Ownership and boundaries
Are the owner, lot boundaries, easements, shared drives, and areas included in the deal understood?
Before the commitment
Know the building
before you commit.
A private working desk for the questions, documents, and conditions worth understanding before a lease, purchase, or project kickoff.
Read this first
Project Desk helps frame questions; it does not determine zoning, code compliance, legal rights, environmental conditions, engineering capacity, cost, or property suitability. Verify conclusions with the appropriate professionals before making a commitment.
Property file
One property. One working brief.
Use plain language. If something is unknown, leave it open—the checklist is designed to make those gaps visible.
Readiness review
Make the unknowns visible.
Mark each prompt based on what you can support today. A concern is not necessarily a deal-breaker; it is a reason to investigate.
010 / 4
Property + transaction
Establish what is actually being offered—and what the agreement assumes.
Agreement and contingencies
Does the lease or purchase agreement allow enough time for architectural, zoning, code, environmental, and financial review?
Occupancy expectations
Are the target possession, construction, approval, and move-in dates realistic and clearly distinguished?
Landlord / seller scope
Is responsibility for existing violations, repairs, utilities, base-building work, and approvals stated clearly?
020 / 4
Use + approvals
A building can look suitable while its legal use tells a different story.
Existing legal use
Do available certificates, approvals, and municipal records agree with how the building is currently used?
Proposed use
Has the intended use—including accessory operations, storage, production, assembly, or outdoor activity—been described precisely?
Zoning path
Has a qualified professional reviewed use, bulk, parking, loading, signage, and the likely municipal approval path?
Prior approvals and conditions
Have resolutions, variances, site plans, permits, open applications, and conditions tied to the property been gathered?
030 / 4
Access + life safety
Test the route from the property line to every place people need to reach.
Exits and egress
Are the number, location, width, travel distance, discharge, and condition of exits appropriate for the proposed occupancy?
Accessibility
Is there an accessible route through parking, entrances, occupied spaces, toilet rooms, and required site amenities?
Fire protection
Are sprinkler, alarm, fire separation, suppression, and fire-department access needs understood for the proposed use?
People and operations
Have occupant count, visitors, shifts, deliveries, vehicles, equipment, hazardous materials, and emergency procedures been considered?
040 / 4
Building + site
Look beyond finishes to the systems and conditions that determine real project scope.
Structure and capacity
Are floor loads, roof loads, clear heights, framing modifications, settlement, and visible deterioration compatible with the plan?
Roof and envelope
Are roof age, active leaks, drainage, walls, windows, insulation, and air or water infiltration documented?
Site circulation
Can cars, trucks, loading, refuse, pedestrians, emergency vehicles, snow, and deliveries coexist safely?
Environmental conditions
Have prior uses and possible asbestos, lead, tanks, contamination, wetlands, flood, or other environmental constraints been investigated?
050 / 4
Systems + delivery
Confirm that the building can support the use—and that the project can support the business plan.
Utilities and services
Are electrical, gas, water, sewer, stormwater, data, and fire-service capacity and upgrade lead times known?
Mechanical performance
Are heating, cooling, ventilation, exhaust, process, humidity, noise, and equipment-replacement needs understood?
Scope and cost
Does the working budget include professional services, approvals, testing, construction, contingencies, equipment, and owner costs?
Project team and sequence
Are the architect, engineers, attorney, broker, environmental consultant, contractor, and decision-makers engaged at the right time?
Document register
Gather the record—not just the listing.
Mark what you already have. The resulting summary will keep the remaining requests together for your broker, owner, attorney, and project team.
0of 10 gathered
Project notes
What could change the decision?
Record assumptions, conversations, deadlines, promised work, and anything that should be verified in writing.
Working summary
Take the right questions into the room.
Property review
Untitled project
Property address not entered- Current use
- Not entered
- Intended use
- Not entered
- Target
- Not entered
0%of prompts reviewed
0 confirmed0 questions0 concerns
Open questions + concerns
No open items recorded yet.
Documents still to gather
- Current boundary and topographic survey
- Existing architectural and engineering drawings
- Certificate of occupancy or continued occupancy
- Zoning approvals, resolutions, and approved site plans
- Permit history, inspection records, and open violations
- Title report, easements, deed restrictions, and shared agreements
- Environmental reports and prior-use records
- Property condition, roof, structural, and building-systems reports
- Utility bills, capacities, service records, and equipment information
- Draft lease, letter of intent, purchase agreement, or term sheet
Project notes
No general notes recorded.
Starting another property? Clear this desk first.
The questions are the beginning