How does a visualiser bring a new-build development to life?
A designers’ eye view of creating a new build development, from brief to finished design We spoke with our very own Visualiser, George Thomas, to get a behind the scenes insight into how Modunite’s CGI process goes from client brief to finished product. Take a look at how George took on Canham Homes’ 23-plot Brook Place new-build development! Can you describe the overall design process? Given the scale of the project, it was essential to establish clear stages to ensure efficiency. The process began with modelling each of the individual dwellings within Brook Place separately, allowing us to focus on the architectural details of each unit. The next stage involved creating the basic site layout and topography, closely following the survey points provided by the client to ensure accuracy. Subsequent steps included integrating the dwellings into the site, refining the landscape, and adding environmental details to create a realistic and cohesive visualisation. Throughout the project, regular feedback loops were implemented to align the CGI development with the client’s evolving vision. This ensures that the final images accurately represent the new-build development. Which specialist skills or techniques did you use on this project? A range of practices were employed to achieve accurate results from the initial brief from Canham Homes. Firstly, we engaged in thorough discussions with the client to fully understand their vision for the development. This was followed by in-depth research into the specific building materials and architectural features they planned to use, ensuring that the CGI visuals would maximise realism. Research played a crucial role throughout the process. We studied Canham Homes’ previous developments to understand their overall design aesthetic and maintain consistency with their brand. Additionally, we researched local flora and adapted the landscaping plan accordingly to create an accurate and regionally appropriate CGI representation of the development. By combining these practices with a careful attention to detail, we were able to produce visuals that not only met but exceeded the client’s expectations, providing a highly realistic and cohesive portrayal of the new property development. Which parts of the design were your favourite to make? My favourite part of the process is the landscaping. Meticulously following the landscaping plan, I enjoy adding each specific species of trees and plants, transforming a basic site with only buildings into a warm and inviting community. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the development evolve into a place that feels truly homely. Were there any challenging features within the design/brief? Each dwelling presented its own set of challenges due to the complexity and variations in design. For example, the detailed tile work on the front of House 5 (The Chartwell) required careful attention to accurately reflect its character. Similarly, the unconventional roof design of Home 8 (The Fulham) needed special consideration to capture its unique structure. Overall, each home had distinct architectural features that needed to be accurately represented in the CGI, ensuring that every property maintained its individuality while fitting into the broader development To find out more, or to get your CGI journey started, get in touch today! You can get in touch with the team and find out more about Canham Homes and Brook Place here
Using CGI to visualise renovations and raise investment
Helping the Island Haven charity grow awareness and boost fundraising through CGI imagery “How Modunite interpreted the visuals from the architect plans is absolutely superb, donations have shot up 100%” Client Overview and ChallengeThe Island Haven Charity is a non-profit organisation set up to provide refuge for residents and visitors to the Isles of Scilly, off the coast of Cornwall, in times of emergency. Island Haven approached Modunite to help visualise the renovation of a property to be used as a home from home for those recovering once discharged from Trellis Hospital in Truro before returning to the Isles. The main challenge posed by Island Haven was to find a way to help translate the charity’s vision of their property, which was undergoing refurbishment, to the volunteers, donors and contractors in charge of the renovation. Additionally, Island Haven would look to a visual representation of the final design to help with their fundraising efforts whilst also including it within their overall marketing strategy to gain visibility for what they do. SolutionThe Modunite team helped charity trustee Tim Reeve and Island Haven by providing CGI visuals of the ‘finished product’. The imagery would allow stakeholders and potential donors to see how the house would look once complete in granular detail, answering questions that were commonly raised on how exactly it would be used and what facilities it would include. The CGI visuals would help the charity fast track the entire fundraising and building process, with donors finding it easier to see the outcome of the project ahead of completion and build excitement towards it. OutcomeThe charity has seen an uplift in donations of around 100% since using the Modunite visuals, allowing it to recoup funds used in the renovation process whilst also gaining further visibility for the project. Tim commented on the CGI imagery produced for the project, “The visuals are really good, very life like. In terms of the fee, the results far outweigh the investment and I’d recommend it to others in a similar position”. He continued, “I just think the experience has been really good. Service has been fantastic”. The use of the CGI imagery has now become an integral part of the Island Haven marketing strategy and has even allowed them to begin planning a second property, with a clear plan on how to use CGI to maximise their exposure and fundraising efforts. To find out more, or to get your Property CGI journey started, get in touch today! To learn more about The Island Haven charity, you can get in touch with the team here
