An enterprising Ramsgate dad who started to tinker with app-making to bring his daughter’s bedtime stories to life has now launched an app that can tell you all about a property price and sale status simply through snapping a photo on your phone.
David McCormack spent evenings building the PicAHome despite having no tech background or funding.
PicAHome enables the user to take a photo of a property on their phone and it then shows what it last sold for, its full price history and whether it’s currently on the market.
The 33-year-old, who works at Skip2BFit which was launched by his dad John in 2002, said: “A few years back myself and my wife moved house and as you drive around Thanet you see a house for sale but then you’re gone and can’t remember where it is.”
The dad-of-two says he listens to podcasts while travelling in his job and he also watched YouTube videos to find out how to make an app.
He said: “I started messing around and said about it to my brother-in-law and he said he’d love an app where you’d take a photo of a house and be told whether it was for sale and what’s it up for. I looked into it and realised that I could do it, so I did!”
David has not got a tech background but he did previously create something for his two-and-a-half year old daughter to help bring her story books and its characters to life on the phone.
He said: “She loved it so I did a couple of other things and then spent a couple of months on PicAHome.
“I built the whole thing at the kitchen table using AI tools, learning as I went. It launched on the App Store in July and had paying customers within 24 hours, along with five star reviews and steady downloads since, all without spending anything on marketing.”
David describes the app as ‘Shazam but for houses.’ Shazam allows a user to hold their phone near a music source or play a video on the device and the app will display the song title, artist, and lyrics if available.
It was created by the British company and bought by Apple in 2018 for a reported $400 million.
David says he would like to grow the PicAHome business. Currently it uses official Land Registry data so it covers any home in England and Wales but the former Chatham House student says he is considering expanding the areas it can be used.
He added: “I’d like to grow it. I’ve done a lot of market research, even while I’m out walking my dog I stop people and ask whether they’d use it and they all think it’s a great idea! I’ve also had a few messages from estate agents and people in other countries who want it.”
You can find and download PicAHome on the App store and Google Play. There is the option for a free version and the opportunity to upgrade.
