A township of three governments
Guilford Township is named after Guilford, Connecticut, where many of its first settlers came from, and it’s the only Guilford Township in Ohio. It lies in southern Medina County, with Montville Township to the north, Sharon to the northeast, Wadsworth Township to the east and Westfield to the west. To the south is Wayne County: Milton Township directly below, Canaan Township at the southwest corner.
Inside the township are two municipalities:
- The village of Seville, in the west, with its own council, zoning and municipal income tax. See our Seville page.
- Part of the city of Rittman, in the southeast. Most of Rittman is in Wayne County, which changes the probate court and conveyance fee; see our Rittman page.
Everything else is unincorporated Guilford Township, governed by its trustees and township zoning. When you sell, the first step is knowing which of the three your parcel falls under, because it decides who issues zoning letters, whether a village income tax applies, and which offices a buyer’s title company will contact.
Older farmhouses and high values
Guilford’s housing stands out in southern Medina County. The Census figures for the township, outside Seville and Rittman:
- About 25% of homes were built in 1939 or earlier, higher than any neighboring Medina County township. Westfield is about 21%, Lafayette about 15%, Sharon about 8% and Montville about 1%.
- The median home was built in 1974.
- About 99% are single-family detached, and about 92% are owner-occupied.
- The median home value, as owners estimate it, is about $362,100.
The estimate also shows about 19% of housing units as vacant. For a small rural township, that number comes with a wide margin of error and may not mean many houses are actually sitting empty.
The high value and the old housing together create a specific situation. Land and location carry the price, but a 100-year-old farmhouse on that land can need a lot: a new roof, updated electrical service, a replacement furnace, a new well pump or septic field. A financed buyer’s lender may want much of that done before closing. If the house came to you through an estate, the repair bill lands on the heirs.
Wells, septic and farm buildings
Outside Seville and Rittman, Guilford homes are rural and may rely on a private well and septic system. The Medina County Health Department doesn’t require a septic inspection at sale, but a buyer’s lender often requires one, and the department recommends evaluating both systems before buying. If public sewer is available to the property, the house must connect and the old system be abandoned under permit. Our page on selling a house with septic problems explains the options when a system fails.
Barns, sheds and outbuildings on farm properties also come up. Some were built long before zoning; others were added later without permits. Neither usually stops a sale, but a buyer will want to know what’s there and what condition it’s in.
Listing or selling direct in Guilford Township
A well-kept Guilford home on good land can command a strong price, and if that’s yours and there’s no rush, list it with an agent. If you’re holding an old farmhouse that needs serious work, an inherited property with a barn full of equipment, or a house you need sold on a fixed date, we’ll buy it as-is. There are no commissions or fees, we cover normal closing costs, and Medina County’s conveyance fee is $3 per $1,000, compared with $4 on the Wayne County side. For probate and foreclosure rules, see our Medina County page, then request a written offer.