Bringing spaces to life with quality and diversity
Helping The BA Partnership create choice for corporate clients “Our portfolio has almost doubled since we started working with Modunite” Client Overview and ChallengeThe BA Partnership are masters in creating and managing bespoke office spaces for corporate clients. Each project they undertake aims to exceed their clients’ expectations, working to create thriving environments for companies ranging from small start-ups to large corporations, whilst assisting landlords and building owners maximise the return on their assets. A returning customer, The BA Partnership, initially approached Modunite with the aim to maximise their ability to showcase office spaces for clients, allowing them greater visibility when sharing projects. The main challenge was enabling clients to view a full range of bespoke options via a single image or link which would also be of high enough quality to entice prospective clients through the door. SolutionThe key solution provided to help The BA Partnership achieve their goals was to create a platform in which they could share multiple CGI images via a single link, which would then branch out to allow visibility across a range of imagery and paint a full picture of the space in question. Head of Sales at The BA Partnership, Lee Tyreman said, “the on screen ‘choices’ button has instantly become invaluable and a great tool for clients to review 2/3 options on the single platform”. This more efficient approach would enable The BA Partnership to streamline their marketing efforts using just a single platform and create a more attractive customer experience. OutcomeWith the choices feature becoming an instant hit with The BA Partnership and their clients, it was crucial to continue to develop and improve the quality of the CGI imagery that would be viewed. Lee went on the comment, “Over the past 12 months or so, the development of the finished product has been huge, the diversity and quality has continually stepped up and we are very appreciative of that”. Since using Modunite’s imagery The BA Partnership’s portfolio has nearly doubled, with Lee describing Modunite’s CGI as “the backbone of our marketing” with the primary role of getting clients through the door to view their properties. Not only was Lee pleased with the growth in quality of the imagery and the positive results, he was also full of praise for the Modunite process as a whole, noting the review meetings and access to members of the design team, as well as quick amendments and revisions, as key highlights. To find out more, or to get your 3D interior rendering journey started, get in touch today! To learn more about The BA Partnership, you can get in touch with Lee and the team here
The Guide to Off-plan Success with GTH
Modunite Managing Director, Michael, caught up with Owen Setter, Head of New Homes at Greenslade Taylor Hunt (GTH), for a Q & A to discuss the key to successfully marketing off-plan and new-build homes. Having worked to provide GTH with CGI imagery for their off-plan marketing strategy, we decided to pick Owen’s brain on what he thinks the magic ingredient is in growing leads and converting off-plan sales. Obviously CGI is an important part of any pre-completion marketing, but CGI visuals must play their part in a greater marketing strategy to be used to their full potential and get complete success. Q. Owen, what are the other key aspects that developers should consider to make up a rounded off-plan marketing strategy? Firstly, I think real clarity in terms of what a buyer can expect. You’re entering into a situation in which there’ll be a lot of questions, you’re not taking the buyer into the finished product so they’re not able to see all of the potential pitfalls or issues for themselves. Being able to answer the smaller questions like ‘can I fit 2 cars on the driveway?’ goes a long way to building consumer confidence in the product. It’s crucial to be prepared with the smaller details, and being able to confidently tell a potential customer how the garden will look and if they’ll have turf etc can genuinely make all the difference, a house is a substantial purchase so it’s important to have glanced a critical eye over the property from the perspective of a home buyer before you go to market. Q. I love that. The saying is that a confused customer never buys, and I guess when it’s something of this magnitude these things can play an important role in decision making? Absolutely. Depending on what the market conditions are like at any one time can affect the impact that has. So if we’re talking two years ago, we’re at a point where houses were selling super quick, without being on the market for more than a couple of minutes. We’re not in that situation anymore. There’s far more choice out there. And so as a result of that, if you have that little bit of doubt on your products you could lose out when there’s