Guides

Practical guides for mapping and maintaining a property

Method, checklists, and honest limits — written to be useful whether or not you ever install Mapstead.

Property Mapping

How to Create a Useful Map of Your Property
A practical method for mapping shutoffs, wells, septic components, drainage, outbuildings, and access points so your property map is genuinely useful later.
11 min read

Maintenance

Home Maintenance Records Checklist: What Property Owners Should Keep
Exactly which fields to capture for every piece of maintenance work, plus a recurring-schedule starting point and the records that matter most at resale.
10 min read

Documentation

How to Document Septic Systems, Wells, and Utility Shutoffs
A safe, records-first method for documenting septic components, private wells, and utility shutoffs — including what to photograph, what to file, and what never to do yourself.
12 min read

Property Handoff

Property Handoff Checklist for Owners, Buyers, and Caretakers
Everything worth transferring when a property changes hands — shutoffs, access, utilities, septic and well records, maintenance history, warranties, and known issues.
10 min read

Safety

Property Map vs. Parcel Map vs. Land Survey: What Is the Difference?
Understand what a personal property map, a county parcel map, a land survey, and a utility locate each do — and which one you actually need for a given question.
9 min read