The visit is short and focused on condition
A walkthrough is not a home inspection and not a showing. It’s one buyer looking at the house closely enough to price the work it needs. With us, that’s usually one person, most often Bob Donahue, and it takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Evenings and weekends are fine.
Expect the buyer to move fairly quickly, take some notes or photos, and ask you questions as they go. They aren’t judging how the house is kept. Dishes in the sink, boxes in the hall and an unmade bed don’t affect the offer.
What the buyer looks at, from the top down
Buyers spend their time where the large costs are. Here’s the usual path:
- Roof and gutters. Age, missing shingles, sagging, and water stains on upstairs ceilings.
- Attic. Signs of leaks, ventilation, insulation, and any old wiring visible in the joists.
- Electrical panel. The panel brand and size, whether it’s a fuse box, and any knob-and-tube wiring. That’s common in older Northeast Ohio houses; see selling a house with old wiring.
- Heating and hot water. The furnace or boiler type and age, the water heater, and any air conditioning.
- Plumbing. Supply lines, drains, signs of leaks under sinks, and whether the main stack is cast iron.
- Basement and foundation. Cracks, bowing walls, efflorescence, water lines on the walls, a sump pump. For how buyers price structural problems, see selling a house with foundation problems.
- Kitchen and baths. Whether they’re usable as-is or need full replacement.
- Windows, doors and exterior. Rot, broken seals, siding, porches and steps, and the garage.
Why older houses get a closer look
The age of the housing stock shapes what a buyer looks for. Census Bureau estimates for 2020-2024 put the median year built at 1954 in Akron and 1947 in Canton. About 34% of Akron’s homes and about 41% of Canton’s were built in 1939 or earlier.
Houses from those eras often have original or partly updated wiring, galvanized or cast-iron plumbing, stone or block foundations, and several layers of roofing. None of that stops a sale, but it changes the repair estimate. A buyer who has walked many houses of that age can usually tell in minutes which items are cosmetic and which are expensive.
How a walkthrough differs from an inspection or appraisal
Sellers sometimes expect a walkthrough to be as long and formal as a home inspection. It isn’t, and it’s useful to know the difference:
| Cash buyer walkthrough | Home inspection | Appraisal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who does it | The buyer | A hired inspector | A licensed appraiser |
| Purpose | Price the house and its repairs | Find defects for the buyer | Estimate market value, often for a lender |
| Typical length | 15 to 30 minutes | Several hours | A short visit, then a written report |
| Result | An offer | A detailed report | A value opinion |
Some cash buyers also bring a contractor or schedule an inspection after you sign. Ask beforehand so you know whether the walkthrough is the only visit.
If the house is full of belongings or occupied by tenants, the walkthrough still works. The buyer may not see every wall, so tell them about anything hidden behind furniture or boxes, like a water stain or a crack. Clearing a path to the basement, the furnace and the electrical panel is the only preparation that really helps.
Pets are fine, too. Just let the buyer know beforehand if a dog will be loose in the yard or a cat might slip out an open door, and put them in a room you’ve already shown if that’s easier. The same goes for a sleeping shift worker or a family member who’s home sick: tell the buyer, and they can skip that room or come back to it at the end.
What to have ready
You don’t need to prepare the house, but a little information helps the buyer give you a tighter number:
- Ages of major items if you know them: roof, furnace, water heater, air conditioner.
- Receipts or warranties for recent work, like a new roof or a basement waterproofing system.
- Known problems. Leaks, a sewer backup, a furnace that short-cycles, a city violation notice.
- Access. Keys to outbuildings, the garage door opener, and a clear path to the electrical panel and water heater.
- Your timing. When you’d like to close, and whether you need time to move out.
Being upfront helps you. Problems the buyer knows about at the walkthrough are priced into the first offer, instead of turning up later and changing the number.
Questions you can ask the buyer
The walkthrough is your chance to size up the buyer too. Ask what they think the main repairs are, whether they plan to renovate, rent or resell, and when you can expect the offer in writing. If you’re comparing buyers, are cash home buyers legit has a short list of questions that separate real buyers from contract flippers.
What happens after the walkthrough
After the visit, the buyer prepares an offer. Ours comes in writing, and we explain how we got to the number: what we think the house is worth, and what we expect it needs. You decide whether it works for you, with no obligation either way.
If you accept, the next steps are a purchase agreement and choosing a closing date. If you want to know how buyers turn what they saw into a price, read how cash home buyers calculate offers. To schedule a walkthrough of your own house, use the get an offer page.