probably three or four other products that that buyer is considering. So I think it’s important to have that foundation in place to increase customer confidence from the outset. Q. So we’ve covered the key to growing that confidence, but what would you say is the number one challenge to be aware of? What would you say is the main thing that developers might get wrong in their plan that could have a big impact on the sales process? There’s a phrase that we use, which is going too early. Ultimately, it comes back to what I was saying about not being prepared enough at that early stage. If you are going to go early in commerce, you need to do so with either the knowledge that there’s real pent up interest in that location for that type of product. That means that it almost doesn’t matter what you’re listing as you know there’s going to be buyers for it. If you don’t have that level of competence, then you need to make sure that you are being selective about what you offer to make sure that it is meeting a level of demand at the right time. There’s almost no point in putting a house to the open market if it hasn’t started being built and you don’t anticipate it being completed within the next six months regardless of how well marketed it may be. With all the will in the world unless you find an incredibly patient cash buyer it’s going to be sat on the market for six months before you’re able to really get any traction on it, at which point it starts to look stale and people start to ask questions about why it hasn’t sold yet. But the reality is it may be because it’s been serving the market with the same CGI for the last six months with no real world progression, which is crucial to make the CGI stage of sales as effective as possible. Some great advice and answers from Owen there really emphasising the importance of having a well thought out sales and marketing strategy, putting particular weight against getting into the buyers head to understand the small details that may raise questions and being able to answer those seamlessly. The timing of when you start your marketing activity, or the contents at different phases, is critical as well in order to keep the listing fresh and enticing for potential buyers. Just because your off-plan property isn’t built doesn’t mean you can’t market it, it just means that you need to plan each phase cleverly over the period building to completion. This is where different types of CGI can play their part to keep engagement throughout the process, starting with static Property CGI and progressing to VR walkthroughs and 360 Virtual Tours which can complement early stage real life imagery too. To find out more about how Modunite can help improve your off-plan strategy, get in touch today! Find out more about GTH or get in touch with Owen.
Creating vintage designs for bespoke wine cellars
Client Overview and Challenge The Wine Cellar Company, based in South East England, is renowned for creating bespoke wine cellar designs in addition to intricate modular ‘Hex’ wine cellars for its clients. Despite the preservation and storage of wine being at the forefront of their business, The Wine Cellar Company also curates beautiful and functional spaces which elevate any home or business with class and quality. Paul Bettsworth, Founder of The Wine Cellar Company, came to Modunite with the challenge of improving their conversion rates when showcasing designs and concepts to prospective customers whilst simultaneously creating a more streamlined and enjoyable customer journey. Solution Although not the standard home-build CGI imagery, the intricacy and quality needed by The Wine Cellar Company made the project a very exciting and interesting one for Modunite. As described by Paul Bettsworth, each wine cellar is a “piece of extraordinary art” and it is important across all projects with them to do justice to this through a range of high quality images, highlighting each element and feature from the shelving to lighting and wood effects to the wine bottles themselves. Paul commented, “CGI for us was a complete no-brainer for us. From the initial client brief to total visualisation of our designs”. One of the key things needed by The Wine Cellar Company was clear, sharp imagery of a standard in line with what their clients would expect. This is one of the reasons that Paul approached Modunite in particular, understanding the alignment in producing high quality visuals each and every time. Outcome The CGI imagery produced for The Wine Cellar Company had to cover each project from various angles, really bringing to life and giving a sparkle to each corner and aspect of the room, becoming an integral part of their sales and marketing process. Paul Bettsworth commented on working with the Modunite team, “The process absolutely works, from discussing changes from the first draft with an online meeting to the finished visuals”. It wasn’t just the process with Modunite that Paul was pleased with but the overall product and the effect it has on his own client journeys, “We convert our sales every time now, with no changes by our clients on the visuals we submit. The visuals most definitely contribute to our customer experience”. To find out more, or to get your CGI journey started, get in touch today! Learn more about The Wine Cellar Company or get in touch with Paul and the team here
Integrating off-plan developments with existing landscapes
