There are many misconceptions about home staging here in Spain. “It’s only for vacant homes”. “It requires a big investment”. “You have to renovate the whole house”, etc. These are just a few of the misunderstandings people have when they wonder whether home staging is right for them.
Today, we’re here to clear up your doubts and questions, so you can make an informed decision about whether home staging can help you sell your home.
“Home Staging is Only for Vacant Properties”
There’s no doubt that home staging is key to making sure an empty property looks its best and sells under the best possible conditions. You’ve probably already heard that “an empty home doesn’t sell”. Furnishing a property is essential to help potential buyers visualise the real space.
However, home staging is suitable for all kinds of homes, including those where the owners are still living in the home. Home staging consists of depersonalising and decorating the spaces to make them stand out from the competition.
These days, buyers browse through hundreds of listings on property portals. They spend only a few seconds on each one, looking for something that catches their eye. Home staging, combined with professional photography, ensures that your home attracts as many potential buyers as possible. This way, you have the best chance to sell quickly and at the best price.
Home Staging Requires a Big Investment
If you’re selling your home, you already know there are several costs you’ll need to face. The energy efficiency certificate, mortgage cancellation fees, estate agent commission, stamp duty… It all adds up.
So it’s not surprising that some homeowners worry about how much home staging costs and are reluctant to spend more money prior to the sale of their property.
However, according to the 2024 AHSE survey, the average cost of home staging is just 0.83% of the property’s value, with prices starting from as little as €400 for occupied homes. Considering that home staging increases the sale price by an average of 10% compared to the initial asking price, it’s an extremely worthwhile investment!
You’ll Need to do a Full Renovation
A common misconception about home staging is that it involves carrying out major renovations. Nothing could be further from the truth! Every home is different, which is why your home stager will create a personalised plan for you.
This may include some minor improvements, a simple makeover, such as painting certain walls or fixing small defects. In any case, both the asking price and the seller’s budget are taken into account to ensure a smart investment.
Even if you decide not to do a refresh, home staging can still add significant value to your property with minimal inconvenience.
Home Staging is Interior Design
One of the most common misunderstandings about home staging is that it’s often confused with interior design. But they are two very different things.
Interior design aims to create unique spaces that reflect the client’s tastes, resulting in highly personalised environments. Interior designers create homes to be enjoyed by their clients for years to come.
Home staging, on the other hand, is purely used to prepare properties for sale. It’s a real estate marketing technique designed to make properties appealing to the widest possible range of buyers.
Therefore, home staging cannot be considered interior design – although it’s true that in many cases, the new owner ends up wanting to keep the look exactly as it is!
It Takes too Long
Once you decide to sell your flat, you naturally want to do so as quickly as possible. So, wouldn’t it be faster to skip the extra step of home staging and go straight to listing it for sale?
It’s important to understand that properties prepared with home staging sell, on average, three times faster than those that haven’t been staged.
And when you consider that a home staging project usually takes just one or two days (depending on the size of the property), it’s clear that time shouldn’t be a concern.
It’s Deceiving to Buyers
Some people worry that preparing a property for sale with home staging is misleading buyers. But when you go to a job interview, don’t you dress smartly – even if you don’t plan to wear that outfit every day if you get the job? Home staging is exactly the same.
It’s not about deceiving anyone. It’s about presenting your home in the best possible light to appeal to the widest audience of potential buyers.
Moreover, since in most cases the furniture and accessories remain in the property during the sale process, the home will look the same during viewings as it does in the listing photos.
For this reason, we recommend traditional home staging rather than AI or virtual staging. This way you can be sure to avoid disappointing potential buyers.
Anyone Can Do Home Staging
Of course, there are some basic home staging principles that are simple and can help you sell your home – things like cleaning and depersonalising, which we discuss in some of our other articles.
However, professional home staging involves much more than removing family photos and adding decorative cushions.
When you hire a professional service, the home stager will visit your property to analyse its strengths and weaknesses. They will then determine whether it needs minor renovations, & study recent market trends. Only then create a 100% tailored plan to maximise its potential.
In most cases (unless the homeowner wishes to buy the materials), the necessary furniture and accessories are loaned to create a “magazine-worthy” look.
Professional home staging uses emotional and aspirational marketing techniques to ensure every detail is considered, and the property sells under the best possible conditions.
In Summary
If you’re still wondering whether home staging is right for you, don’t – it’s for everyone! Any property can benefit from this marketing technique, whether it’s a luxury home or a small second hand apartment.
When it comes to selling your home, it’s important to leave nothing to chance. Unfortunately, even in a market with limited supply like today’s, many properties remain listed for months without generating interest due to poor presentation.
The result? The owner is forced to lower the price or even sell below value just to get rid of it.
If you believe your home deserves a better chance, don’t think twice – home staging is for you.
