Construction news 06/07/2009: firm lets buyers watch their house being built online

05/02/2010

6 July, 2009

People buying newbuild houses in Yorkshire can now watch their properties being built from the comfort of their own armchairs.

Leeds-based TJ Pybus has installed webcams at two of its sites so that customers and staff can log in at any time of the day or night to check on progress.

Says company founder Tom Pybus: “I came up with the idea after watching the TV programme Rogue Traders, which installs secret cameras in people’s homes in order to catch unscrupulous tradesmen.

“It gives the whole industry a really bad reputation, and I wanted to turn the tables to prove that not all builders are like that.”

It will also allow architects and suppliers to cut the number of site visits required, which will have the added bonus of protecting the environment by reducing carbon emissions.

Clients will be given a username and password enabling them to log in, and before they move in will receive a DVD containing a time-lapse film charting the whole building process.

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