Client Overview and Challenge Duffy Property Group is an Irish property developer with decades of experience in building properties from the ground up. With a portfolio catering to diverse lifestyles and preferences, their expertise and experience ranges from luxurious residential complexes through to state-of-the-art commercial spaces. The group approached Modunite to work alongside them on a mixed-use residential living and commercial office space project, after finding that allowing prospective clients and other parties to visualise how the buildings will look, internally and externally, on completion had a huge impact on the volume of leads and off-plan sales. One of the key aspects for Duffy Property Group was the importance of how the buildings would interact with the existing surrounding landscape when in situ to ensure that the property blends in whilst remaining visually appealing, something that would benefit both sales strategies and planning processes alike. Solution It was vital for Duffy Property Group to work with a company that had experience and understanding across both commercial and residential properties, knowing how best to portray developments to get the best results. This is when the group approached Modunite, seeing the varied CGI projects that resonated with them for both residential apartment buildings and commercial office units. We produced a comprehensive package for a multi-use residential and commercial development curated by Duffy Property Group. The package included external shots to represent a range of viewpoints, including aerial, low-angle and mid-level panoramic views. In addition, we would provide 3D interior renders, showing not only empty true-to-size space but fully dressed office interiors, to enable those looking to lease the facilities a true understanding of how their workspace could look. Outcome The Property CGIs produced would go on to become a key part of not only marketing the off-plan spaces themselves, but brand promotion for Duffy Property Group who could then showcase the development to represent their own brand. The team were impressed with Modunite’s onboarding process and efficient delivery. “Modunite really understood the brief we gave them from the start” commented Mike Duffy, Development Director at Duffy Property Group. He continued, “They worked through the design in just a matter of days, with feedback provided throughout the process”. The visuals became a cornerstone of the marketing processes that Duffy Property Group employed for their off-plan activities, with the aim of improved internal communications within their teams and an additional medium to promote the project as part of their off-plan marketing strategy. To find out more, or to get your CGI journey started, get in touch today! Learn more about Duffy Property Group or get in touch with Mike and the team here
Utilising VR, video and CGI imagery to bring the pre-marketing process to life
Case Study: Utilising VR, video and CGI imagery to bring the pre-marketing process to life Client Overview and Challenge A new customer of Modunite, Stirling Ackroyd approached the team on behalf of their client to freshen up their brochures to include high quality property CGI visuals. Finding that it was imperative to stand out from the competition, the London and South East based estate agents looked to Modunite for an affordable and inspiring solution. Rachel Hull, New Homes Sales Manager at Stirling Ackroyd, commented about their challenges, “We were looking to launch the development off-plan to begin with while the site was still under construction. Buyers would be able to come and take a look around the plot, however there was still a lot to be left to the imagination, which in a market where developers are competing with resale stock that buyers can walk into straight away meant that we needed to look towards CGI as a necessity for our marketing strategy.” Understanding the importance of a clear USP in their marketing strategy, Stirling Ackroyd made clear their aspirations of creating a visually enticing brochure that would enable prospective buyers to browse photorealistic imagery of their property portfolio to bring the in-progress plots to life. Solution The solution to Stirling Ackroyd’s challenge was to come to Modunite, leaning on our experience and expertise in bringing property imagery to life and allow their homes to get many viewings via their marketing efforts in a timely and efficient manner. In order to drive Stirling Ackroyd’s marketing forward, we provided a combination of still imagery, virtual reality walkthroughs, 360 virtual tours and video content to showcase every angle and detail involved in each individual property to give prospective buyers a true to life experience of their potential new home before ever stepping foot inside. The imagery has been utilised in various mediums, including listing the development on portals and online while also using it for the on-site hoardings and brochures that are sent out to buyers. Outcome The CGI visuals produced by Modunite made up a large portion of Stirling Ackroyd’s marketing for this project. With the development still ongoing, the CGI has been a vital tool in Stirling Ackroyd’s arsenal in order to show the prospective buyers what the final finish and detailed specifications will look like in their potential new home. Rachel commented on the outcome of the project, “I was very impressed with the final product produced, a lot of CGI produced comes out quite animated which is something we really wanted to avoid, so I was really happy when we got the final CGI back.” She went on to talk about her experience working with Modunite for the first time, “The team was very professional from start to finish. Will onboarded us over a video call and walked us through what they could do for us and took the time to know exactly what we were after. Being our first time using Modunite there were some changes and amendments we needed to make very quickly and Will and his team prioritised, making sure that the end product was with us in time to launch.” To find out more, or to get started with your architectural visualisation, get in touch today! If you’re looking for a great estate agent covering London and the South East – get in touch with Rachel and her team here
