How Much Should You Spend on a House Portrait? A Guide for NZ Buyers

If you’ve been thinking about commissioning a house portrait, one of the first questions you’re probably asking is:

How much does a house portrait actually cost?

The short answer is: it depends on the artist, the size, the level of detail and the type of artwork you’re commissioning.

You can find personalised house illustrations online for under $100, while a hand-painted original artwork from an established artist can cost several hundred or even several thousand dollars.

So what’s the difference?

And what should you realistically budget for one of my bespoke house portraits?

What is the average cost of a house portrait in NZ?

I’ve been doing custom house portraits in New Zealand for over 6 years now, and I’ve found that there isn't one standard price for a house portrait because "house portrait" can mean quite different things.

A simple digital illustration might cost $50–$100. A small, hand-painted watercolour could be a few hundred dollars, while a highly detailed original artwork can cost significantly more.

The important thing isn't simply finding the cheapest house portrait. It's understanding what you're actually commissioning.

A downloadable digital illustration and a completely hand-drawn, hand-painted original artwork are two very different products.

What affects the price of a house portrait?

There are several things that influence the cost of a bespoke house portrait.

1. The size of the artwork

Generally, the larger the artwork, the more time, materials and detail are involved. For example, an A4 artwork will require considerably less paper, paint and working time than a large A3 piece.

If you're planning to hang your portrait somewhere prominent in your home, it's worth thinking about the space before choosing your size.

2. The level of architectural detail

This is a big one. Some houses are relatively simple to draw. Others have intricate weatherboards, decorative windows, brickwork, verandas, gardens, fences, balconies, chimneys and all sorts of little architectural details.

And those details are often exactly what make the finished artwork feel like your house.

A good house portrait isn't simply a generic illustration with your roof shape copied onto it. The character of the building is part of what you're paying an artist to capture.

3. The medium

The materials and process used by the artist will also affect the price.

A digital illustration can be created and reproduced relatively easily. A hand-drawn ink and watercolour original is different. The artist is creating a one-off physical artwork, using archival-quality materials and spending hours drawing, painting and refining the piece.

There is no "undo" button when you're working directly onto the final piece of paper!

4. What's included in the artwork

Your house doesn't necessarily have to be the only thing in the picture.

Many of my commissions include details that make the artwork much more personal, a beloved dog sitting outside, a particular tree, flowers in the garden, a vintage car, a child's bike or another feature that makes the house recognisably yours.

These details can add to the time involved, but they're often what transform a nice picture of a building into a meaningful piece of artwork.

5. Framing

Framing is another consideration.

Some artists provide artwork unframed, allowing you to choose your own frame. I love offering framing as part of the commission, because there is nothing worse than having a painting made and then having it sit at home for weeks before you get the time to take it to a framers…. and even then, the framers can sometimes take up to a month!

If you're commissioning a portrait as a gift, it's worth deciding whether you'd like to arrange the framing yourself or have the artwork ready to hang. It’s often well worth it and takes out a lot of hassle.

How much does a Brick & Water house portrait cost?

My pricing fluctuates from year to year, but for my own hand-drawn house portraits, my current pricing starts at:

A4 — $574 unframed

A3 — $789 unframed

These are original ink and watercolour artworks, individually drawn and painted from your photographs. That price covers far more than simply producing an image of a house.

It covers the time spent reviewing your reference photographs, planning the composition, carefully drawing the architecture, adding the watercolour, refining the details and creating a finished original artwork that exists only once.

You can see examples of previous commissions on my house portrait commissions page.

What can you use a house portrait for?

A house portrait makes a particularly lovely gift because it can mark a specific moment in someone's life.

Some of the most meaningful reasons to commission one include:

• A wedding or anniversary gift

• A first-home gift

• Moving into a new house

• Selling a much-loved family home

• Remembering a childhood home

• A milestone birthday

• A retirement gift

• A gift for parents or grandparents

• A housewarming present

• Remembering a home that is no longer in the family

I've also created commissions for businesses, including buildings that have played an important part in the story of an organisation.

Because the artwork is based on a particular building, it can hold a surprisingly large amount of personal history.

Ready to commission your house portrait?

If you've been thinking about commissioning a portrait of your home, I'd love to hear about it.

I create bespoke ink and watercolour house portraits from anywhere in New Zealand and internationally, with each artwork designed specifically around the building and the story behind it.

View house portrait commissions

Commission spaces are released a few times a year, so if you'd like to be first to know when bookings open, you can also join the Brick & Water Housemates List.

Your home deserves more than a photograph.

Let's immortalise it.