Practical guide · Platform Terms · Basic level · 6 min read ·
How do you read a project sheet?
A Circular Urban project sheet gathers everything you need to decide: what the asset is, what stage it's at, how much each participation costs, how its results are projected, what its risks are and which documents back it. Read it top to bottom, leave the return figure for last and use the simulator only once you understand the rest.
In 30 seconds
- The header tells you what the project is, its status and what it costs to come in.
- Profitability is a reference projection; risk and documents weigh as much or more.
- Every technical term has its own FAQ lesson: don't move on with doubts.
Before you start
The sheet is each project's page at Circular Urban. You can read most of it without an account, but some sections, such as the financial performance charts and document downloads, ask you to sign in. To follow this guide:
- Open a real sheet in another tab, for example Circular Houses, and walk through it as you read.
- If you want to see everything, create your account: it's free and doesn't commit you to participate.
- Keep a notebook handy for the questions that come up.
Step by step
- 1
The header: what it is and what it costs to come in
At the top you see the project type, its status, the total project value (an estimate that may change) and the value of each participation. Also the active wave and how many participations have been sold. 'Available soon' means it isn't on sale yet; 'Sold out' means that wave is over. Here is what a ticket or participation is.
- 2
About the project, Gallery and Location
These sections tell you what the asset is, what it looks like and where it is. Read them with one question in mind: where does the income come from? Nights of stay, rents, energy sales. If you can't explain in your own words how the project makes money, read again before moving on.
- 3
Profitability and Financial Performance
The Profitability section separates what comes from sales or operations from appreciation, and states that results are subject to project performance. It is a projected return, not a promise. The Financial Performance charts tell historical data apart from projections and, in some projects, show several scenarios.
- 4
- 5
Risk
This section speaks plainly: every participation carries risk, including the possibility of loss. Read it in full, because before participating you sign a risk disclosure that says exactly that. If a risk would keep you up at night, that project may not be for you.
- 6
Documents and the company
Documents holds the project's supporting papers, such as the property certificates with their registration number; with it you can check the title certificate. The Structure sections explain which company you would become a shareholder of. Before paying, you also read the participation agreement.
- 7
The Simulator, last
With the simulator you pick an amount and see how many participations it buys and how the projections would look. Use it last, once you've read the rest: what it shows is a reference based on assumptions, not an outcome.
An example
Andrés opens a sheet and, before looking at returns, notes what the header says. This is an illustrative example, not a real project.
| Project type | Short-term rental and coliving |
|---|---|
| Project status | Operating |
| Wave | Wave #2 |
| Participations sold | Bar about halfway |
| His conclusion | There's a track record: read the operation figures |
In two minutes Andrés knows what kind of asset it is, that it already operates and that the wave is still open. So his next stop isn't the simulator: it's the real operating data and the risk section.
Questions you'll have
Why do some sections ask me to sign in?
Financial performance charts and document downloads are for registered users. Creating an account is free and doesn't oblige you to participate. That way we can show more detailed project information while knowing who is viewing it.
What's the difference between the total project value and the participation value?
The total project value is what the whole project costs, and it's an estimate that may change. The participation value is the price of each unit you can acquire in the active wave. You take part with one or more of those units, not with the total value.
Is the return on the sheet what I will receive?
Not necessarily. It is a non-binding reference projection, built on assumptions about occupancy, rates and costs. Actual results depend on the project's performance and can be higher or lower. That's why it's worth looking at historical data too, where it exists, and at the risk section.
Why does a solar project's sheet look different?
Because the business is different: instead of nights of stay, income comes from selling energy to a client under a long-term contract. On Solar Subway La Pintada, for example, the sheet explains the system, the contract with the store and its term. The underlying questions are the same: asset, operator, documents, risks and exit.
What do I do if a project says 'Available soon'?
It means you can't participate yet. You can read what's already published and leave your details so we let you know when it opens. It's a good moment to review the sheet without any rush, before the wave opens.
What if I don't understand a term on the sheet?
Look it up in Circular Urban's FAQ: terms such as wave, occupancy, RevPAR or appreciation each have their own lesson with examples. If you still have doubts after reading, ask us before deciding. A participation you don't understand isn't a good participation.
Common mistakes
- Myth
What matters on the sheet is the return.
- In reality
The return is a projection. The asset, the operation, the risk and the documents tell you whether that projection makes sense.
- Myth
If the simulator shows a figure, that's what I'll get.
- In reality
The simulator applies assumptions to your amount. It's a reference for understanding the project, not a committed result.
- Myth
Documents are small print nobody reads.
- In reality
They back everything else. Reading the property certificates and the participation agreement is what turns a nice page into an informed decision.
Your first step
Read your first sheet end to end
Open the Circular Houses sheet and walk through it section by section with this guide. Note your questions and settle them before simulating any amount.
Open the Circular Houses sheetKeep learning
This content is educational. Every participation carries risks inherent to the project, including the possibility of partial or total loss, and results are subject to each project's actual performance.
