Kingswood Homes Introduces Panorama 360 Virtual Viewings

KINGSWOOD Homes is offering buyers an enhanced buying experience with the introduction of panorama 360⁰ virtual tours of its latest development.

Working with Animmersion, it’s taken the Lancashire based SME homebuilder less than 12 months to develop the technology. Combined with the use of virtual reality headsets as part of the company’s Shape Your Home” concept, which allows customers to select from a range of floor plan configurations, it provides buyers with a truly immersive homebuying experience.

The Hawthorns in Elswick, near Preston, is the first development to have been given the panorama 360⁰ treatment. Subject to feedback it will be rolled out across more sites.

James Brown, head of design and technical at Kingswood Homes, explained: “The panorama 360⁰ represents a significant investment. Work to develop it started last July to support our use of gaming-style VR technology to demonstrate the options available through Shape Your Home. Our panorama tour is truly interactive, with quick loading times and the ability to navigate smoothly throughout the development and inside the homes and the gardens.

“It’s an incredible tool and doesn’t just improve the homebuying experience for our customers – it’s really helpful to me as a designer. I’ve used the technology to address design issues and amend plans before we’ve even started building,”

Sam Harrison managing director of Animmersion, said: “The collaboration with Kingswood has led to a solution that utilises cutting edge technology in an incredibly engaging way while making it simple and easy to use for both home buyers and the Kingswood team.

“With a single project we have been able to provide experiences for home buyers to virtually visit and explore Kingswood homes through a variety of channels including on the Kingswood website with 360 panoramas, in showrooms through touch screens and even in virtual reality.

“The online 360 panorama allows the user to walk through the homes and experience a true feel of the property in a unique way, customising the homes to their preferences. Combing this with virtual reality and touchscreen tours when visiting Kingswood sites provides a flexible, immersive and collaborative approach to buying a new home.”

The panorama 360⁰ can be experienced via the Kingswood Homes website or by using a height adjustable touch screen in the sales centre at The Hawthorns.

A 50-home development, located on Beech Road, Elswick The Hawthorns offers a choice of three, four and five-bedroom designs, currently available off plan.

Head of sales Lesley Myers added: “The land we’re building on in Elswick is going to be totally transformed and at this early stage in the development it can be difficult for people to visualise what it will look like. The panorama 360⁰ will make a massive difference to buyers. Plus,  once a home is water-tight, they will be able to use a VR headset to see what it would be like as a finished home, including testing out the different floor plans and specification options.”

For more information about Kingswood Homes see https://kingswoodhomes.uk.com.