Best Practices

Good dictation resulting in great transcriptions that just need your review:

Concise/Clear (know where your mic is on your mobile device)

States location (ex. Interior/exterior, bathroom, right wall, ceiling, etc.)

States what your are looking at

No obscuring background noise

Poor dictation techniques resulting in transcriptions that need additional work:

Disjointed/Rambling

Indecisive

Quantity vs. Quality

Excessive background noise

Dictation Fundamentals Extended:

Think of what you are going to say BEFORE recording.

3 W’s What, Where, Why:

Use short uncomplicated sentences when you can…no running paragraphs.

Pausing is a good indicator to stop your current recording and start a new voice note

Periodically listen to notes.  This way you can check:

Use uniform terms as much as possible.

Give location first.  Include address, orientation (north/east/west/south) plus location of photo (ex. “Living room window (rear-facing) left-hand window sill”).

Briefly describe detail/condition are you documenting (window detail, flooring condition, etc.).

Briefly describe issue that photo is documenting.

Before going out and performing inspection, plan your trip include the following:

Check address

Try to obtain plans layout, number of rooms of property

Try to obtain any historical data

ADVANCED: Set-up template in hand held device, this will save time during the walk-through

Bring torch/flashlight/lantern as a light source to light up dark places, to help with quality of photos

Note attendees at time of inspection such as tenants and owners

If you have low connectivity set your mobile device to airplane mode to ensure no interruptions. When you are done return to strong connectivity or wifi location and start up the Imfuna app to sync with the web

Perform your work through a systematic fashion to maximize use of time and perform efficiently. This can be achieved by applying some of the following considerations:

Complete inspection room by room

Inspect common areas

Document meters

Perform exterior inspection

Follow guide as set forth in the Imfuna app. with logical work flow, ie room, items in room such as walls, ceilings etc. then condition of each item

Apply the Following Rules:

Always start with wide view to establish location and orientation

Take multiple photos of rooms and specific items to provide a complete picture

Focus on specific components and describe accordingly – using captions with each photo can be done from the phone and on the web

Focus on detail and establish condition of items, eg. Is carpet worn, are there stains on the wall, etc.

Focus on high wear and tear items, ie floors, countertops, painted walls, corners, bath tubs, showers, etc.

Show contrast between worn and new and good condition

Describe condition and objective language. Use the condition slider provided in the Imfuna app to broadly describe whether object is new, used, worn or damaged

Add detail with notes or dictation

Use common measures to establish scale eg. Hand, finger, pencil, scale, tape measure

If unit is furnished, focus on condition of furniture

It is important to establish items that are broken, damaged or potentially life threatening. Apply the following:

Use photo to establish condition with description. Use maintenance flag to identify items requiring repair

Use measuring tools to establish extent of damages needing attention

Note dirty, unwashed, poorly maintained surfaces, materials and areas

Cover hidden item

Most properties have nooks and crannies in hidden areas that should be documented. Include the following:

Take photos under sinks, in closets, in cabinets, drawers and shelves

Provide dictated notes to ensure your picture is documenting what you want

Perform a simple check of the following items:

Light switches switch on and off

Check if electrical outlets/plugs function

Open/close faucets, taps, and drains

Check appliances; turn them on and off

Turn heating/cooling on and off

Operate windows; make sure they open/close properly

Check drawer slides and cabinet doors

Check fire/smoke detectors

Check the contract/lease to confirm areas of responsibility for common areas.

Document conditions accordingly using the Imfuna app to label the common areas as such.

The exterior is part of the property.

Document conditions accordingly. The Imfuna app gives you areas specifically designated for recording outside conditions.

Photograph the meters, note the serial number and condition, and log the readings.

Before you leave the property, check that you documented all the rooms and areas and noted all relative conditions. By clicking "done" in the Imfuna app, you will trigger a mini checklist to help you.

Once your field data has been uploaded, review your field observations and notes as soon as possible.

Add any notes and comments to clarify your observations.

Add documentation as attachments for important items, e.g. insurance certificates, warranties, certificates, etc.

Share your reports with relevant parties using the email field in the report on the web.

Transparency is important; it helps to establish fair dealing and practice.

Reviews comments entered by other parties and respond accordingly.

Use the activity-tracking feature to note changes in the condition. Use the compare features to evaluate changes in the condition for pre-establishing dates, e.g. move in/move out.

Use the re-inspection feature to note any changes through the course of the tenancy

Use the Imfuna application on your hand-held device to re-inspect the property for an interim inspection. Re-inspection will provide you with the exact layout you recorded for the initial inspection.

Re-inpsections are done throughout the tenancy to document any changes, e.g. storm damage, breakage, leaks, etc.

Save data to the web and share with appropriate parties via your Imfuna account log-in. (Note: The web account will keep chronological track of activities, which may prove helpful through the course of the tenancy and the closeout.)

Once the property has been properly documented, a move-out condition requires noting any change from the move-in condition. This can be done in the same way as a move-in, except that only changed conditions need to be documented. It would be helpful to document some unchanged conditions as contrast.