These are instructions for conducting an initial site inspection. This is generally the first tour or showing of a property to gather information to make a decision or not to proceed.
Article Table of Contents
Related Articles: The Process of Opening a New Recovery Home
Background
Site Selection
- 🔎 Area Survey *
- 🏠 Site Search
- 🔎 Initial Site Inspection - 📍 you are here
- 📊 Site Analysis
Planting a New Home
*These specific articles are not available to the public. While we try to offer as many resources as possible to the public, this content contains privileged information and is only available to Operators who are members of our community. Want to join our community? Apply today at www.vanderburghcommunities.com.
Additional Resources
- 📤 Site Candidate Upload: Upload deliverables from an initial site inspection to this link for further review by the VSL team.
- Download Cubi.Casa: Download this helpful application to scan floor plans using your mobile device.
💡 Site Inspection Overview
This article serves as a set of instructions for conducting an initial property inspection
Goals of the site inspection
The goal for the initial property inspection is to assess the property's condition, layout, and suitability for sober living. This type of an inspection can be done by anyone, we do not need an inspection expert or any specialized skills or training. Just common sense and a smartphone!
Preparing for the site inspection
Prior to your inspection, please make sure you have all available information. At a minimum, make sure you have:
- A smartphone or camera with enough storage capacity for several videos
- A tape measure
- A printed floor plan (if available - if not, please create one during the inspection)
- A smartphone with Cubi.Casa mobile application installed (see details below)
Preparing a floor plan with Cubi.Casa
Cubi.Casa is an ultra low-cost floor plan creation tool which uses your smartphone to scan the floor area of the building and produce a floor plan. It can be free, but costs $15 for fixed furniture (cabinets, bathroom fixtures, etc.). It typically makes sense to spend this $15 for fixed furniture.
Cubi.Casa can be accessed by visiting www.cubi.casa. Using it requires that you download the application on your phone, sign up for an account, add a payment method, and start scanning.
Read more: 📏 Preparing a Floor Plan for a Home
Analyzing results of a site inspection
- Total number of beds: How many beds will be able to comfortably and responsibly be offered by this home?
- Scope of work: A moderately detailed scope of work should be prepared to meet Facility Standards and give an idea of what level of renovation and furnishing will be required.
- How can we maximize space in the home?
- Do we need to add bathrooms based on the total beds?
- Can we finish additional space to increase occupancy or common area?
- What work is needed to meet safety and reasonable comfort standards?
- What furnishings would be needed?
- Should we improve storage or other features?
- Cost of work: A rough cost estimate should be calculated.
- Timeline: How long will the work take under reasonable circumstances?
Read More: 📋 Facility Standards
✔️ Perform a Site Inspection
Inspection Instructions:
- Part 1: Photos and videos (discussed below)
- Part 2: Floor plan (create using Cubi.Casa or other software)
- Upload deliverables here: Site Candidate Upload (also linked at the top)
Part 1: 🎞️ Photos and Videos
Capture clear, full-sized videos of all accessible areas of the building, both inside and outside. Since you may need to refer back to this footage later, it's essential to be thorough and detailed. This will ensure that the content is as useful as possible for future evaluation.
If you are working with VSL: These videos will need to be uploaded or emailed to our real estate analysis team. Please take a separate video for each of sections below. Then, take photos of mechanicals and other elements.
▶️ Setting video: show how the home sits from the street
- Stand in front of the building, facing the building.
- Take a short panoramic video showing the front of the building, and simply turn to get a full 360-degree view of the front of the building: up the street, across the street, down the street, and then back to the front of the building.
▶️ Exterior video: show how the site looks from the outside
- Stand in front of the building, facing the building.
- Take a video of the entire building, starting with the front.
- Slowly walk around the entire building to get a video showing each side of the exterior of the building, focusing on:
- Siding, doors, decks, windows, etc.
- Roof, soffit, facia, chimneys, other roof penetrations
- Meters, oil fill, anything attached to the outside of the house
- Grounds, driveways/parking areas, pathways, porches, railings, etc.
