How to use it
- Walk it. Score while you are standing there, not afterwards.
- Score against this page, not against the last building.
- This guide only describes 1, 3 and 5. If something is better than the 3 but not as good as the 5, score it 4. Better than the 1 but not up to the 3, score it 2.
- Take the photos as you go, starting with the front of the building.
- Re-doing a building you have scored before? Score it fresh first, then look at the old scores. Looking first means you just agree with last time, and any change becomes invisible.
Condition — the six things money can change
These are the scoreboard. If work gets done here, these scores should move.
1. Curb appeal & exterior
1Siding or stucco visibly damaged, stained, or patched in mismatched colours. Sagging soffit or eaves. Address hard to find. Looks neglected from the street.
3Sound and clean but plain. No damage worth noting, nothing worth pointing at either. Reads as "a building".
5Fresh or well-kept exterior, clean lines, good signage, exterior lighting that works. Someone pulling up expects the inside to be nice.
2. Grounds & landscaping
1Bare dirt or dead patches, weeds through the walkways, no defined beds, garbage visible.
3Grass mown, edges roughly kept, nothing dead — and nothing designed.
5Healthy watered lawn, defined beds or shrubs, clean walkways, snow and leaves clearly kept on top of.
3. Hallways & stairwells
1Scuffed or holed walls, stained or worn carpet, burnt-out or mismatched lighting, handrails loose or missing.
3Intact and lit. Dated finishes, visible wear, but nothing that reads as neglect.
5Clean paint, sound flooring, even bright lighting, solid handrails. Feels like a managed building.
4. Common-area cleanliness & smell
1A smell that stays — smoke, damp, cooking, garbage. Visible dirt. Bins overflowing.
3No smell on a normal day, surfaces clean enough, bins contained.
5Smells like nothing at all. Floors, glass and entry mats obviously looked after.
5. Parking area
1Broken or gravel surface, potholes, no lighting, stalls unmarked or not enough of them for the unit count.
3Paved with some cracking, stalls marked, lighting adequate, enough stalls.
5Sound surface, clearly lined, well lit, energized stalls that actually work, snow cleared.
6. Laundry room
1Machines unreliable or often out of service, room dirty or damp, nowhere to fold, poor lighting.
3Machines work, room clean enough, basic lighting, no folding surface or anywhere to sit.
5Reliable modern machines, clean dry room, good light, folding surface, feels safe to use at night.
Location — the three that never change
Money will not move these. Score them once and expect them to stay put. They are here to explain why one building rents higher than another, not to track improvement.
7. Quiet & privacy — how tucked away it feels
1On a busy road, or beside something noisy — a bar, a shop, a yard. You can hear it inside the common areas.
3Ordinary residential street. Some traffic goes by, nothing intrusive.
5Quiet street or crescent, buffered from traffic, genuinely tucked away.
8. Neighbourhood quality
1Visible disorder nearby, neighbouring properties poorly kept, a tenant would think twice about walking it after dark.
3Ordinary mixed residential — some well-kept places, some rough ones.
5Consistently well-kept surroundings. A block you would be pleased to show someone.
9. Walk to shops, schools & transit
1Nothing in comfortable walking distance. You need a vehicle for everything.
3Some errands walkable, others need a vehicle.
5Groceries, a school and a transit stop all within an easy walk.
One entry per building. Redo it only when something big changes — new cameras, a renovated lobby, new landscaping — or about once a year.
Equity Empire — internal use