Property CGI Pricing: What Actually Drives the Cost?

"How much does a CGI cost?" is usually the first question we're asked — and it's a fair one. Unlike a lot of marketing services, there's no off-the-shelf price tag, because the cost is shaped entirely by the project in front of us. Here's a breakdown of how we (and most studios) actually arrive at a quote, so you can budget with confidence before you even pick up the phone.

It Starts With Your 3D Model, Not Your Image Count

The biggest cost in any CGI project isn't the final picture, it's building the 3D model behind it. Once that model exists, producing additional angles, room views, or seasonal variations of the same property is comparatively quick and cheap.

This is why packages of multiple images almost always work out far better value per image than commissioning single shots one at a time.

Practically, this means: if you know you'll eventually need both exterior and interior visuals, or images from several angles, it's worth telling us upfront, even if you're only ready to commit to one image now. We can structure a quote that makes future additions more cost-effective.

Four Things That Move the Price Up or Down

Complexity of the building. A straightforward new-build house type costs less to model than a large, architecturally complex development with multiple unusual angles or bespoke features.

Interior styling decisions. Interior CGIs involve choices about furniture, finishes, and decor that exterior shots don't - the more bespoke or high-end the styling brief, the more time goes into getting it right.

Photography-backed photomontage. If your project needs a CGI placed into a real photograph of the site (common for planning applications in built-up areas), that adds a photography step on top of the modelling work.

How fast you need it. Same-day quotes are standard with us, but a compressed production timeline for the finished images themselves can affect cost, particularly for larger packages.

What a Typical Project Costs

Every quote is bespoke, but as a starting point for budgeting purposes:

• Single exterior CGI: approximately £450 - £900+vat

• Single interior CGI: approximately £400 - £800+vat

• Small package (3–5 images): approximately £1,200 - £2,500+vat

• Full marketing package (multiple house types, interior + exterior): approximately £2,500 - £6,000+vat (upwards)

• 360° virtual tour: approximately £1200 - £4,000+vat (upwards)

• Property brochure (design + CGIs): approximately £1,500 - £4,000+vat (upwards)

These are general guide figures, not quotes - your actual cost depends on the specifics above.

Why You Won't Find a Price List on Most CGI Studio Websites

It's not an attempt to hide pricing - it's that a generic list almost always either over promises (quoting a price that doesn't account for your specific building) or undersells the value of more complex work. We'd rather take five minutes to understand your project and give you a number that's actually accurate, than publish a figure that creates a mismatched expectation later.

Getting a Same-Day Quote

Send your plans, elevations or site plan - even early-stage ones - to martin@alivevisualisation.co.uk along with a rough idea of how many images you need and what they're for. Most clients hear back from me the same day with a clear, itemised quote.

The Real Question: What's the Return?

We've helped sell more than £100m of property off-plan across the North West, North Wales, Merseyside and the Isle of Anglesey — and in nearly every case, the cost of the CGI package was a small fraction of a single unit's sale value. For developers weighing up where marketing budget goes furthest, well-produced visuals consistently punch above their cost.

Curious what your project would cost? Email Martin for a same-day quote, or browse our Exterior and Interior CGI galleries to see recent work.