realty transfer tax runs 2% total, customarily split, so the seller’s half on a $180,000 sale is $1,800. Pennsylvania withholds nothing at settlement, and the federal exclusion of $250,000 single or $500,000 married covers virtually every gain in this price band. The home-sale tax guide and the cost-to-sell guide cover the rest of the sheet.
Where downsizers here go
Upland downsizers mostly stay close: single-floor apartments and 55+ options around Brookhaven and Aston, the broader county picture in the Delaware County downsizing guide, and for some, family moves toward South Jersey’s ranch stock. The sequencing guide handles the timing question.
Getting started
The Upland order: a free valuation built on your street’s actual settlements, the hour-long walkthrough against the borough checklist, the $100 application filed once you are under contract, and the inspection scheduled with room to spare. The complete downsizing guide picks it up from there.