47 of 47 passed
Everything came back clean
Every check passed, or the owner fixed it and Trang reinspected before the home listed. No asterisks.
THE MOAT, ITEMIZED
The 47 points, one by one.
This is the whole checklist Trang walks through every home before it is listed. 47 specific things, across seven categories, each one numbered so a home's card can point at exactly what passed and what did not.
Anyone can publish a list of 47 things. The moat is that a real, named person does all 47, every time, and signs the card with the date she stood in the room.
Six of the seven categories produce a pass or a fail. Two of the checks are hard measurements written on the card as a number, the internet speed and the 9pm noise level. A failure in safety or in the neighborhood walk means the home is not listed at all. Each check keeps the same number forever, so if a card ever reads “45 of 47 passed” you can read exactly which two it means.
8 checks
Safety and structural
A failure here ends the listing. The home does not go up.
A failure here is not fixed and reinspected. It is a refusal to list. There is no version of a listing worth a balcony that gives way.
- 1
Fire extinguisher present and in date
Physically present, its service date checked, not assumed from a wall bracket.
- 2
Smoke detector in every room, tested
One in each room, and each one tested on the spot rather than counted.
- 3
A clear exit path from every room
The way out is unobstructed and openable, from wherever you are sleeping.
- 4
No exposed or damaged wiring
Nothing live left open, taped, or hanging, anywhere in the home.
- 5
Balcony and stair railings hold weight
Leaned on with real weight, not looked at. A railing either holds or it fails.
- 6
Gas line and shut-off checked
The connection and shut-off valve confirmed, and no smell of a leak at the join.
- 7
No structural cracks or damp-rot
Walls and ceilings read for movement cracks, subsidence, and hidden water rot.
- 8
Windows safe on upper floors
A safe sill height or a working restrictor on anything above the ground floor.
6 checks
Locks and security
The question this category answers is simple: when you are inside and it is late, does the home close.
- 9
The main-door deadbolt throws fully
The bolt seats all the way, from both sides where the door has both.
- 10
Every key tested in every lock
Each key turned in each lock, not matched by shape or taken on trust.
- 11
Window locks engage on every window
Each window latch tried and confirmed to actually catch.
- 12
Balcony and secondary-door locks engage
The doors that are easy to forget, the balcony and the back, close and lock.
- 13
Building access works, in practice
The fob, the gate, the doorman’s real hours, tested rather than described.
- 14
Bedroom doors latch from inside
Each bedroom can be closed and held shut from within.
7 checks
Plumbing and water
"Has hot water" and "has hot water in under a minute" are different homes to live in. This category tells them apart.
- 15
Hot water timed at every tap
Not just present: timed, because the wait is what you live with each morning.
- 16
Water pressure checked at each outlet
Every shower and sink run, so a weak line shows up before you move in.
- 17
Every drain runs clear
Each drain watched to empty, with no standing water or slow gurgle.
- 18
The toilet refills and holds
Flushed, refilled, and left, to confirm it is not quietly running.
- 19
No sign of past water damage
Read behind the honesty of fresh paint for the stains it can cover.
- 20
Washing machine run a full cold cycle
Start to finish, not switched on, because the fault is usually mid-cycle.
- 21
No leaks under sinks or at joints
Every visible joint and under-sink trap checked dry.
6 checks
Electrical and connectivity
If you work from home, the internet number is not a detail. It is the whole decision, so it is recorded as a number on the card.
- 22
Every outlet tested with a real load
A real charger and a real lamp in each socket, not a meter reading.
- 23
Every light fixture and switch works
Each light switched on, each switch confirmed to drive it.
- 24
The breaker panel is labelled and sound
Panel labelled, capacity sane for the home, nothing warm or tripping.
- 25
WiFi walked room to room
Signal carried to the back bedroom, because a router in the lounge is not coverage.
- 26
Internet speed recorded as a number Measured, not scored
The download and upload speed measured and written on the card.
- 27
Water heater’s electrical safety checked
The heater’s wiring and earth confirmed, the one appliance that mixes water and power.
8 checks
Furniture and fittings
This is the category that separates a furnished home from a photographed one.
- 28
The mattress rated for sag and stains
You will spend a third of six months on it, so it is rated, and its age noted.
- 29
Linens counted and present
Counted against what the listing will promise, not eyeballed.
- 30
The sofa and seating checked
Sat on for wear, stability, and stains, the way you will use it.
- 31
The kitchen confirmed to actually cook
A working hob, real heat, and pans, not a kitchen-shaped corner.
- 32
Kitchen inventory counted
Plates, pans, and utensils counted, so a bare cupboard is not a move-in surprise.
- 33
Towels counted and present
Counted the same as linens, against the listing’s claim.
- 34
Air-conditioning serviced, date confirmed
Each unit run and its last service date confirmed, not just switched on.
- 35
Fridge and appliances run and working
The fridge and the rest turned on and confirmed to hold and to heat.
5 checks
Environment
These are the things a daytime viewing hides and the third week reveals, so they are measured, not guessed.
- 36
Noise measured at 9pm, in decibels Measured, not scored
A decibel-meter reading taken at 9pm and written on the card as a number.
- 37
Daylight timed through the day
When the light reaches the room and when it leaves it, noted by hour.
- 38
Ventilation and airflow confirmed
Every room can move air, so it does not turn close and damp.
- 39
A check for mould in every room
Looked for in each room, including behind the furniture that hides it.
- 40
A check for pests and entry points
Droppings, nests, and the gaps they come through, room by room.
7 checks
Trang’s neighborhood walk
A failure here ends the listing. The home does not go up.
The last hour is spent outside. Like safety, this can end a listing: you do not live inside the four walls, you live on the street they open onto.
- 41
The nearest store, timed on foot
How far the everyday shop actually is, walked and timed.
- 42
Where the late food is, past 9pm
What is still open when you get in late and have not eaten.
- 43
The nearest transit, timed on foot
How you leave the street without a car, and how long it takes to reach it.
- 44
The nearest green space or park
Where the nearest air and space to walk is, if there is one.
- 45
Whether it feels safe to walk alone at night
Walked at night, alone, because that is the test that matters.
- 46
The nearest clinic or hospital
Where you go when something is wrong and you do not know the city.
- 47
One thing about the street that surprised her Measured, not scored
The single detail Trang did not expect, written on the card in her own words.
Nothing here is verified by a team, or by an icon. It is verified by somebody who walked in with a clipboard and wrote down what was actually there.
What a signed card means
A score is not a rating. It is a promise you can check.
When a home is inspected, its card carries a count against these 47 points. There are only two honest ways it can read.
45 of 47 passed
Two failed, and they are named
Two checks failed and the owner chose not to fix them. They are named on the listing, by number, so you decide with the failures in front of you, for example:
Failed: check 23 (every light works) and check 41 (the nearest store, timed on foot).
The promise was never that every home is flawless. The promise is that you will not discover the flaw after you have wired the deposit. See the checklist rendered on a real home when one lists, or read how we work.
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