There are a lot of measurements involved with real estate. From room dimensions, to appliance widths to acreage and driving distances, people want to know numbers.
Being able to rattle off these numbers to a prospective buyer is very impressive, especially if the numbers look good. If you are the buyer, being able to find out these numbers accurately may mean the difference between buying a property and passing on it.
We’ve found two tools that will tell you a lot of dimensions you would want to know as a real estate investor. Because the tools work with Google Maps, they can’t tell you the interior dimensions of a building. But they sure can show you a tremendous amount on the exterior of a property.
And a lot about the area surrounding the property.
Do you think it might be helpful to know numbers such as:
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The total square footage of a roof that might need replacing
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The size of the yard where the property sits
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The overall dimensions of the house
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The distance from the property to local attractions
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The commuting distance for a prospective buyer to drive to work
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How big an area the local school district covers
Of Course There’s an App for That
It’s called the Measure Map App. The app is only $1.99 for the iPhone and iPad. An Android version just came out as well. There is actually a free version called Measure Map App Lite that does not have as many features as the regular version.
Measure Map will work with Google Maps to provide you with distances and areas that you want to measure. The idea behind using Measure Map is to stick a series of virtual pins across the distance or area you want to measure.
If you just place two pins, the app will give you the straight-line distance between the pins. Place three or more pins, and you can start having the app measure areas.
Of course if you want the distance from the condo you are rehabbing in Aspen to the bottom of the lift line, it may have some turns in the road to get there. You can still have the app measure distances on each leg instead of a big area view.
The Measure Map App is compatible with both the map and satellite views of Google maps, and we have found it is pretty accurate.
The nice feature of Measure Map is that you can save what you measure and email it to prospective buyers, sellers, contractors, etc.
There is a pro version (Android’s version is here) of the Mobile Map App as well for $33.99. Here’s what you get for the extra money:
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Create unlimited pins and polygons
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Calculate multiple areas and routes simultaneously
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Ability to create inner polygons as "holes"
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Drawing of shapes: circle and rectangle
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Calculate azimuth or bearing
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Display altitude above sea level, azimuth and angle
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Import KML, KMZ and GPX format files besides exporting them
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Track mode: drops pins on current GPS position at regular intervals
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Coordinate system DM
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Future improvements will be incorporated to the professional version
If you are really into navigation and maps, a lot of these features will make a lot more sense to you than they will to the rest of us. We think the big advantages of the pro version for investors would be the ability to create holes and the track mode.
The ‘holes’ would allow you to measure the area of a property’s yard by subtracting the footprint of the house from it. The track mode could give you a good idea of distances as you drive around your farm area.
Here is a good video demonstrating the capabilities of the Measure Map App.
The ‘Google’ Way of Measuring Distances
Of course those brilliant engineers at Google would never be satisfied with just creating Google Maps. They would want to help you do some measuring as well.
Best of all – it’s free.
Just go to a Google map – either satellite or map view. Right click on a point to create a circle (and display the address). Google will ask you if you want directions or measurements.
Measurements would be nice if you are measuring a roof or lot size.
Directions are nice if you want to see how far it would be from your house to the ski area .
Then just right click on another point and pick measurement or directions. If you pick directions, you will see some symbols in the top left corner of the map.
The symbols will help to show how long the directions will take by walking, car, bus, etc.
Google doesn’t really do the calculations for area like the Measure Map app does, but it can be a great reference tool when your buyer has questions about the area or your contractor needs dimensions for his estimate.
Happy mapping, Moguls!
Holla at us
Have you used the tools? Got any tips for ‘em? Shout it out in the comments section below.
Set Yourself Apart – Showing prospective buyers how convenient your property is to amenities using Google or Measure Map is one way to go above and beyond your competition by offering a ‘Unique Selling Proposition.’
Scope Your Location – When looking for properties and setting up a farm area, do you see if it is an area where people would want to live? Just because a house is cheap, doesn’t mean it’s worth buying.
Get Good Estimates – Learn how to estimate work as well as your contractors. Ask them lots of questions when you are getting bids. Do they base their estimate on the size of the area? The amount of time it will take? Other factors? That way you can make a quick calculation and put a place under contract at a good price faster than your competition.
JP Moses
is a real estate investor in Memphis, TN, with experience ranging from land lording to note buying, rehabbing, and wholesaling. However, wholesaling is the area that he enjoys most and where he bring the most experience and expertise to his students.