360 Virtual Tours
"Virtual Tours North East creates immersive 3D virtual tours and digital building scans to help businesses showcase, plan, and promote their spaces with confidence."
Virtual Tours North East?
Virtual Tours North East is a North East-based business specialising in the creation of high-quality, immersive 3D virtual tours and digital building scans for a wide range of industries—from leisure and hospitality to healthcare, retail, commercial, and architecture.
Founded by Neil Sedgley, an experienced architectural designer with over 25 years in the industry, we combine creative vision, technical accuracy, and the latest scanning technology to help businesses present their spaces in the best possible light.
We don’t just create virtual tours—we also offer professional-grade 3D point cloud models, 2D CAD floor plans, and laser-accurate measured surveys. Our services are ideal whether you’re marketing a venue, planning a refurbishment, or simply want to help customers explore your space from anywhere, at any time.
We're proud to be one of the most trusted names in 3D virtual tours across the North East of England.
What Is a Virtual Tour?
A virtual tour is a fully interactive, 3D digital walkthrough of a real-world space—captured using advanced scanning technology like the Matterport Pro3 camera system.
It allows people to explore a property or venue online, as if they were physically walking through it. Users can move from room to room, look around in 360 degrees, zoom in on details, and view the layout from multiple angles—all from the comfort of their own device, anytime they like.
Unlike basic video tours or photo galleries, a Matterport virtual tour offers:
True-to-scale 3D visualisation
Intuitive navigation (click or tap to move around)
A "dollhouse view" and floor plan perspective
Tags and labels to highlight features or amenities
VR headset compatibility for full immersion
Virtual tours are incredibly useful for:
Helping potential customers or guests see what to expect
Supporting accessibility and building trust
Increasing online engagement and bookings
Saving time on site visits or viewings
Assisting with design, planning, and renovation work
Whether you're running a swimming pool, gym, hotel, clinic, or café, a virtual tour gives your customers the confidence to choose your space—and gets them through the door faster.
Why Choose Virtual Tours North East?
At Virtual Tours North East, we go beyond creating impressive 3D virtual tours—we provide design-focused, tech-driven solutions that help businesses showcase, plan, and develop their spaces with confidence. Whether you're a gym, swimming pool, healthcare provider, hotel, or leisure facility, our services are tailored to meet your real-world needs with clarity, precision, and professionalism.
Led by founder Neil Sedgley, a seasoned architectural designer with over 25 years of experience, we combine creative insight with cutting-edge technology to deliver results that stand out—both visually and technically.
Architectural Expertise, Built In
Our work is grounded in architectural design. Neil’s background as the founder of 5edge Architectural Services means we approach every project with an eye for structure, flow, and spatial quality. That design knowledge doesn’t just make your virtual tour look great—it ensures accuracy, usability, and long-term value, especially if your space is part of a larger refurbishment, extension, or new build plan.
More Than Tours: Technical Deliverables That Matter
In addition to immersive 3D walkthroughs, we provide key assets for architects, designers, contractors, and facilities managers:
3D Point Cloud Models: We use the Matterport Pro3 system to capture high-accuracy spatial data and generate point cloud files (.xyz, .e57, or .las), perfect for importing into architectural software like Revit, AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, or SketchUp. This is ideal for measured surveys, design planning, and clash detection.
2D CAD Plans: Need accurate floor plans without the hassle of traditional surveying? We can deliver clean, scaled 2D CAD drawings (in .dwg or .dxf format) extracted from the 3D data, suitable for planning applications, space planning, and facilities management.
These services are especially valuable for businesses looking to renovate, expand, or maintain accurate records of their buildings. You get a complete digital toolkit—without needing multiple contractors.
Local Knowledge, Trusted by Businesses Across the North East
We’re proud to serve businesses throughout the North East of England, from independent gyms and leisure centres to hospitality venues and healthcare providers. We understand the local market, and we understand what matters to your customers—trust, transparency, and a seamless experience.
