Proper Processing For Apartments

Who does apartments??!
If so, you may want to read on. I have been doing a growing number lately and want to make sure I am doing it the “best” way. I am doing this in part because the Support Desk documentation is a bit weak on the finer points of this process. I invite your feedback on my process as we look for overall improvements to the system.
I thought of entering this as a Support Ticket on this topic but am not sure if there is something that needs to be fixed. So here goes.

  1. I create the Project with the street address and exterior wall thickness. I then create each unit (or as many as I have access to) as a separate Floor. For example, I will label a new Floor as “Apt. 101”.
    [The wall thickness is an interesting topic itself, especially in older buildings. Do you enter the exterior wall thickness or the wall thickness between the apartment and the hallway for example? I worked a couple old buildings where the best exterior wall thickness I could figure was around 20 inches. But the thickness on the interior walls was 6 inches. Which takes precedence? Does it matter if the apartment is an end unit? Should Planitar ask for both exterior and interior wall dimensions? (but that could just invite more issues – we have enough questions to answer already when creating a project)]
  2. I process the Stich file normally, with units as separate floors. I enter the Banner information for the Property Management company we are doing the work for. I add a “Note to Drafters” asking them to NOT send a report notification to all participants. This is because the completed project will contain all the units (Floors). I don’t want my customers to see that. They want to market the units separately so I will create separate User Views for each unit (next step). Problem is, I think the “iGUIDE Report” is automatically generated when the drafting is complete. I haven’t verified this yet.
  3. When I open the newly completed iGuide, my first step is to upload photos. I take photos with a separate camera. I sort the photos offline in the following manner: The first one or two photos are of the exterior of the building. These are followed by those of the lowest numerical unit (i.e., 101) followed by the others in numerical fashion. Lastly are some remaining exterior views of the building and the surrounding neighborhood if requested.
  4. After I have reviewed the iGuide tour, I will then duplicate the Default View for as many apartments as I recorded (if I recorded five apartments, then I will make five duplicates). I will then Lock the Default View because the customer doesn’t need to see it.
  5. I will edit the first Duplicate User View. I re-name the address to the unit name followed by the street address, e.g., “Apt. 101 – 123 Easy St….”. I will exclude the Floors (apartments) that don’t pertain to that view (under “Edit View”, select a floor you DON’T want to see, click on the Edit pencil and leave the Show In iGUIDE box empty). Then Exclude the photos that don’t pertain the floor that you want to display. Do that for all views/floors and you’re done!
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I do a lot of apartment units and you are doing it almost exactly the way i am.
Here are my comments:
1: I never enter wall thickness for apartment buildings or condo towers. As you say exterior and interior wall thicknesses can be hugely different. I have read in planitar documentation that wall thickness is not needed in these cases.
2: I do not enter the banner information until the project is complete. That way the client never sees anything until I want them to.
3: Exactly - but I also take a picture of the suite number to make it easy to identify what I am leaving in and or taking out.
4: Exactly
5: I don’t hide the pans, I hide the floor. Done from the same area, but at the bottom of the floorplan not the top.

Cheers
Ron

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Thanks!

  1. good to know!
  2. As I was writing this, I thought of omitting the banner information before I submit. I guess that will be my new practice!
  3. Yes, I forgot to mention that I include a picture of the suite number
    5 Check. I meant to say go to floor, then check Hide in IGuide. I used to do both just to make sure!
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That’s cool, but how do you find prospects and sell them on 3d virtual tour? I’m still learning and been burned on marketing.

That’s cool, but how do you find prospects and sell them on 3d virtual tour? I’m still learning and been burned on marketing…

I don’t have a good answer for you there. We were introduced to one client by her bother-in-law, who is an existing client of ours (financial manager/property developer). The second client is actually a company which bought many properties that were managed by the first client, which makes for a bit of an awkward situation. But before that, there was a lot of door knocking with no results. In this case it was a matter of networking and finding the right oppportunity. Don’t give up (I know. Easier said than done).

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Yes pretty much how we do it, I do include wall measurements as builder plans are usually way off and it makes it closer if you use the exterior measurements.

Also I use my own website to load galleries etc so I can create separate unit galleries with targeted info. It works better.

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I don’t put walls dimensions anymore because there is always a difference between the exterior walls and the interior ones and I had problems with wrong floorplans. So I prefer to put it as extra info.