Residential real estate development is a challenging, multi-faceted business, subject to many outside influences that are sometimes difficult for the residential developer to control. While the industry can be very lucrative, profits can quickly be eroded by cost overruns. The developer takes all the risk, with no guarantee of return on investment. To ensure positive results, everything that can be controlled must be considered, planned, and executed to perfection. In addition, efficiency and productivity must also remain high to ensure the profitability of the development. Allplan is a unique software platform that supports residential developers through all development phases – here are ten ways it can help residential projects stay profitable.
1. Enable the development and sale of concepts
Residential home builders must sell their vision of future homes to clients. Allplan makes it possible to quickly create stunning documentation for sales purposes. There are unlimited possibilities for different views, and the integrated rendering engine also provides fast and accurate visualizations without the need for outsourcing. Another advantage is the rapid production of documents for clear, secure, and simple coordination with customers or specialist providers and subcontractors.
2. Foster better design processes
The efficient, productive and accurate production of deliverables at all stages of design is critical to delivery. Allplan is particularly well suited to the creation and review of variants. Its file structure allows quick comparison of iterations thanks to its highly customizable project hierarchy. Allplan also provides several ways to customize and define a set of standard building components that are easy to adapt to every new project. Standardization can also be optimized in many areas of Allplan to accelerate and organize construction deliverables.
3. Meeting planning requirements
Allplan’s detailed models can be used to meet all kinds of planning and legislative requirements. Detailed models make it quick and easy to extract data from the model to answer design or drafting questions, obtain accurate physical sizing of an object, or provide accurate information for manufacturing prefabricated components, all from a single solution. Standard data formats, including IFC, further facilitate these needs for easy exporting of information. Allplan also has partner solutions for advanced energy simulation and for meeting energy certification requirements in Germany and Austria.
4. Enable effective change management
Managing and controlling changes to avoid future errors is essential to staying on time and on budget. Because Allplan provides associativity between views and sections, reports, and other deliverables, changes can be made once centrally in the model and then updated universally, avoiding design errors. In addition, the integrated Issue Manager, synchronized with a cloud-based platform, allows for comparison and management of models, even those from external parties. With these tools, design quality is protected while mitigating the impact of any changes on the design and construction schedule.
5. Facilitate superior budget control
Budgeting with reliable quantities and materials is essential for cost control and understanding the implications of any changes. With robust reporting capabilities, Allplan is your single source of truth. Reports are also customizable. In addition, Allplan facilitates the inclusion of non-modeled requirements, so that quantities that have not been modeled (e.g. formwork) can also be calculated, providing an even more reliable basis for cost planning.
With Allplan SmartCatalog technology, users can connect to data from other sources and manage a library of standard XML information, including properties, materials, energy performance or costs. The model can also be enhanced with information to create a digital twin of the building, facilitating the cost-effective operation and management of residences.
6. Create detailed construction documentation
From ordering materials to scheduling to safety, everything depends on the quality of the construction documents issued. Allplan excels when it comes to creating comprehensive construction documents. Easily produce detailed, buildable templates to generate and edit plans, general arrangements and documents. Models can be designed to a very high level of detail earlier and with less effort, and the possibilities for creating and documenting outputs – such as calculations or drawings – are endless. Even creating drawing layouts is quick and easy with automated tools. Allplan also provides construction teams with total certainty thanks to accurate quantity take-offs.
7. Provide accurate prefabrication documentation
Increasingly, prefabricated components are being incorporated into residential construction projects for greater cost control, efficiency and ease of construction. ALLPLAN has dedicated precast expertise and solutions for detailing and fabrication, including precast parts such as walls, slabs, stairs and accessories. Precast shop drawings can be created quickly with a high level of automation for significant time savings and efficiency. Dedicated functionality for precast elements is also provided in Allplan, so that only one design solution is required for the entire project.
8. Promote better site planning
Accurate planning of individual sites can make all the difference in the success of projects. Accurate and powerful terrain modeling tools, road and utility design functions are included in Allplan, allowing unique aspects of building sites to be considered early in the design process. Allplan even supports construction site layout planning with content for construction equipment, such as cranes, so that location can be considered, and issues resolved before any facilities are present on the site.
Users can connect their construction plans in Microsoft Project to their model data in the Bimplus cloud collaboration platform. This allows for visual simulation of construction through the configuration and assignment of model objects to project tasks or stages. Allplan also supports job site planning with tools that allow site teams to quickly and easily update the status of components from the job site for efficient progress tracking.
9. Ensure better productivity
3D work can be up to 55% faster to produce deliverables than 2D work alone. Allplan provides all disciplines with the tools to efficiently complete construction projects at all stages, from design to construction. According to our many customers, they have benefited significantly from using Allplan and have achieved up to 40% more productivity in their projects through 3D design. In addition, customers report that quantity take off for estimates are more accurate and efficient (up to 70%) than via manual processes. We offer a free 30-day trial of Allplan, so you can see for yourself the difference it can make.
10. Ensure a smooth transition
Adopting new processes or technologies can be a daunting. Allplan uniquely supports 2D, 2.5D and 3D working methods, which means you can switch to 3D modeling at your own pace. For example, users can work in 2D and the 3D model can be created simultaneously (and vice versa), which offers optimal flexibility for new users and reduces the learning curve. In addition, there are several tools, video tutorials, professional training courses and certifications available, as well as a free download of the full version of Allplan for testing. Finally, further collaboration is also possible through a cloud-based collaboration platform, which allows models and information to be shared with anyone.
Conclusion
The residential development industry can be profitable, provided that costs are controlled to the greatest extent possible. Software such as Allplan can help you achieve this goal with a range of tools for optimizing sales, design, quantities determination, scheduling and construction planning. Download our whitepaper, 10 Ways Allplan Supports Superior Productivity in Residential Development, to learn more about how Allplan helps residential developers throughout the project lifecycle with tools that improve productivity, minimize risk and protect profit margins.