Our Matterport virtual tours allow your clients to explore your space 24/7 from any device, helping them feel comfortable and confident before they ever visit. This is especially valuable for new members, families, or visitors with accessibility needs who want to know what to expect ahead of time.
Tailored, Not Templated
We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all. Every project is approached with fresh eyes and tailored to your specific needs. Whether you need a beautiful tour to attract more customers, technical scans for architectural work, or both—we’ll make sure you get the right result, with minimal disruption and maximum value.
A Friendly, Personal Service
When you work with Virtual Tours North East, you work directly with Neil—no handovers, no call centres, no generic packages. From the first conversation to final delivery, we’re focused on making the process smooth, straightforward, and genuinely enjoyable. We believe in honest communication, clear timelines, and getting things right the first time.
The North East’s Virtual Tour and Scanning Specialist
At Virtual Tours North East, we bring together architectural knowledge, advanced scanning technology, and real dedication to quality. Whether you're showcasing your venue to the public or planning your next renovation behind the scenes, we’re here to help you do it better.
Ready to show off your space or start your next project the smart way? Get in touch—we’d love to hear about it.
Helping potential customers or guests see what to expect
Supporting accessibility and building trust
Increasing online engagement and bookings
Saving time on site visits or viewings
Assisting with design, planning, and renovation work
Examples of our work
Tadcaster Community Pool + Gym
Discover the impressive and exemplar community swimming pool facility located in Tadcaster. A comprehensive full digital twin of the building's interior was meticulously created as a valuable digital asset, aimed at training personnel effectively and showcasing the outstanding facility to the public in an engaging virtual tour.
PTMY - Pleased To Meet You, Morpeth
Discover the expansive cafe, vibrant bar, and delightful restaurant at PTMY Morpeth. A comprehensive Virtual Tour of this impressive facility showcases the various spaces in their entirety, highlighting the unique features and inviting atmosphere available for guests to enjoy.
Read case study >
FAQ’s
Frequently Asked Questions About Matterport Virtual Tours
At Virtual Tours North East, we understand that you may have questions about our Matterport virtual tours. This page aims to address the most common queries to help you make informed decisions. Whether you're a business looking to enhance your online presence or a property owner wanting to showcase your space, we provide clear, concise answers about the benefits, features, and processes of our Matterport virtual tours. Explore our FAQs to discover how this innovative technology can transform your viewing experience.
General Questions
-
A: A Matterport virtual tour is an interactive, photorealistic 3D walkthrough (often called a “digital twin”) of your space. Users can explore the area from any device, use “Dollhouse View” to see layout flow, and view embedded Mattertags™ for extra info
-
A: Virtual tours increase engagement, Matterport data shows users spend about 300% more time interacting with 3D tours than with traditional 2D images They’re immersive, informative, and ideal for marketing or remote viewing.
Industries We Serve
-
A: We cover everything from:
Commercial offices
Retail units & showroom spaces
Health & social care
Swimming pools and spa’s
Hotels, leisure, gyms, and holiday parks
Event spaces
Galleries and museums
Estates and real estate listings
Residential homes & AirBnBs
Industrial sites and factories
Educational campuses and function spaces
-
A: Virtual tours increase engagement, Matterport data shows users spend about 300% more time interacting with 3D tours than with traditional 2D images They’re immersive, informative, and ideal for marketing or remote viewing.
Benefits & Logistics
-
A: Yes. Your digital twin can supplement insurance records, offering comprehensive visual documentation of premises and contents
-
A: Yes – hosted by Matterport, the tour is viewable anytime on mobile, tablet, and desktop, letting clients explore at their convenience.
Privacy, Hosting & Support
-
A: Yes. Tours can be:
Publicly listed
Anyone on the internet can view
Publishable to other sites via Matterport Add-Ons
Indexed by internet search engines
Unlisted (link only)
Anyone with the link can view
Publishable to other sites via Matterport Add-Ons
Password protected
anyone with the password can view
Private
Restricted to collaborators only
Face-blurred on request – We generally recommend scanning without people in the space. This avoids unwanted distractions, image issues, or someone accidentally waving in the background. A clean, empty environment helps create a more professional-looking tour. If people are present in the tour or out of our control (example someone walking outside the building or general public) we are able to face blur faces. We typically will blur out license plates on vehicles and any photographs of children for safe guarding purposes. We will work with you closely to make sure your tour is suitable for public access before it goes live.
