Sell Your House in The Colony

Closing out city utilities before you hand over the keys

In The Colony, one city office bills water, sewer, trash and recycling together. The Utility Billing page has a Move Out request for closing a water account when you leave. A few details from that page are worth knowing before closing day:

• Requests to start service must arrive at least one business day before the day service is wanted. The buyer or the next tenant handles that part.
• Water is cut off after two bills are past due. Getting it back on means paying the full balance, a $20 disconnect fee and a deposit increase of up to $100.
• Payments received after the due date carry a 15% late fee.
• Customer Service is at City Hall, 6053 Main St., Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.

An empty house with the water off can be hard to show or inspect, so plan the move-out date with your closing date in mind.

How a Community Image case moves

Code enforcement in The Colony is handled by the Community Image Department, which applies the property maintenance rules in the city's code of ordinances and zoning code. The city's adopted codes page lists the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code with local amendments. The department's violation process chart lays out the steps:

1. An officer sees a violation, takes pictures and mails a violation letter.
2. The property is re-inspected after 10 days. If the problem is fixed, the case closes.
3. If tall weeds and grass are still there, the property can go to a city contractor for abatement, or a citation can be issued.
4. For other violations, a final notice is mailed, followed by another 10-day re-inspection, and then contractor abatement or a citation.

Owners who cannot keep up with repairs on their own may want to look at the city's Volunteer Assistance Program. Community Image started it for residents who, for various reasons, cannot correct property maintenance violations themselves; volunteers are matched to projects after an application.

Permits for work done before you sell

Buyers often ask whether past work was permitted. The city's "Do I need a permit?" sheet answers for the common cases:

• Garage conversions to living space need a remodel permit, and the Planning Department (972-624-3122) must confirm the conversion is allowed in your zoning area.
• Structural remodels need permits, including framing, plumbing such as shower pans and tub conversions, electrical, HVAC, sheetrock, insulation and subfloor work.
• A roof replacement requires the contractor to pull a permit.
• Repairing or replacing more than 50% of a fence needs a permit.

Building Inspections is at 6053 Main St., 972-624-3100, according to the adopted codes page. If you rented the house by the night, note that the city also requires short-term rentals to register and remit its 7% hotel occupancy tax.

Taxes, deeds and courts in Denton County

The Colony had about 45,897 residents in 2024 by the Census Bureau's estimate, all of them counted in Denton County. The city's property tax page says the Denton County Tax Assessor-Collector bills and collects all of the city's ad valorem tax accounts, based on values set by the Denton Central Appraisal District. Value protests are filed with the Appraisal Review Board by May 15 or 30 days after your notice was delivered, whichever is later (DCAD protest page). A $10 county tax certificate shows what is owed on an account. Deeds and liens are recorded with the Denton County Clerk in Denton.

A few other county steps can come up:

• Foreclosure. Sales are held the first Tuesday of the month at the southwest corner of the Denton County Courts Building, 1450 E. McKinney St., after at least 21 days' notice (Property Code 51.002; county foreclosure page).
• Eviction. The suit is filed in the justice precinct where the house is (Property Code 24.0041). The county's precinct search uses its Landmark map.
• Probate. The case is filed in the county where the owner lived (Estates Code 33.001). For a resident of The Colony, that means Denton County's Probate Court No. 1 or Probate Court No. 2, both at 3900 Morse St. in Denton.

Selling to Cash Home Advisors

You can sell as-is, without making repairs first. We pay all closing costs and can close in 7–14 days. Se habla español.

Get started here or read how it works. Our guide to selling a house that needs repairs and our post on selling without a realtor may help you compare options.

Local offices for this area

• City of The Colony: Utility Billing
• City of The Colony: Community Image (code enforcement)
• City of The Colony: Property Tax
• Denton Central Appraisal District
• Denton County Clerk, Recording Division
• Denton County Foreclosure Information

ZIP codes we buy in: 75056