Holding Cost Calculator
Every month a house sits unsold costs real money. Enter your numbers to see what each month of waiting costs you, and what waiting N months adds up to.
Calculator
Estimates only, not an offer or tax, legal or insurance advice. Defaults are averages or rule-of-thumb figures from the sources below; your bills will differ. Vacant fees are billed once a year, so this spreads them by month.
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I use these sources so you can check every default. Replace them with your own bills whenever you can.
| Cost | Default | Source (checked Oct 11, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| New Castle County tax, outside Wilmington | 0.80% of value | County residential rate $0.1846 per $100 for FY2027 (Spotlight Delaware, May 28, 2026), plus 2025-26 school district residential rates of $0.4523 (Colonial) to $0.61499 (Christina) and vo-tech $0.0376 (Delaware DOE tax rate table). Total about 0.67% to 0.84%, since county values are 100% of July 1, 2024 market value. |
| City of Wilmington | 1.20% | Adds the city's FY2026 residential rate of $3.7413 per $1,000 (City of Wilmington property tax FAQ). The FY2027 city rate was not available to verify. |
| Kent County tax, outside Dover | 0.50% of value | County rate $0.0572 per $100 after reassessment to July 1, 2023 values (Kent County open letter), unchanged for FY2027 (Spotlight Delaware), plus school rates of $0.2745 (Lake Forest) to $0.5021 (Capital) and Polytech $0.0284 (DOE table above). Total about 0.36% to 0.59%. |
| City of Dover | 1.07% (rough) | Adds Dover's $0.485 per $100, which is levied on the city's own 2020-based assessment (City of Dover tax FAQ), so this total is only approximate. |
| Insurance | $1,196 a year | Delaware average HO-3 premium, 2023 data (NAIC Homeowners Insurance Report). A vacant house may need a costlier vacant-dwelling policy; ask your insurer. |
| Electric | $151 a month | Delaware average residential bill, $150.87 in 2024 (U.S. EIA, Table 5a). A vacant house uses less, but keep heat on in winter. |
| Water and sewer | $53 a month | Artesian Water's average residential customer, $52.94 a month at 4,000 gallons, from its April 2025 rate filing announcement. Your utility and rate may differ. |
| Maintenance | 1% of value a year | Fannie Mae suggests budgeting 1% to 4% of the home's value each year (Fannie Mae). |
| Vacant fees | By years vacant | Wilmington: $0 under 1 year, then $500, $2,500, $5,000, $10,000 and $12,000 at 5+ years (city fee summary, 2025). New Castle County: $250, $750, $2,500, $5,000 (3 to 5 years), then $7,500 plus $1,000 per year over 5, plus $100 per inspection (county page and Ord. 25-046). Dover: $375, $750, $1,500, $3,000 (3 to 5 years), $5,000 at 5+ years (city vacant building form revised 11/22/2023; a 2026 ordinance may have changed this). Kent County outside Dover: no fee found. |
The tax defaults leave out senior and other credits and any town tax outside Wilmington and Dover. Your actual tax bill on the county's parcel search is always better than an estimate. For Wilmington's billing dates and waivers, use the vacant property fee calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What are holding costs on a house?
Everything you pay to own the house while you wait to sell: mortgage interest and principal, property taxes, insurance, utilities, upkeep, and for a vacant house any vacant-property registration fees. They add up every month whether or not anyone lives there.
What property tax rate should I use in Delaware?
Use your actual tax bill if you have it. As a starting point, New Castle County residential bills outside Wilmington run about 0.67% to 0.84% of 2024 market value a year (county plus school plus vo-tech rates), Wilmington adds about 0.37%, and Kent County outside Dover runs about 0.36% to 0.59%.
Does a vacant house cost more to hold?
Often. Wilmington and unincorporated New Castle County charge annual vacant-property registration fees that rise the longer a house sits empty, and a standard homeowners policy may limit coverage on a house left vacant, so you may need a vacant-dwelling policy. Ask your insurer.
How much should I budget for maintenance?
Fannie Mae suggests budgeting 1% to 4% of the home's value each year, closer to 1% for newer homes and closer to 4% for homes more than 30 years old.