-
A: Yes – there’s a small annual hosting fee for keeping your tour live. You can also request updates or changes at any time for an additional fee.
Services & Features
-
A: We use a pro-level Matterport Pro2 camera for interiors, the Pro3 for bigger spaces and outdoor capture, and on special request a Leica BLK360 G1 laser scanner when extremely precise point clouds or CAD accuracy are needed.
Typically on most projects we use the Matterport Pro3 camera for its amazing quality, flexibility, speed and the option to export CAD date and useful point clouds.
-
A: Yes, absolutely. We offer both 2D CAD floor plans and point cloud exports as optional extras from your virtual tour.
2D CAD Floor Plans
We can generate 2D CAD plans from your Matterport virtual tour for a small fee. These are ideal for:
Layout plans for sales or marketing
Conceptual design and early planning stages
The plans are created using data from the Matterport Pro3 camera. While not as precise as a topographical or building survey done by a RICS chartered surveyor, they are accurate enough for many early-stage design and feasibility purposes—and far more cost-effective.
If your project moves forward and you need survey-grade precision, we recommend commissioning a full measured survey at that stage.
Point Cloud Files (.e57)
We also offer point cloud data exports, useful for importing into CAD and BIM software. Here’s what you need to know:
Pro3 Camera: Captures good-quality point clouds ideal for early-stage design, spatial analysis, and feasibility studies. This is a great low-cost option when a virtual tour is the primary goal and CAD data is a bonus.
Leica BLK360: If precision is critical and your main focus is the point cloud (rather than the tour), we recommend the Leica BLK360 for higher scan accuracy—though its image resolution is lower than the Pro3.
Think of the Pro3 as a great “entry-level” point cloud tool for design development, and the BLK360 as the choice for more technical or survey-driven projects.
Expert Support
Neil, the founder of Virtual Tours North East, has over 25 years of experience as an architectural designer and also runs 5EDGE Architectural Design Services. For more advanced needs, we can assist with:
Integration with Autodesk ReCap, Revit, or SketchUp
Tailored surveying and CAD support
Advice on whether a Matterport-based solution suits your project
Not RICS Chartered: Please note, while we provide highly useful CAD and point cloud data, we are not RICS chartered surveyors. Our services are intended for design, feasibility, and planning—not for legal or contractual surveying.
Need help deciding what’s best for your project?
We’re happy to discuss your requirements and recommend the right approach.Q: Are tours compatible with Google Street View?
A: Absolutely. We can publish your tour to Google Street View, improving visibility in search and Google Maps .Q: Can I embed notes or measurements in the tour?
A: Yes! With Mattertags™, you can embed text, images, links, or videos directly into the tour. And Measurement Mode lets users grab accurate dimensions within the 3D model -
A: Absolutely. We can publish your tour to Google Street View, improving visibility in search and Google Maps .
-
A: Yes! With Mattertags™, you can embed text, images, links, or videos directly into the tour. And Measurement Mode lets users grab accurate dimensions within the 3D model
-
A: Definitely. We can add drone panoramas to give viewers a bird’s-eye view of your property or grounds.
-
A: Yes! Using Mattertags™, we can embed notes, images, videos, links to booking pages, menus, or downloadable documents.
Booking & Process
-
A: We cover everything from:
Commercial offices
Retail units & showroom spaces
Health & social care
Swimming pools and spa’s
Hotels, leisure, gyms, and holiday parks
Event spaces
Galleries and museums
Estates and real estate listings
Residential homes & AirBnBs
Industrial sites and factories
Educational campuses and function spaces
-
A: We’re based in Newcastle upon Tyne and primarily serve North East England, including Durham, Sunderland, Teesside, Northumberland, and surrounding areas.