Using creative CGI and VR walkthroughs to increase off-plan engagement
Case Study: How creative CGI helped increase plot leads for Yellow Tree Capital and Canham Homes Challenge New Home Developers, Canham Homes entered into a joint venture with UK based property finance company Yellow Tree Capital, who in turn approached Modunite to help bring their latest 15 unit development, Henshaw Place, to life using engaging CGI property visuals. Yellow Tree Capital had previously worked with other agencies to create CGI and digital dressings for empty rooms, but the results often appeared unrealistic due to incorrect scales or poor lighting and shadow effects, potentially deterring buyers as the quality generally aligns with the trust in the properties being sold. In order to overcome the potential challenge of slow plot sales and create some bold new marketing, Canham Homes and Yellow Tree Capital came to Modunite with the brief of producing some fresh and inviting 3D interior renderings and Virtual Reality (VR) walkthroughs of the site. Clare Mitchell, Operations Manager at Yellow Tree Capital, commented on their challenges, “In an ideal world you’d get as many CGIs as you could to assist off-plan efforts, but on some of the more expensive plots and family homes, people want to explore the house, see the kitchen and see the kids bedrooms and spaces – however the pricing and turnaround for these images can often be too high to justify” Solution To help assist the partnership in their collective goals of selling their plots more efficiently, Modunite created some polished and detailed interior CGI images, helping potential buyers visualise their future home and giving a sense that the unfinished properties had a homely lived-in feel before they had even been finished. Beyond the still imagery, Modunite set about designing a smooth and fluid VR walkthrough. The use of VR in off-plan sales has proven extremely effective, including in this instance, with the user able to walk around their property at their own leisure, discovering every inch and angle of their potential new home and getting an almost tangible feel for it. Clare continued, “We found Modunites flexible approach great – we needed some images of the interior and some virtual reality to allow our customers to flythrough the property as if it was already built” Result On the back of the marketing campaign that included the VR and interior CGI elements, Yellow Tree Capital and Canham Homes saw an immediate and significant uplift in engagement and inquiries. The VR package that Modunite assembled not only included the walkthrough itself, but an immediate call to action for users to click through on to learn more without having to use an actual VR headset, it can be viewed in great quality using a phone, tablet or computer. This allows for user intent and actions to be tracked accurately, whilst also offering added value to the prospective buyer. Clare finished by saying, “We couldn’t recommend Modunite’s services more to any of our joint partners who want to ensure all plots have maximum interest from the right type of buyers. Working with the Modunite team has been a pleasure. Their management portal is user-friendly and makes providing feedback straightforward. We wish we had worked with Modunite from from the start, it would be interesting to see how much faster we could have secured off-plan reservations from the get go!” For more information on any of Modunite’s architectural visualisation or 360 Virtual Tours get in touch today. For details about how Yellow Tree Capital could help provide bespoke finance for your next project, head to Yellow Tree Capital.
Urban Base sells all units off plan with aid from Modunite CGI
Case Study: How Urban Base estate agents sold all their plots Off-Plan with support from Modunite 3D CGI Challenge Urban Base New Homes, a luxury new homes estate agent headquartered in the North of England, faced the pressing challenge to ensure all plots were sold quickly and efficiently for their client – Pimlico Homes. With buyers often hesitant to purchase off-plan without tangible visuals, Urban Base and Pimlico needed a quality CGI solution to convey the quality of the homes effectively. Solution Recognising the critical role of high-quality visuals in pre-sales marketing, Urban Base turned to Modunite for their renowned 3D CGI services. Modunite’s ability to produce detailed and inspiring CGIs at an affordable cost was pivotal. The team at Modunite delivered a series of vivid 3D renderings that captured the essence of the luxury homes, providing prospective buyers with a clear, evocative picture of what each property would look like upon completion. Jan Dale, a leading figure in new homes at Urban Base, emphasised the importance of these visuals: “Modunite CGI were a crucial part of our pre-sales marketing strategy and helped achieve