New Opportunities for Using Floor Plans are Emerging…

Most of us are aware of the changes taking place in the real estate industry, thanks to emerging technology. Some examples of these changes are increased data automation and the demand from customers to make the experience convenient by communicating via smartphone.  There has been a rise in demand for aerial real estate footage to confirm property details and highlight features. Virtual and augmented reality property tours are becoming more common. These changes have been accelerated by the Coronavirus situation.  Consumers are making more decisions through online research as opposed to in-person property tours. Floor Plans are an important part of the picture.

A Comprehensive Residential Real Estate Marketing Package Includes a Floor Plan

In a National Association of Realtors survey, floor plans and virtual tours were ranked the highest of “very useful” features by 90% of home buyers searching online properties. As consumers come to expect this information to be available in all cases, the trend will most likely expand into other areas as well.

 

 

To take this a step further, retailers in certain categories, such as home furnishings, flooring, and paint might consider integrating floor plans as a tool to help customers. For example, If a customer wants to paint a room but has no idea of the size, the retailer might consider an integration that would allow the customer to create a floor plan and calculate how much paint they need to purchase before they shop.  In the grocery store, imagine eliminating the frustration of trying to find an item, with a searchable, interactive map attached to your shopping cart!  No matter the retail business, the visual information contained in a floor plan makes life easier for customers.

Vacation Rental Properties

The imaging needs for marketing vacation rental properties are quite similar to those for real estate listings.  Professional photography paired with a floor plan for the vacation rental will make that listing stand out from the others and shine online.  This feature is especially important for people booking a room in a private home, as it will clearly show where the room is located in relation to the shared areas of the home.

Photo by Adam Winger

Another day, another complex property floor plan with CubiCasa…

New Jersey based real estate photographer, Frank DiGiovanni knows how to create the best marketing materials for his clients. He provides a wide range of add-ons as part of his real estate business: 3D tours, video walk-through, flyers, twilight photos and virtual staging.

As Frank said: “I threw my most complex floorplan at CubiCasa and they did not disappoint!”

Do you have a success story using our app? We would love to feature you, simply send it to community@cubicasa.com 

Manufacturing Facility Layout

Manufacturing businesses and factories might benefit from having a simple floor plan to refer to for things such as wiring, cabling, placement of security cameras, and so on.  Having a floor plan readily available will allow for effective manufacturing facility layout and design. Companies with large distribution centers might use floor plans as a tool to plan routes for automated guided vehicles. Regarding the maximum size of the buildings, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to process any floor plans that are above 12,000 square feet (1,100 m2) of total scanned area.

Security Applications

Residential and commercial security companies might use a floor plan to work with for planning the location of cameras and other equipment.  Once the security system is in place, a floor plan might also be used to show real-time status of open and locked doors, and monitor how many people are in the building using heatmaps.

Insurance

Insurance agencies may benefit from floor plans, in addition to photography, to document all aspects of a property. Having this information prepared and on hand ahead of time will help support and streamline the claims process.

Remodeling

Homeowners considering doing any home remodeling need a floor plan in order to begin planning for layout renovation, whether they are planning to find a contractor to work with, hire professionals, or do the work themselves. According to a 2021 survey commissioned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate, 89% of home sellers reported making upgrades before selling. We are seeing new models in the home improvement space that specialize in pre-sale home improvements. With these companies completing work 65% faster than the average contractor (according to Curbio) a floor plan can quickly communicate the specifics of the project to all those involved and help to provide an accurate quote for the project.

Co-Working Spaces

Photo by Austin Distel

Co-Working spaces need both photos and floor plans in order to decide on the workspace floor plan that will provide the best use of the available space. Once the co-working space has been arranged to provide the best layout, a finished floor plan will be necessary for marketing to customers considering a lease. Potential users will want to have the best office layout for their business and will need to understand if the space is an open floor plan with desks, or more private office spaces. Regarding the maximum size of the buildings, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to process any floor plans that are above 12,000 square feet (1,100 m2) of total scanned area.

Interior Design and Layout

For interior designers who are preparing an estimate, doing a simple floor plan scan eliminates the need for a hand-drawn interior design sketch. CubiCasa provides an easy planning tool to use at this stage, to help with remodeling or room layout, before a designer would want to invest too much time in a project that is not yet confirmed. 

 

Image Maps and Navigation 

Floor plans can be used to create an image map for home automation or to provide indoor navigation for meetings or events that take place in large buildings.  A floor plan could be the navigation center for your game, applications, or virtual tour of an architectural structure.

Smart Homes

As our homes continue to get smarter, the need for a convenient way to control our many smart devices is increasing. A floor plan can provide a basis for the control of all devices from one interface, from security systems to refrigerators.  The ability to zoom in to control appliances or alarm systems in one room at a time, or set up a robot’s vacuuming path and schedule are examples of things that can be integrated by using a floor plan.

Modernizing Property Data Collection and the Appraisal Process

A Simple, Elegant Solution to Property Data Collection: CubiCasa Digital GLA provides Accurate Measurements, based on ANSI standards, and a Floor Plan. 

The ability to capture accurate property information, including GLA and TSF, is one component that is contributing to the modernization of the real estate appraisal process.  Based on research conducted by Clear Capital, “CubiCasa matches the accuracy of the current traditional appraisal sketching process, but with dramatically less inconsistency and variance in results. The standard deviation of two different appraisers is more than double that of what we see with CubiCasa.”

 

Examples of a traditional county record, CubiCasa Digital GLA, and a CubiCasa Floor Plan

In the past, measuring a property and delivering a floor plan was a time-consuming project. But now, CubiCasa GLA offers a simple, reliable tool that can be used by photographers, real estate agents, property managers, and appraisers.  The process is simple and delivers GLA information and an accurate, ready-to-use floor plan the next day.  

Gross Living Area (GLA) for Complex Properties

 

Historic sites & Museums

Built in 1948 by “The Shoe Wizard” Mahlon Haines is a hidden gem in Hallam, PA for guided tours, a gift shop, ice cream but most recently also a Short Term Vacation rental! As the owners of the House Shoe say “Come spend the night in a Shoe!”.
Thanks to Open.Tours team, John and Jen Beatty the unique property has amazing pictures and a floor plan (scroll a bit down).
The Shoe House has a fire pit, hot tub and picnic area outside and it’s ready to take reservations starting November 1st. 
Jon and Jen share: “The Haines Shoe House made us chuckle when we saw the one floor is an actual right shoe! Using another floorplan service, I don’t think it would have been possible to fully capture this layout in its true form! We are completely impressed with CubiCasa with projects like these!”

Barbie dreamhouses

Oh yes, CubiCasa can do that too. 3D floor plans in Barbie theme? Pink 2D floor plan? Easy.

P.S: You can customize your 2D floor plans in any theme – for free… (meaning that you can add your preferred colors, logo, and even label styling)

CubiCasa launched 3D products worldwide and users now have a selection from 3D floor plans, video render floor plans and CAD files. You can also purchase them as part of a 3D bundle.

3D render walkthroughs help fixer-uppers

We keep hearing from our users that CubiCasa 3D renders are a must for fixer-uppers. Many buyers can’t imagine what a property can become and this is where 3D walkthroughs can come into play.

Floor Plans Provide Helpful Information in Any Case

Creating a robust online presence will only help any business to be successful. Floor plans are an important element of a business’s digital image and allow them to begin creating a relationship with potential customers. For planning a design or remodeling project, a floor plan is invaluable. Having a floor plan to refer to for maintenance issues can save valuable time and money in the future. Now that it is simple and economical to create floor plans, we can be sure their popularity will continue to grow in all industries.