Skip to content

project_roadmap.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
186 lines (129 loc) · 7.66 KB

project_roadmap.md

File metadata and controls

186 lines (129 loc) · 7.66 KB
Raw

🗓️ Self-Storage Tracker — Roadmap to July 3rd

Start: June 24, 2026  |  Deadline: July 3, 2026  |  Total: 9 days

Important

Each phase builds directly on the last. Nothing is skipped or rushed. By following this order you'll always have a working, runnable system at every stage — not half-built pieces.

Overview

Phase Days Dates Deliverable
1 — Foundation 1–2 Jun 24–25 Project runs, DB exists, API keys connected
2 — Data Collectors 3–4 Jun 26–27 Real data flowing into DB from all sources
3 — Dashboard 5–6 Jun 28–29 Live Streamlit dashboard with map & charts
4 — Email Reports 7 Jun 30 Daily HTML email sends successfully
5 — Automation 8 Jul 1 Task Scheduler runs everything automatically
6 — Polish & Buffer 9 Jul 2–3 Fully tested, documented, production-ready

Phase 1 — Foundation (Jun 24–25)

Goal: A working skeleton you can run end-to-end, even with no real data yet.

Day 1 — Jun 24

  • [✅] Create project folder structure
  • [✅] Set up Python virtual environment (venv)
  • [✅] Create requirements.txt and install all libraries
  • [✅] Create config.py and .env.example
  • [✅] Create SQLite database with all tables (db_setup.py)
  • [✅] Verify DB opens and tables are created correctly

Day 2 — Jun 25

  • [] Register for free API keys:
    • [] Google Maps Places API (console.cloud.google.com)
    • RentCast API (rentcast.io/api)
    • Brevo email account (brevo.com)
  • Store keys in .env file
  • Confirm each API key works with a simple test call
  • Create collectors/run_all.py (stub/skeleton — no real scrapers yet)

✅ Phase 1 Exit Criteria: python db_setup.py runs clean. API keys verified working.

Phase 2 — Data Collectors (Jun 26–27)

Goal: Real pricing data from NoVa self-storage facilities flowing into the database.

Day 3 — Jun 26

  • Google Maps Collector — find all storage facilities in target ZIP codes, save to DB
  • SpareFoot Scraper — scrape unit sizes, monthly rates, availability, promotions
  • Verify 10+ facilities with pricing data appear in DB
  • Add basic logging so you can see what's happening

Day 4 — Jun 27

  • Brand scrapers — Public Storage, Extra Space Storage, CubeSmart NoVa locations
  • MLS/Market Collector — RentCast API for housing market stats per ZIP code
  • Wire all collectors into run_all.py
  • Run full pipeline end-to-end, verify DB is populated with clean data

✅ Phase 2 Exit Criteria: python collectors/run_all.py populates the database with real pricing data from ≥10 NoVa facilities.

Phase 3 — Streamlit Dashboard (Jun 28–29)

Goal: A beautiful, interactive dashboard showing all collected data visually.

Day 5 — Jun 28

  • Create dashboard/app.py skeleton with Streamlit
  • Build KPI cards row (total facilities, avg rates, active MLS listings)
  • Build interactive map (Folium) — pin each facility, click for pricing popup
  • Build sidebar filters (ZIP code, brand, date range)
  • Verify streamlit run dashboard/app.py launches and map shows facilities

Day 6 — Jun 29

  • Build price trend line chart (Plotly) — avg rate over time by brand
  • Build pricing comparison table — sortable, shows rate changes week-over-week
  • Build promotions panel — cards with current deals/discounts
  • Build MLS correlation panel — listings count vs. storage rate trends
  • Apply custom CSS for premium look (gradient header, card shadows, color palette)

✅ Phase 3 Exit Criteria: Dashboard runs locally, shows map + charts + tables with real data. Looks polished.

Phase 4 — Email Reports (Jun 30)

Goal: A professional HTML email generated from today's data and sent successfully.

Day 7 — Jun 30

  • Build HTML email template (Jinja2) — styled summary stats, price changes, promotions
  • Add green/red indicators for rate changes vs. prior day
  • Add "View Full Dashboard" button linking to Streamlit app URL
  • Wire Brevo API sender (email_reports/sender.py)
  • Send a test email and verify it looks correct on desktop + mobile
  • Add email logging to DB (who received it, when, success/fail)

✅ Phase 4 Exit Criteria: python email_reports/sender.py --test sends a correctly formatted email.

Phase 5 — Automation (Jul 1)

Goal: The entire system runs itself, every day, with no manual action.

Day 8 — Jul 1

  • Create scheduler/daily_job.py — runs collectors at 6:30 AM, email at 7:00 AM
  • Create scheduler/setup_windows_task.ps1 — registers the job in Windows Task Scheduler
  • Run the PowerShell script to register the task
  • Verify Task Scheduler shows job as active
  • Manually trigger the task to confirm full pipeline runs unattended
  • Set up error alerting (send email if scraper fails)

✅ Phase 5 Exit Criteria: Windows Task Scheduler runs the full pipeline automatically. You receive the email without doing anything.

Phase 6 — Polish & Buffer (Jul 2–3)

Goal: Fully tested, documented, and stable. Buffer time for any surprises.

Day 9 — Jul 2–3

  • End-to-end test: let full automated cycle run overnight Jul 1→2, verify Jul 2 email arrived
  • Fix any broken scrapers (websites change structure)
  • Write README.md — setup guide, how to add ZIP codes, how to add email recipients
  • Final dashboard visual polish (fonts, colors, spacing)
  • Optional: deploy Streamlit to Streamlit Community Cloud (public URL, free)
  • Optional: add a second email recipient

✅ Phase 6 Exit Criteria: System runs two consecutive days automatically. Dashboard is shareable. Documentation is clear.

Daily Time Estimate

Each phase is designed to be achievable in 2–4 hours of focused work per day:

Day Hours Needed Complexity
Jun 24 2–3 hrs 🟢 Low
Jun 25 1–2 hrs 🟢 Low (API signups)
Jun 26 3–4 hrs 🟡 Medium
Jun 27 3–4 hrs 🟡 Medium
Jun 28 2–3 hrs 🟡 Medium
Jun 29 3–4 hrs 🟡 Medium
Jun 30 2–3 hrs 🟢 Low
Jul 1 2–3 hrs 🟡 Medium
Jul 2–3 1–2 hrs 🟢 Low (buffer)

What I Build vs. What You Set Up

Task Who Does It
All code (scrapers, dashboard, email, scheduler) ✅ Me (Antigravity)
Register Google Maps API key (free) 🔑 You
Register RentCast API key (free) 🔑 You
Register Brevo account (free) 🔑 You
Confirm target ZIP codes & email recipient 🔑 You
Approve each phase before we move on 🔑 You

Starting Point — Right Now

Note

We're ready to begin Phase 1 today (Jun 24) as soon as you confirm:

  1. Which ZIP codes in NoVa/DC Metro to target
  2. What email address should receive the daily report

Tell me these two things and I'll start building immediately.