Home and Decor direct sunlight virtual 3D map Singapore

Homebuyers can now see how much sun their potential new home will get, as well as surrounding amenities and other features, without having to do a home viewing.

Local property search portal Mogul.sg will launch a 3D map of Singapore on Monday (Jan 17) which reflects the location and relative heights of more than 150,000 buildings here.

The map, which is free for homebuyers to use at Mogul.sg, allows users to search and view the areas surrounding the property they are interested in from the comfort of their homes.

One key aspect of the map allows homebuyers to check when the property is directly exposed to sunlight via a function that shows the shadows cast by buildings at different times of the day.

Other aspects include the building design, nearby amenities, and whether any scenery could potentially be blocked by other buildings – something that 2D maps cannot show as building heights are not visible.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has made house-viewing time slots difficult to secure, with some homebuyers having to wait for six to eight weeks”, said Mr Gerald Sim, 41, co-founder of Mogul.sg.

“With this 3D map, homebuyers will be able to make an informed decision on their desired unit or house at home, allowing them to shortlist houses and maximising their house-viewing slots.”

Under current Covid-19 restrictions, house viewings cannot exceed a cap of five distinct visitors per household per day.

Mogul.sg worked as technology partners with French digital applications company F4, which built a similar 3D model of Paris in 2003 as a computer game.

The file size of Mogul.sg’s map is small enough so that users can use it on their computers and mobile phones without having to wait long for the 3D images to load, said Mr Sim.

A view of the uncompleted project Meyer Mansion on Mogul.sg’s 3D map. PHOTO: MOGUL.SG

Mogul.sg took about a year to collect data and build the map.

Real estate developers can choose to advertise property projects on the 3D map, which will be able to show what they will look like when completed through details about the building and artists’ impressions.

Commenting on the relevance of the 3D map post-pandemic, Mr Sim said features such as reflected building views, shadow casting and amenities will continue to offer value to homebuyers.

A view from unbuilt condominium Midtown Modern, in Tan Quee Lan Street, on Mogul.sg’s 3D map. PHOTO: MOGUL.SG

The property market in Singapore has been booming, with 23,077 resale Housing Board flats sold in the first three quarters of 2021, compared with 24,748 sold in 2020.

There were 17,000 Build-To-Order flats launched in 2021, with 23,000 due to be launched each year in 2022 and 2023.

About 5,240 executive condominium units were sold in the first three quarters of 2021, compared with 3,252 units in 2020.

Originally published in The Straits Times.