Leave with a plan, not just a list of addresses
A day spent visiting three candidates can produce a clear shortlist or three sets of impressions that are difficult to compare. The difference often starts before you leave: decide what you want to learn at each stop and how you will record it.
LaundryLocation, our tool for comparing neighbourhood demographics around U.S. addresses, provides a PDF, CSV and site-visit checklist. Use that pack as a common reference while you add the details that come from seeing each place.
Prepare a short brief for each stop
Put the address, appointment details and your main unanswered question at the top of the page. Keep the report nearby, but do not make reading every number the purpose of the visit.
For one candidate, the key question may be the approach from nearby housing. For another, it may be whether the entrance is visible from the route people actually use. A brief question keeps your attention on something you can observe.
Record the route as well as the building
Approach the premises the way a potential customer might. Notice the last part of the journey, where carrying a bag or trolley becomes relevant. A place that looks convenient on a map can feel different at the entrance.
Record the time and conditions of the visit with your observations. A quiet street at one moment is a snapshot, not a full description of the week. If timing could change your view, make a specific return visit one of the next actions.
Keep facts, impressions and questions apart
Use three headings in your notes. Facts are things you confirmed. Impressions are what the visit felt like. Questions are what you still need to establish. This simple separation makes the notes easier to use when the visits blur together later.
For example, 'entrance behind the corner' is an observation; 'customers may miss it' is an interpretation; 'what signage is permitted?' is a follow-up question. Each has a place, but they do different jobs.
Finish the day by choosing the next action
Review all candidates on the same day if possible. Give each one a next step: investigate further, request missing information, revisit or remove from the shortlist. You do not need to force a winner just because you completed the route.
Create your LaundryLocation comparison before the visits, then return to the same pack afterward. The value is a more coherent research process, from the first address to the next useful conversation.
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