Sometimes that's the right decision. But surprisingly often, it isn't.
Over the past year, I've visited homes that have been sitting on the market for months, with very little interest. In many cases, there was nothing wrong with the property itself. The biggest issue was simply that buyers couldn't see its full potential.
With around 90% of buyers starting their property search online, first impressions have never mattered more. If your photos don't stop someone scrolling, they may never book a viewing in the first place.
That's where presentation can make all the difference.
Buyers need help imagining themselves living there
Empty rooms often feel smaller than they really are, while occupied homes can sometimes feel cluttered or too personal. Either way, buyers can struggle to picture how they would use the space.
Professionally presenting a property helps answer those questions before they're even asked.
When buyers can instantly visualise themselves living in a home, they're far more likely to book a viewing and make an emotional connection.
It's often a smaller investment than you thinkMany homeowners reduce their asking price by £10,000, £20,000 or even more to generate interest.
In comparison, investing a small percentage of the property's value into presentation can often achieve the same goal while protecting the sale price.
Every property is different, but before reducing the price, it's worth asking whether the issue is actually the value... or simply how the home is being presented.
Home staging isn't about decoratingOne of the biggest misconceptions is that staging is about making a home look pretty.
It isn't.
It's about marketing.
The furniture, layout, accessories and styling are all carefully chosen to highlight the property's strengths, improve the flow of each room and help buyers connect emotionally with the space.
A worthwhile conversationWhether you're a homeowner preparing to sell, an estate agent advising a client, or a property developer bringing a new build to market, presentation deserves to be part of the conversation.
Before reducing the asking price, ask yourself one simple question:
Is it really the price that's stopping buyers… or do they just need help seeing what the property could become?
Sometimes, a fresh perspective is worth far more than another price reduction.
Nicola Da Costa is the founder of Demila Property Staging, based in Worthing and working across Sussex, London and the South East, helping homeowners, estate agents and property developers maximise the appeal of their properties before they go to market.
At Demila Property Staging, we help homeowners, estate agents, developers and investors maximise the value of their properties through professional home staging, turnkey furniture packs and interior…
