A former Donaldson Group intern has developed a unique 3D house visualisation software tool to help housebuilders market new homes.

The fully walkable virtual home selection software, Spec3D, provides everything needed to digitalise entire show homes and manage and sell upgrades in full 3D.

Using cutting-edge technology, the platform gives housebuilders the power to let customers select key elements – such as kitchen units, bathroom tiles and bedroom enhancements – put them together and explore a realistic 3D version of their new home, from any device, at any time. The tool prices items as they’re added, and it has a customer management system that helps sales staff sell their homes easier.

Following a successful internship, Euan Gibson‑Smith, part of the Entrepreneurial Scotland Saltire Scholars programme, was given a full-time permanent position at the Donaldson Group, with a focus on the best use of virtual reality (VR) across the 17 businesses in the Group.

After developing a visual selector tool for the Group’s kitchen retailer business, Kitchens International, during his internship, Euan recognised that the technology could be effective for all parts of a house, which led to the creation of Spec3D.

The tool has seen immediate success, and within just nine months, the Spec3D team has signed deals with a number of housebuilders, including construction company, Easy Living Developments for a site in Fife, as well as securing two clients to supply website visualisers for their brands.

Commenting on the new brand, Euan said: “I was initially tasked with a project investigating the potential of VR within the Group. Through my research I found that the Interiors division would benefit from enhanced virtual visualisation tools. When the software was so well-received for kitchens, moving into the full house was an obvious next step.

“While show homes, samples, plans, and photos of existing developments have their place, some people struggle to see the full picture. This software lets homebuyers really see what their new home will looks like, and all from the comfort of their own home.”

Les Calder, Chief Technology Officer at the Donaldson Group adds: “The reaction so far has been fantastic. Customers are finding that it dramatically decreases sales office consultation time; reduces errors with a more streamlined management system; increases average upgrade order values and provides a more enjoyable house buying experience for all. Crucially, it allows housebuilders and developers to showcase all their new homes – and sell them – before they’ve even been built.”

Jacqueline Hutchison, Sales Liaison at Easy Living Developments said: “I couldn’t believe Euan hadn’t been in one of our houses when he sent the initial models over—it looked exactly like our House Types. The attention to detail was incredible, and it really feels like you are in the home when using the software.

“This software is going to completely transform how we sell homes and allow customers to easily customise their selections. We can’t wait to fully integrate it with our clients and see the impact and I can already tell it’s going to dramatically enhance the customer experience.”