Skip to main content

Take a virtual tour of your home with these apps and sites that give you a 3D view

apps and sites that give you a 3d view of your home roomstyler design site
Roomstyler
For some people, the best part of The Sims was designing, building, and furnishing homes for the families: adding an island, changing the rugs, and selecting the perfect bed. The idea has real-world appeal for those moving into a new home, remodeling, or building a house from scratch, and there are plenty of apps and sites willing to fill the void, without the added step of making sure your Sim ate breakfast and used the bathroom.

There are a few free options. Homestyler lets you start with a basic floor plan and make modifications. You’re basically starting from scratch, so you’ll need lots of information about the house if you want an accurate picture. Once you get the walls up and windows installed, you can move on to decorating, using furniture from brands like Restoration Hardware, West Elm, and Sears. You can even insert stationary people into the model. Roomstyler works with a similar design but doesn’t really let you navigate through a 3D world. You have to create an account in order to take a 3D image, for example. If you don’t mind signing up, FloorPlanner lets you create one design for free. What’s nice about this service is that it works with MagicPlan, an iOs and Android app that creates floorplans using your phone’s camera. Similarly, Rooomy works off of photos of your space you upload to create a manipulatable 3D model, though it’s only available for iPad.

iOS app Home Design 3D has a free version, but you can’t save any of your designs. For $7, you can save as many projects as you want, and the Gold edition ($10) gives you access to all the $1 “object packs,” which might have everything you need to envision a bedroom, an office, a dining room, a gym and a child’s bedroom. If you have access to a 2D floor plan of your house — or a house you’re contemplating purchasing — then Archilogic will turn it into an interactive 3D model, provided you pony up $69 and it’s only one story.

Or if you’re feeling nostalgic, there’s always The Sims 4 for $40.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jenny McGrath
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jenny McGrath is a senior writer at Digital Trends covering the intersection of tech and the arts and the environment. Before…
Nest Doorbell vs. Ring Battery Doorbell Plus: which is the better video doorbell?
The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus installed outside a front door.

Ring and Nest are responsible for some of the best video doorbells available. With easy-to-use smartphone apps, simple installation processes, and the ability to customize your motion alerts, the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus and Nest Doorbell have quickly established themselves as two of the best video doorbells money can buy.

But what exactly is the difference between these two popular gadgets? And which is better for your smart home?

Read more
The best Apple HomeKit devices for 2023
A person unlocking the Aqara U100 smart lock with their phone.

While not as widespread as Google Home or Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit remains one of the most popular smart home ecosystems of 2023. The software plays well with iOS devices, and several other gadgets such as smart lights, smart locks, thermostats, and cameras can be controlled using the fancy technology. If you’re looking to build your smart home around Apple’s ecosystem, here are the best HomeKit devices available today.
Locks

HomeKit doesn’t have the largest selection of smart locks, but that doesn’t really matter when you have something as well-rounded as the Aqara Smart Lock U100. Not only does it offer full HomeKit support, but you’ll even gain access to Apple home keys -- allowing you to unlock your door with your iPhone or Apple Watch. There’s also the standard keypad for entering a passcode, along with a fingerprint sensor that can store several dozen fingerprints (so your whole family can enter the home without worrying about forgetting their password or smartphone).

Read more
Secure your home with Ring Floodlight Cam Plus and save $80
Ring Floodlight Camera placed on a wall outside.

Best Buy has one of the best security camera deals at the moment with $80 off the Ring Floodlight Cam Plus Outdoor Wired Surveillance Camera. Usually priced at $200, it's down to $120 for a limited time only so if you're fast enough, you'll save a lot of cash. If you're looking to secure your home, keep reading while we tell you all about the advantages this security camera offers.

Why you should buy the Ring Floodlight Cam Plus
Considered to be one of the best floodlight cameras for someone seeking a hard-wired solution, the Ring Floodlight Cam Plus Outdoor Wired Surveillance Camera is a highly effective home security measure.

Read more