Walkability Score Makes a Difference
A lecture given by Windmill Developments’ Rodney Wilts last week on LEED buildings was an eye opener. Mr Wilts talked not just about the built form and heating, ventilation and mechanical/electrical systems but how walkability plays an important role in determining outcomes today.
Consumers want to buy locations that have access to the things they need via walking; they don’t want a home or apartment where everything requires a car trip.
Mr Wilts says that one of their projects (on Queensview Drive in Ottawa, Canada) was less successful despite being a beautiful structure because the location was so isolating. They won’t make that mistake again.
Sell-through for places that are less walakable will be slower and they will sell for less so developers will have to become more aware of the walk score for their prospective projects. A useful resource for determining walk scores is provided by https://www.walkscore.com/
Here is the way we score homes and rental property*. You will see that location-based factors are important as is the ability to add value and to buy low. In real estate, you make money when you buy not when you sell so buy right.
(* You can download this spreadsheet from our server; it’s plug and play, www.old.dramatispersonae.org/images/00-housing-matrix-3.xls.)
Housing Investment Guide
Variable
Proximity to schools, elder care
Proximity to shopping, restaurants, coffee, groceries
Proximity to desirable neighborhoods
Proximity to hospital/health care
Proximity to Fitness/Recreation/Park
Proximity to Arts, Entertainment and Culture
Proximity to Air and Rail
In home flats, granny flats, work from home permitted
Rentability
Housing inflation
Walkability Score
Transit Score
Bike Score
Location Score
Ability to add parking
Ability to add in-home flat
Ability to add separate entrance
Ability to add curb appeal/landscaping
Ability to improve interior design
Ability to add bench seat with storage/design flair/cornerstone
Overall brand experience
Ability to buy low
Total score
Percentage Score
E&OE
Bruce M Firestone, Broker 613.566.3436 x 200 or 613.422.6757 bruce.firestone@century21.ca @profbruce Commercial Real Estate, Residential Real Estate, Land, Lots and Development brucemfirestone.com entrepreneuship blog art blog tumblr blog
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