Virtual reality was a thing of mystery in the early 1990s when it first started to pop up in music videos and major motion pictures. Pop culture was laden with images of people donning intricate helmets and gloves, with wires running from each into advanced computers and other equipment that looked as if it came right out of laboratories at NASA.
Needless to say, virtual reality has come a long way in the last quarter of a century, and what used to be an expensive toy is now available to anyone with a smartphone and basic tech knowledge. Homebuilding and design is perhaps the biggest industry that has benefited from virtual reality in the past year. Cadsoft® is among the leaders in the use of virtual reality for its design applications, proving to be an invaluable resource for designers, builders and homebuyers alike.
Thanks to television channels like HGTV and its lineup of shows, buyers today are far more informed than they ever have been before. That means that designers and builders had better have the most state of the art tools at their disposable if they hope to win a client’s business.
Traditionally, model homes have represented the most effective selling tool for home builders and designers. Model homes are the equivalent of test-driving a car before you buy it. There’s nothing quite like being able to actually walk into a physical representation of the home you’re considering building or buying.
Model homes do have one major downfall, though. If a potential buyer isn’t a big fan of the Corinthian tile that’s covering the 4300 square foot model home it’s not exactly logical to rip it out and install solid bamboo flooring just so they can see the difference.
Sure, builders can always show prospective clients photos and square foot samples of additional flooring options and other variables, but how many times have you heard of buyers seeing the final product and saying something like, “Gee, the kitchen looked a lot bigger in the photos,” or “I didn’t realize the floors were going to come out this dark–we’re really going to have to do something with the lighting in here now…” Photos and a binder full of samples simply can’t provide the kind of depth and scale that advanced modeling technology can.
That’s where modeling software comes in.
Working along with a potential buyer and your specifications for appliances, flooring, cabinets, etc. in Envisioneer™ you can create a 3D virtual model. Simply employ virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift™ or HTC Vive™ and take a virtual stroll through the home created. Your clients can look over every nook and cranny of the kitchen they’ve spent so much time thinking about, and they can finally see if it makes more sense to put the sink on the North wall or under the East window. Do you go with the Cali bamboo flooring or was the Corinthian tile the right call after all? Envisioneer™ and a virtual reality headset can help you make that decision before construction ever starts. Virtual reality will vividly show the user multiple options, making the pros and cons of design decisions clearer than ever. This in turn will prevent the buyer/builder from making major design mistakes or regrets that they’ll either have to live with or spend a fortune to fix.
Chances are you wouldn’t buy a six figure car without taking it for a test drive first and handpicking all of the accessories. Now you can apply the same careful process to the home buying experience. Visit www.cadsoft.com/products/virtual-reality/ for more information on how a world leader in 3D modeling capabilities can quite literally walk you through your dream home or project before a single nail is hammered.