Home staging promises to sell faster and sometimes for a higher price. But what do the available data say about its actual effect? A study published in the Journal of Housing Research in 2015 by Lane, Seiler, and Seiler found no increase in the willingness to pay related to furniture or wall color. The most documented benefit concerns the reduction of the marketing time and the limitation of the risk of price decline.
Measuring these gaps allows one to decide where to invest their budget before a sale.
Home staging and energy performance: two value levers to compare
Sellers often focus their efforts on decoration, while energy performance increasingly weighs in on the perceived value of a property. An analysis of 143,500 sales in Paris conducted by Comète Immo shows a progression in the depreciation of properties classified F or G compared to those classified D: it reaches 5.4% in 2025, compared to 3.5% in 2024.
| Lever | Effect on price | Effect on selling time | Typical budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home staging (furniture, painting, decluttering) | Not statistically demonstrated (Lane, Seiler, and Seiler study, 2015) | Documented reduction for vacant or poorly presented properties | Low to moderate |
| Improvement of energy performance (insulation, heating) | Measurable reduction of F/G depreciation (Comète Immo, Paris data) | Less downward negotiation | Moderate to high |
This table highlights a point often overlooked: home staging does not compensate for a poor energy performance. For a property classified F or G, energy improvement work and the presentation of their supporting documents constitute a complementary axis that directly impacts the negotiation margin.
Professionals who assist real estate with Les Embellies Déco integrate this dual reading, combining visual enhancement and analysis of the property’s structural weaknesses.
Vacant properties and online photos: where home staging really makes a difference
The analysis of transactions published by Redfin in 2019, based on sales made in 2018, indicates that vacant properties sold for less and remained on the market longer than comparable occupied properties. This result points to a specific case where staging an interior has a measurable effect.
A vacant apartment generates a projection deficit for the buyer. Rooms appear smaller or colder, and defects (cracks, worn floors, exposed radiators) attract attention. Home staging corrects this bias by introducing neutral furniture, studied lighting, and textile elements that warm the space.
In contrast, a property that is already furnished, well-maintained, and properly photographed gains marginal benefit from additional intervention. Focusing expenditures on properties that suffer from a real presentation deficit remains the most rational strategy.
Criteria for targeting properties that deserve an investment in decoration
- The property has been vacant for several weeks, and the photos show rooms without scale references or ambiance.
- The existing decoration is highly personalized (bright colors, bold wallpapers, visible collections) and hinders visitors’ projection.
- Online listings accumulate few clicks compared to comparable properties in the same geographic area.
- The property presents minor defects (chipped paint, blackened joints, broken handles) that give an impression of neglect without requiring major work.
Interior decoration and neutrality: the balance to find to attract buyers
Depersonalizing does not mean emptying a property of all identity. The goal is to create a sufficiently neutral setting so that each visitor can project themselves into it while maintaining a warm atmosphere.
Neutral colors (off-white, light gray, beige) on the walls form the foundation of this approach. They maximize perceived brightness and reduce the risk of rejection related to a too strong aesthetic choice.
Furniture plays a complementary role. In a living room, a simple sofa combined with a rug and a few cushions is enough to define the space without imposing a style. The kitchen benefits from being cleared of visible small appliances. The bathroom, often decisive during visits, benefits from replacing joints and coordinating accessories (towel rack, mirror, soap dispenser).
Decoration budget: prioritize high visual impact items
- Painting the walls and ceilings in the main living areas, favoring light and matte shades.
- Replacing dated light fixtures with simple models that diffuse warm light.
- Professional cleaning of floors, windows, and surfaces, often more effective than purchasing additional furniture.
These interventions target the elements that buyers notice first during a visit or on listing photos. A thorough cleaning sometimes produces an effect comparable to light renovation, for a fraction of the cost.
Regulatory calendar and decoration: anticipating new constraints
The regulatory calendar related to energy performance transforms the hierarchy of priorities for sellers. Properties classified G are gradually being excluded from the rental market, prompting some owners to sell. For these properties, investing solely in decoration without addressing energy performance amounts to masking a structural problem.
A savvy buyer will systematically request the energy performance certificate and adjust their offer accordingly. The depreciation measured by Comète Immo on Parisian thermal sieves illustrates this reality: the progression of the gap between 2024 and 2025 shows that the market increasingly incorporates this data into price formation.
Combining targeted energy improvement (attic insulation, replacing an old boiler) with appropriate home staging allows for presenting a property that is both visually attractive and technically sound. This dual approach reduces the negotiation margin and shortens the selling time, where decoration alone only addresses part of the equation.