- Foundation, basement windows, drainage devices
- Any sheds or other outbuildings or structures
- Any issues which need to be addressed
▶️ Interior floor videos: take a separate video of each floor
- Stand inside the front door.
- Take a slow and complete video of the first floor of the building, going slowly from room to room.
- Try to capture any damage to the building, or any areas that could be finished.
Repeat this step for each floor of the building.
▶️ Basement video and mechanical elements
Similar to the other videos, take a full well-lit video of the basement, showing all areas of the basement, including foundation, basement windows, structure, and all mechanical devices (heating system, water heater, oil/gas/water/drain pipes and devices, etc.).
📸 Photos of mechanicals, damage, and other areas
In the basement (or wherever they are located), we need to have photos of the mechanical elements of the building, in addition to the videos. This will help us determine age and condition of these devices.
- Heating system (one of each side), fuel source, etc. Show system specifications/tags.
- Appliances with specifications / tags showing appliance type and details (if visible)
- Water heater along with any tags, dates, or other information that you can capture
- Fire protection systems if they are present in the building
- Sump pumps or any drainage or water-related systems
- Drain system and area drain exits the building (the large cast iron or plastic drain pipe)
- Water meter and the main water pipe coming in the building
- Electrical boxes with the door open and wiring, especially any evidence of any issues
- Any issues that need to be addressed, throughout the home
Part 2: 📐 Create a floor plan (if we don't have one already)
If a full to-scale floor plan with room dimensions is available for the property, this step can be skipped. If we do not have a full to-scale floor plan already, we will want to create one using the Cubi.Casa mobile application. This is a smartphone application to produce a floor plan using a video of the interior of the property. Download the Cubi.Casa mobile application and follow instructions to produce a full to-scale floor plan of the property.
➕ Is there additional finishable space?
Are there spaces in the attic, basement, or elsewhere that may be able to be finished? This is important to know up front. If so, indicate this accordingly on the plans and/or provide a narrative. Make sure the video and/or photos show the space as well.
- Living space to be added - see if we can find extra space to add rooms or finished space
- Basement finishing - can we finish the basement for additional common space?
- Adding bathrooms – indicate if you see any space where another bathroom could be added
- Modifying any other layout stuff - possibility to add a wall or door, remove a wall, etc.
Why is this important? The addition of even just a few beds could be the difference between a profitable and impactful long-term opportunity and a mediocre home. It is always a better idea to maximize the potential in a home then to acquire another one!
Read more: 📏 Preparing a Floor Plan for a Home
Part 3: 📤 Upload the deliverables
If you are working with VSL in your real estate search, this is the step where you upload your inspection deliverables to our team to review. With videos, photos, and a floor plan sketch, please provide these to our real estate analysis team. Please be sure to include all of the items above!
📤 Upload here: Site Candidate Upload
Inspection Analysis
This is a guide for analyzing a potential sober living home business. This step is done as a part of a site search. The steps involved in analyzing the inspection data or described in the related article.
Read more: 📊 Potential Site Analysis
✏️ Floor Plan Sketch [optional]
If you are feeling adventurous, feel free to sketch out a plan! However, this might be a waste of time for properties that we aren't under contract to purchase.
The Cubi.Casa floor plan is relatively accurate, but we sometimes need accurate measurements of current and potential bedrooms just to be safe.
If a floor plan is already available (with interior layout, rooms, etc.): Go through the floor plan when you are at the property. Indicate location of kitchens/bathrooms/utility rooms. For remaining rooms (bedrooms, living rooms, etc.), take a quick measurement of length and width of the room and write this on the plans. Do this to the best of your ability, don’t worry about being very detailed or accurate, just a quick length and width inside these rooms is all that we need.
If a floor plan is not available, we need to have a sketch of each floor created. Simply draw a box for each room and indicate the room use (kitchen, bathroom, bedroom). Be sure to indicate full v. half bathrooms. For bedrooms and living rooms, please measure length and width and mark this on the sketch. A sample floor plan sketch is on the final page. Each sketch must include
- One sketch for each floor
- All bedrooms to have length and width measurements
- Measure ceiling height in basement and attic and write it down on the plans
Sample Sketch
