You’ve decided it’s time to buy a house. You go online, and you find a ton of different housing options and locations. Now you need to make sure that the homes you like are in the right area with all your desired amenities nearby (grocery, school, dentist, etc.). Then you need to figure out a plan to visit all the options. It seems overwhelming, doesn’t it? Don’t worry; you’re not alone. In fact, according to a survey by Homes.com, 2 in 5 people described buying a home as “the most stressful event in modern life.” Luckily, there are tools, like Maptive.com, out there to help.
Mapping software allows you to take your spreadsheet data and turn it into a custom map. In doing so, you can:
- analyze the demographic data of the neighborhoods of your prospective houses,
- visualize the distance from your future home to amenities,
- and plan the route you’ll take to visit all your options.
Here are the top 5 mapping software options you should consider if you’re hunting for a new home:
1.EasyMapMaker
This online software program takes your spreadsheet data and turns it into a hosted map in the cloud. It allows you to upload large data sets, up to 15,000 locations, and offers turn by turn text navigation. This application’s main feature is its contour lines (aka radius around points), which allows you to view the density of distances from specific locations. You can also customize your map with styles, pins, pin labels, filters, and heat map layers. Additionally, you can add filters to narrow down your selections.
2.Maptive
Maptive takes your spreadsheet data and turns it into a custom Google Map. It features custom colors, route planning, geographic boundaries, census data, heat maps, and radiuses. The foundation of this program is Google’s geographic information system (GIS) and mapping platform. (This platform is considered to be the best GIS system on the market). You can import data from a variety of sources and layer them on the map. The data will then be available as an interactive map where you can analyze it using heat maps, boundaries, demographic data, and radiuses. All maps can be downloaded as pdf and are printable. Additionally, the Maptive website provides detailed tutorials and explanations on how to get the most out of the program.
3.mapline
This software will create a map from Excel that allows you to plot your data. The program is hosted entirely online, so you don’t need to worry about downloading or installing anything onto your hard drive. It features customized pins, route building, territory creation, and heat mapping tools. Additionally, it provides analytic tools such as segments, filters, and territory reporting so you can find the important trends in your data.
4.Google My Maps
My Maps allows you to create a custom map that is available on both desktop and mobile. The program is simple to operate. All you have to do is search for a place and save it to the map. Alternatively, if you’re standing at a location you want to keep, it allows you to “drop a pin” marking that spot on your map. You can add markers and plan routes. However, it doesn’t allow you to upload data from a spreadsheet, and customization options are limited.
5. eSpatial
This program is available on mobile and allows you to add data from multiple sources. You can customize the size and color of individual data points, customize the symbols you use, create distinct labels, and insert annotations. It also features various map styles, such as heat maps, pin maps, bubble maps, and radius maps. Additionally, eSpatial offers intelligent route mapping.
Making your Choice
Whichever software program you decide to go with needs to provide you with important information such as what amenities are nearby, where the schools are, and the distance to your work. They should also be able to help you plan your route for visiting the homes you’re interested in, and if they are printable or downloadable as a pdf, that’s a bonus.