However, we don’t limit ourselves to just the North East — we’ve worked with clients across the UK, from Cumbria to London. If you feel we’re the right fit for your project, we’re more than happy to travel.
· Example: We recently completed a multi-day project in the Lake District, which included travel and accommodation costs. While this increased the overall fee, the client chose us based on strong referrals and our specialist expertise.
Booking
We offer flexible appointments, including weekday and out-of-hours bookings to minimise disruption to your business.
To book, simply get in touch:
Call Neil on 07799 435 486
We’ll review your requirements and provide a clear, tailored quote.
-
A: Every project is treat as a bespoke service and therefore it is difficult to provide a generic price, we will work closely with you to fully understand your project and requirements and budget. For a general virtual tour example - prices vary by space and features. A basic tour starts around £450, with larger or complex venues typically between £650–£1,200. Add-ons like CAD files or drone footage are priced separately.
We would recommend that you have a sensible budget of £450 - £900 and we will review options with you to make sure your project is delivered on time and to budget.
-
A: The full process typically takes 3 to 7 days, depending on the size of the space and the level of customisation required.
Breakdown:
Scan Time:
Usually 1–4 hours on site.
We’ll review your space in advance and confirm the estimated time before the visit. This helps you prepare your team and plan around business operations on the day of scanning. Please note for larger projects it can take a whole day, we have undertaken larger projects of multiple buildings/spaces which as taken 3-4 days on site.Processing & Draft:
A first draft of your virtual tour is typically ready within 1–2 working days.
This draft is private and not shared publicly until you're happy with it. We’ll make sure it reflects your space accurately before publishing.Tags & Custom Content:
If you’ve requested Mattertags (interactive hotspots), we’ll work with you to add links, videos, text, or images.
Note: It’s the client’s responsibility to supply this content (e.g. URLs, product info, videos). We’ll help place it all for you once received.Final Delivery:
Most tours are fully complete and ready to share within 3–7 days.
-
A: Just call Neil on 07799 435 486 or email enquiries@virtualtoursnortheast.uk to check availability and get a quote.
Viewing & Sharing
-
A: Once your tour is ready, we’ll provide several easy ways to share and promote it:
What You’ll Receive:
Shareable Link:
A private or public Matterport link you can send via email, text, or share on social media platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook.Website Embed Code:
A simple code snippet that lets you embed the tour directly into your website.
Note: We don’t offer web design services, so your web developer will need to handle the upload. It’s a straightforward process, and we provide a short tutorial to help.QR Code for Print & Signage:
Great for flyers, posters, signage, or info packs. When scanned, it opens your virtual tour instantly on a mobile device.Direct Tour Links (Deep Linking):
You can link to a specific spot inside the tour by clicking the “share” icon within the tour. Perfect for guiding viewers to a particular room, area, or feature—ideal for wayfinding or highlighting key points.
-
A: Yes, people can appear in the tour—but they must remain completely still during scanning. Any movement will result in visual glitches or ghosting, which can be distracting in the final tour.
Our Recommendation:
We generally recommend scanning without people in the space. This avoids unwanted distractions, image issues, or someone accidentally waving in the background. A clean, empty environment helps create a more professional-looking tour.
Privacy & Blurring:
If needed, we can blur faces or sensitive areas for privacy.
If the tour is published to Google Street View, Google automatically blurs all faces.
Scanning in Operational Spaces:
We understand that sometimes spaces can’t be completely empty, especially in busy or operational environments. In these cases, we’ll work with you to plan the best approach.
For example, we can scan in zones:
Staff stay in one area while we scan the other.
Once we finish one zone, we switch and scan the next.
This approach requires some coordination, but we’ll guide you through it to minimise disruption while keeping your facility running smoothly.
Contact us
For project enquiries, collaborations or for further information on we can help your business with a virtual tour, contact us.
t: 07799 435486