VG Home Buyers · Property Lifecycle · Draft 3
Every piece of information captured at the front of a project enables something specific at the back. The variables recorded at acquisition drive the accuracy of Phase 1 estimates. The scope decisions locked before construction are what make compliance review fast. And the actuals posted at close feed better estimates on the next property.
This document maps what data needs to exist at each phase, who provides it, where it lives, and what downstream work it unlocks — or blocks when it's missing.
P0
Acquisition & Pre-Construction
→
→
P1
Site, Shell & Structure
→
P2
Building Systems & Exterior
→
→
P4 actuals → cost library → better P0 estimates on the next property ↩
§ 01 · Phase Zero
Acquisition & Pre-Construction
the foundation of every estimate
The data captured here drives every estimate that follows. Incomplete P0 capture means estimates are guesses, pre-approved budgets have gaps, and every construction invoice becomes a judgment call at the compliance gate rather than a quick verification.
If incomplete
Estimates are guesses. Budget has gaps. Every invoice at Andrew's gate requires fresh judgment instead of a quick check against pre-approved scope. Holding cost projection impossible, blocking cash flow planning.
Gate P0 → P0.5
Purchase confirmed. Shlomo provides design intent. Andrew has preliminary scope. IHA team (Jao + Kim) engaged to begin plans.
§ 01.5 · Phase Zero-Point-Five
Design & Permitting
plans before permits
The IHA team (Jao + Kim) produces all architectural and detail plans before any construction vendor is engaged. Shlomo iterates on the design; Garfinkel provides the final structural sign-off. Permits are submitted once Garfinkel approves. No construction can begin until permits are issued.
If incomplete
Permits delayed or denied. Construction begins without approved plans, creating code compliance risk on every inspection. Change orders mid-construction cost significantly more than design revisions pre-permit. Missing legal/zoning fields mean permit application must stop and restart.
Gate P0.5 → P1
Permits issued. Garfinkel has signed off on final plan set. All IHA deliverables filed to Dropbox property folder. Andrew's budget aligned to permitted scope.
§ 02 · Phase One
Site, Shell & Structure
locking the physical envelope
Once the shell is underway, decisions become hard to reverse. Confirming scope at each WO level here allows P2 estimates to firm up and keeps the compliance gate fast on the largest individual invoices in the project.
If incomplete
P2 estimates float. Compliance reviews slow — Andrew checks invoices against scope that was never formally locked. If sqft_above_grade changes from P0, all downstream estimates must be recalculated.
Gate P1 → P2
Shell physically complete (framing, roofing, windows rough-in). All P1 WO scope confirmed; VPT rows entered and compliance-approved.
§ 03 · Phase Two
Building Systems & Exterior
the decisions that set Phase 3 cost
Grade decisions made in P2 — HVAC type, fixture grade, electrical service size, driveway material — have large multiplier effects on P3 finish costs. Locking these before procurement reduces change-order risk in the most expensive phase.
If incomplete
P3 estimates float. Grade decisions made mid-finish phase are expensive — tile already ordered, cabinetry in production. Cost overruns in P3 almost always trace back to grade decisions not locked in P2.
Gate P2 → P3
Systems rough-in complete and inspected. All grade decisions confirmed by Shlomo before any finish materials are ordered or procurement begins.
§ 04 · Phase Three
Finishes & Closeout
where the budget is won or lost
Finish costs are the most variable in the project and the most sensitive to late decisions. Locking quantities and grades before procurement prevents re-orders and delays. Punch list tracking begins here — every unresolved item is an obstacle to closing.
If incomplete
Late grade decisions cause re-orders and delays. Punch list scope ambiguous — harder to close vendor obligations. Final cost rollup has unallocated expenses that cloud the P&L.
Gate P3 → P4
Punch list fully resolved and closed. All invoices entered in QB. Final inspection passed. All P3 VPT rows marked PAID.
§ 05 · Phase Four
Disposition & Sale
closing the circle
P4 is where the project's financial story is written — and where data quality across P0–P3 either pays off or exposes every gap. Complete P4 capture closes the cost library loop, making the next acquisition estimate sharper.
If incomplete
Final P&L is inaccurate. Variance analysis impossible. The cost library is never updated — future P0 estimates stay at the same confidence level regardless of how many projects are completed.
The Circle Closes
actuals become the next estimate
The value of this system compounds over time. When P4 actuals are fully captured at the cost-code level, they update the cost library — which makes the P0 estimate on the next property more accurate. A more accurate P0 estimate means a tighter pre-approved budget. A tighter pre-approved budget means Andrew's compliance gate during construction is faster and more reliable — he's checking invoices against scope he already approved, not making fresh judgment calls. Faster compliance means cleaner AP. Cleaner AP means better vendor relationships and better cash flow.
This only works when every phase's data is complete. A single phase with missing grade decisions or unrecorded actuals breaks the chain.
P4 actuals complete
→
Cost library updated
→
P0 estimate accurate
→
Pre-approved budget tight
→
Compliance gate fast
→
AP flows cleanly
→
Cash flow predictable
→
Better acquisitions
↩
The two highest-leverage inputs across all phases: sqft_above_grade (appears in nearly every construction formula) and owner grade decisions (largest cost multiplier in P2 and P3). These two determine estimate accuracy more than any other variables.