all plots being sold.” Outcome The collaboration proved to be very successful, ultimately with all plots being sold off-plan! With Modunite’s property CGIs as a cornerstone of their marketing strategy, Urban Base was able to offer prospective buyers an immersive experience, allowing them to visualise their future homes with clarity and confidence. This strategy significantly enhanced buyer engagement and trust, ultimately resulting in the complete sale of all plots off-plan. Conclusion By providing more CGIs within the allocated budget, Modunite empowered Urban Base to present a comprehensive visual portfolio, ensuring that no detail was left to the imagination. This not only elevated the buying experience but also demonstrated the exceptional quality and unique value of the homes, driving swift and decisive purchasing decisions. In summary, the use of Modunite’s 3D CGI services was instrumental in Urban Base’s successful sale of all plots for Pimlico Homes, underscoring the impact of high-quality, affordable architectural visualisations in real estate marketing. To find out more, or to get your CGI journey started, get in touch today! If you’re looking for an outstanding agent for your new homes marketing – get in touch with Jan Dale and her team: https://urban-base.com/land-new-homes/
Revolutionising Off-Plan Marketing (Case Study)
Case Study: Changing the World of Off-Plan Marketing with Modunite’s Flexible 3D CGI Services Client Overview GTH (Greenslade Taylor Hunt) is an auction and property specialist based in the West Country, UK. Already a key player in the industry, GTH looked to Modunite to help bolster their off-plan marketing strategy with new and engaging concepts to keep their marketing fresh and unique. Owen Setter, Head of New Homes at GTH, sought the innovative solutions to enhance their developers’ off-plan marketing strategies, having faced challenges with traditional CGI companies’ rigid processes and high costs. Owen turned specifically to Modunite for a more adaptable approach to 3D property CGI services. Challenge Traditionally, the CGI services that had been used by or presented to Owen and his team offered limited flexibility, pressuring them into making early decisions about the type of CGI needed for individual projects without further opportunity to make adjustments later on. This lack of flexibility often led to increased costs and extended lead times to make necessary revisions, making it a less efficient process than it could have been. Solution Modunite stood out with its customer-centric approach, beginning each project with an in-depth consultation to understand specific needs and preferences. This collaborative planning phase was crucial in outlining a tailored CGI creation process that accommodated various requirements at different stages and allowed additional adaptability throughout. Key Highlights of Modunite’s Approach: Customised CGI Solutions: Modunite offered bespoke services, allowing for selective CGI creation based on project phases. Whether it was initial images or advanced video overlays, the focus was on meeting client-specific demands. Transparent and Reasonable Pricing: Unlike the industry norm of presenting hefty quotes for additional requests, Modunite introduced a cost-effective pricing model. This approach ensured that clients were not deterred by price when considering enhancements to their CGI content. Timely Deliveries: Recognising the importance of deadlines, Modunite committed to producing high-quality CGI within timelines that aligned with the client’s marketing schedules, ensuring no delays in promotional activities. Outcome Owen and GTH experienced firsthand the difference that flexibility and openness in the CGI process could make. The ability to adjust and expand CGI content without facing prohibitive costs or delays proved invaluable. This adaptability meant that projects could be marketed effectively from the outset, or enhanced as needed without restarting the process. Benefits Realised: Increased Marketing Efficiency: By eliminating the need for premature CGI selections, GTH could adapt its marketing strategy in real time, ensuring materials were always aligned with sales objectives. Cost Savings: The transparent and fair pricing model allowed for budget-friendly decisions on CGI adjustments, avoiding the financial strain typically associated with traditional CGI services. Improved Sales Outcomes: The flexibility to enhance or amend CGI content as projects evolved contributed to more effective marketing efforts, allowing for quicker potential sales. Owen Setter, Head of New Homes at GTH, said, “If you have some good quality CGIs as an example, it’s going to allow people to visualise what they’re purchasing much more easily. When you back that up with the kind of quality and flexibility that they’re buying with this CGI, that conversation with clients is really straightforward.” He went on to say, “When I presented the examples from your portfolio, there was a general consensus of ‘wow’ across the board.” Conclusion Modunite’s bespoke and flexible approach to 3D CGI has provided the team at GTH an invaluable tool in their off-plan marketing arsenal. Modunite have not only been able to overcome the limitations of traditional CGI processes through the customisable and cost-effective solutions available, their responsiveness and quality also help to raise the standard of the industry and its output. To find out more, or to get started with your architectural visualisations, get in touch today!
