Renovating kitchens and bathrooms can be expensive, time-consuming, and stressful. Even before getting started, homeowners typically need to hire a designer to come in, take measurements, and provide designs and plans. These initial steps can take months and typically cost thousands of dollars.
In 2019, Ian Jaffrey co-founded Skipp Renovation alongside Adrian von der Osten and Marc Limotte to save home renovators time and money and to make the entire process easier. By using a proprietary platform built on Matterport, Inc. technology that captures an existing kitchen or bathroom and produces tailor-made estimates, designs, and construction plans in 3D, the firm makes the preconstruction process much faster, more streamlined, and less expensive.
Skipp’s service went live in 2020 in San Francisco. Since then, the company has expanded throughout California, New York, New Jersey, and Texas and continues to expand in more markets like Phoenix, Denver, the Twin Cities, and Seattle.
“We’ve been using Matterport technology from the start,” Jaffrey says. “We knew we wanted 3D technology, so we scoured the market for all options. Matterport became the obvious choice. We knew right away that with the 3D imagery and precise spatial data captured in digital twins we could dramatically transform the entire preconstruction process.”
Streamlining Preconstruction
Every Skipp project begins with a Matterport Capture Services technician, who can often arrive with hours’ notice. Using a Matterport Pro2 3D camera, the technician can quickly capture the kitchen or bathroom and produce a 3D digital twin in 4k resolution that provides a robust collaboration tool for designers, contractors, and homeowners. Skipp uses the spatial data from the point cloud to precisely render current conditions, measurements, and objects. This, in combination with Skipp’s technology, allows the company to fully streamline the preconstruction process, including everything from layouts and materials to contractor bids.
“Digital twins capture everything,” Jaffrey says. “We see exactly where the stove is located and where the sink and refrigerator are, which helps us identify the plumbing and the electric system. Cabinet width and countertop height are measured perfectly. We don’t design things that won’t work or are unnecessarily complicated. We streamline the entire preconstruction process and help customers make informed decisions fast.”
Complex Renovations in Vivid 3D
Once the digital twin is ready to go, homeowners work with Skipp’s team to design the kitchen or bathroom. The homeowner browses Skipp’s exclusive design collections, which top industry professionals curate, and choose from several choices for cabinets, counters, fixtures, flooring, and more. Skipp then uses its technology to overlay the new kitchen or bathroom on top of the digital twin, creating hundreds of design permutations before Skipp technology helps narrow down to the two best, based on the homeowners’ desires and goals. For example, if homeowners have specific storage and entertainment considerations, alongside a well-defined budget, Skipp works to meet all needs with options from which to choose and move forward.
“Customers can see what their new kitchens or bathrooms will look like in 3D,” Jaffrey says. “This is especially important for complex renovations, where the architecture itself changes. We can move walls, relocate the fridge, and make other adjustments. The designs include a complete breakdown of the materials, labor, and costs, including construction codes. Everybody involved has a comprehensive understanding of the scope of work.”
Next, Skipp uses the Matterport SDK and API to quickly embed intelligence into the digital twin. The company uses the MatterPak™ Bundle to get files they can upload into Autodesk Revit, and creates construction plans for general contractors and installers, for a smooth and precise renovation process.
From Zero to Construction, in as Few as 21 Days
A homeowner won’t be comfortable moving forward with a renovation until they know how much it will cost, but they first need to hire a designer to know the answer. That by itself can cost a great deal of time and money.
“Using a single digital twin, we can create precise plans and renderings that include construction codes and costs,” Jaffrey says. “This would normally cost a homeowner several thousand dollars and take more than 70 hours to produce, but with Skipp, the homeowner gets it within days for just $399.”
A Skipp project can move from capturing the kitchen or bathroom to breaking ground on construction in as few as 21 days. Because digital twins are so immersive and include all the necessary spatial data, contractors can provide “virtual” bids without ever visiting the home. And because Skipp can streamline competitive bids, it can reduce renovation costs by 30–50 percent.
“The process removes a lot of unnecessarily repeated steps,” Jaffrey says. “In a traditional renovation process, multiple professionals have to visit the home, make return visits, take additional measurements, and look at the current conditions. The homeowner also has to go to multiple showrooms and browse various materials before they can see how everything comes together. With one digital twin, all of these steps are removed.”
A New Distribution Channel
Manufacturers and retailers that sell cabinets, countertops, and appliances currently partner with Skipp to provide consumers with Matterport digital twins, so they can visualize the kitchens of their dreams before making big, upfront purchase commitments. Skipp helps give consumers peace of mind, so they can feel confident that they will love the end product.
“These traditional manufacturers are looking for new distribution channels,” Jaffrey says. “We're excited to position ourselves as one of those channels and to provide a digitally focused, innovative way to bring those suppliers’ and manufacturers’ materials to the everyday homeowner.”
Skipp is a Matterport Platform Partner that leverages Matterport APIs and SDKs to build and commercialize apps and integrations with Matterport’s market-leading spatial data platform. As a Platform Partner, the company gains access to a range of commercial benefits, such as Matterport’s distribution network and enhanced support as well as co-marketing and co-selling programs to help successfully monetize its applications. To learn more about the Platform Partner Program and apply to join, visit https://matterport.com/platform-partner-program.
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ABOUT SKIPP RENOVATION
Skipp Renovation provides streamlined design and construction services for kitchen and bathroom renovations for homeowners, contractors, real estate agents, and insurance companies. With its industry-leading tech, its designer kitchens and bathrooms (in beta) come together with unprecedented speed without compromising quality.
https://www.skipprenovation.com
HEADQUARTERS
Brooklyn, New York
PRODUCTS
Matterport SDKs, Matterport APIs, MatterPak™ Bundle, Matterport Capture Services
Results
- 30–50 percent cost reduction for renovations
- Preconstruction time reduced from months to as quickly as 21 days
- Comprehensive project proposal in just a few days
- Optimized layout and design options based on homeowner preferences
https://matterport.com/industries/case-studies/skipp-renovation-partners-matterport-and-accelerates-preconstruction-while