Ask what would help
Moving can bring a mixture of excitement and practical jobs. Someone may need kitchen basics, a meal while they unpack or help carrying boxes. Someone else may already have the essentials and enjoy choosing a decorative piece. Ask about their plans before buying, especially if space is limited or several people are giving gifts.
The House Illustration From £19.99 Their own front door, drawn from one photograph. The watermarked preview is free, so you see it before you pay.
Set your budget first. A first home does not call for a particular level of spending, and a shared gift only makes sense if everyone is comfortable with the contribution. A note wishing them well can accompany whatever you choose.
When a picture of the home fits
A picture of their flat or house can be a personal gift if they like the idea and the style. Ownership is not a requirement: a rented or shared home can also matter to someone. Consider whether they would like their home pictured and where they might display it. If they are still choosing colours or furniture, it may help to wait or let them choose.
Our first home, on the wall
A print of the house puts 'our first home' on the wall as the building itself, not as a slogan. It's made from a photo of their own front door, so it suits someone who likes a keepsake, and is a poor fit for anyone who'd rather choose their own art. A first home print comes unframed, framed, on canvas or as a mug.
Choose the format for their space
A first home is usually the point at which somebody has just spent every penny they had, so the useful thing here is the bottom of the range, not the top. A small unframed print is a real gift and not an apologetic one, and it lets them put it in a frame they choose when they have got round to choosing frames.
- Unframed print, from A4 up to 70x100 cm. The one to buy if they are renting, because it travels flat to the next place.
- Framed print, at A3 in black, white, natural or brown. Buy this when you know the wall and you know they will never get round to framing anything.
- Canvas, from 30x40 cm. No glass, so nothing to break in a move.
- Mug. The one that gets used every morning, not looked at once a week.
One practical point for a rented first home: check what the tenancy allows before you buy something that needs a nail. Plenty of agreements do not permit them, which is an argument for the canvas or the mug over the framed print.
Keep the photo or try an illustration
To use the original image, upload your photo for an available printed item. To change its appearance, choose an AI style. Both routes ask you to confirm that the image is your own creation or photograph and that you have the rights to use it.
On the AI route, email verification gives access to up to three free watermarked image previews per client per day. They are shown separately so you can select the one you want. Check the building details, then choose an available physical product or a digital download. Review the selected image and any crop before approving it; AI can alter details from the original photo.
A clear daylight image of the frontage is a useful starting point. If the gift is a surprise, use a photo you have the right to upload and consider the recipient's privacy and preferences. You can write your own message in an accompanying card.
Help with settling in and choosing a gift
Browse gift ideas or read what to do first in a new home for practical settling-in tasks. If they are buying, the first-time buyer checklist covers that process.
The rest of the guides sit on one page, and the houses we have already painted are in the shop. For related options, read personalised new home gifts and housewarming gifts. If you need a gift by a particular date, check current production and delivery information before ordering. If their first Christmas there is coming up, first Christmas in a new home sets out the working days.
If you're stuck on the card, there are lines for first-time buyers in what to write in a new home card.