Urban Splash residential director Guy Ackernley said: “We launched our first customisable House by Urban Splash homes in Manchester in 2016 – all 43 of them sold out and are now fully occupied, so there was definitely an appetite for this exciting new way to create a home.

“We’ve since launched further phases at New Islington and now, with this revolutionary, new online tool, buyers can experiment digitally to create a completely bespoke home by the New Islington Marina.

“Now more than ever, customers are keen to move to a house that can be multi-functional; in recent months our homes have had to transcend their usual role, evolving into social hubs and places of work. The legacy of that will be a keenness amongst customers to create a home that works for them – that’s why this new tool is so important as it passes that power onto buyers.”

The next-generation design tool is a first for the housing industry – with Mancunians the first in the country who will get to use it. It’s been created the latest gaming and cloud computing technologies, so that buyers can create an immersive, 3D model of their future home.

The configurator has been designed by Liverpool-based architectural visualisation studio Uniform, as well as digital agency Tokyo Digital and House by Urban Splash brand partner Smiling Wolf. The team has used innovative pixel streaming technology that until now, has been employed by car manufacturers for its customers to virtually build their own cars, but has never before been used in the homes market. This latest technology allows for a much more detailed experience, without slowing down buyers’ computers, meaning that it is compatible with all home devices, including tablets and mobile phones through a standard web browser, and is therefore accessible and inclusive to everyone.

The tool launches at a time when property tech and remote sales tools have never been more important for the home buyer, and underpins the wider Urban Splash desire to always push boundaries within in the residential property market; it begins with their family homes, Town House, and will roll out across the whole product portfolio within the next year to incorporate smaller and larger homes, plus apartments.

House by Urban Splash is a joint venture between Urban Splash, Homes England and Sekisui House – one of the world’s leading housebuilders specialising in modern methods of construction and factory built sustainable homes.

Jonathan Falkingham MBE at House by Urban Splash, and co-founder of Urban Splash added: “Having been at the vanguard of design for the past three decades, we have now invested in this new technology to help usher in a new era in housebuilding.

“An innovative application of technology is more crucial than ever before, with customers conducting more interactions online – particularly in the past six months. With our new configurator, we hope that customers will increasingly approach their homebuying journey in the same way, allowing them to make crucial decisions about how their new home will feel, look and function.

“A new first point of contact for House customers, our configurator perfectly aligns with the broader journey in which we use modern methods of construction to build high quality homes with a short build time. These new ways of working will play a huge role in our industry moving forward, and I hope that they raise the bar – opening the door to increased customer choice and great design.”

Uniform creative director Nick Bentley said: “By leveraging the latest gaming and cloud computing technologies, we have been able to bring about the best home configuration experience to every user, on any device. The end-user doesn’t need a high-end computer, creating an accessible solution for affordable housing. In the same way that new technologies such as Google Stadia and Microsoft xCloud will redefine the way we play games online over the next decade, we at Uniform believe that this technology will change the way homes are configurated and as a result, marketed and purchased.”

George Clarke, architect, TV presenter, and shareholder in House by Urban Splash concludes: “I’m hugely passionate about raising the standard of homes in Manchester – and across the UK – through modern methods of construction. House is leading the change and I hope that many customers will join us as we explore a new way of doing things – and make great design the norm in UK housebuilding.”

For more information, or to view the online design tool, visit housebyurbansplash.co.uk.