Virtual or physical, a few hundred or a few thousand euros: what really drives the cost of home staging — and what it costs with Refit.space, VAT included.
You are about to put your home on the market and you are wondering how much home staging costs. It is the right question to ask: a well-prepared home can shorten the time on market and improve the final price. But "how much" has no single answer — it depends on the type of work, the floor area and the duration. And with Refit.space it also depends on how you sell: with one of our partner agencies on an exclusive mandate you don't pay upfront for light home staging; otherwise we publish our prices, VAT included.
Let us look at the real orders of magnitude, what drives them, and how to think about the cost-versus-result trade-off in Como, Lake Como and Milan.
Before the cost: why it pays off
According to estimates from the Italian Home Staging Association, a home prepared for sale sells faster and at a better final price than a property presented "as is". In competitive, mid-to-high markets like Como, Lake Como and Milan, the gap between an anonymous listing and a polished one matters a great deal: that is where the first impression happens, almost always online.
So the real question is not just "how much does it cost", but "how much does it return compared with what it costs".
What drives the cost
Four factors move the price more than anything else:
- Type of staging. Virtual staging (digital, on the photos) costs far less than physical staging, which involves real furniture and on-site styling.
- Floor area. More rooms to prepare means a higher cost — both in working hours and, for physical staging, in furniture rental.
- Scope of work. Decluttering and small touch-ups are one thing; a full restyling with furniture replacement is another.
- Duration. With physical staging you also pay for time: the longer the property stays on the market, the longer the rental.
The orders of magnitude
Bearing in mind that every home is a case of its own, the typical ranges are these:
- Virtual staging: generally from a few tens of euros per image. For an apartment a few hundred euros are enough for a set of photos ready for the portals (Immobiliare.it, Idealista).
- Physical home staging: generally from a few thousand euros upwards, depending on floor area and rental duration.
These are indicative figures: the real quote depends on the four factors above and on the property's starting condition.
Is it worth it? Cost versus sale price
The right way to read the cost is to set it against the value of the property. On a home worth several hundred thousand euros, even a few thousand spent on preparation is a small percentage — but it can be the difference between months on the market and a quick sale at full price. Read it as an investment rather than an expense: the aim is to recover it in the price and in the time to sale.
What it costs with Refit.space
This is the difference: we publish our prices, and the cost depends on how you sell.
- Zero upfront, with one of our partner agencies on an exclusive mandate — light home staging is included in the agency's 3% commission at closing: you pay nothing upfront, and if the home does not sell, you owe nothing. A fuller set-up is assessed case by case.
- Privately or with another agency — home staging is paid, VAT included, with a written quote before any work starts:
- light home staging (furnished or lived-in home): €600 to €2,000, depending on size;
- full home staging with furniture (empty home, 3 months' rental included): one-bedroom from €2,800, two-bedroom from €3,800, over 120 m² from €5,800, lake villas from €8,000 with a quote after a site visit. Extending the rental is on quote.
Prices are indicative and do not constitute an offer to the public. Every engagement starts with an analysis of the home and a written quote: we accept properties based on their features, location and our availability.
So the question "how much does home staging cost" has a clear answer: with the Zero upfront option it is not a cost to bear today, but part of the commission you pay only when — and if — the sale goes through; otherwise you know the price before any work starts.
Discover Refit.space Home staging — full preparation, professional photos and listing, with clear prices, VAT included.
Frequently asked questions
How much does home staging cost on average?
It depends on the type: virtual staging generally starts from a few tens of euros per image, while physical staging runs from a few thousand euros upwards, based on floor area and duration. With Refit.space light home staging costs €600 to €2,000 and full staging with furniture starts from €2,800, VAT included; with one of our partner agencies on an exclusive mandate, light staging is included in the 3% commission.Virtual or physical: which costs less?
Virtual staging costs far less, because it works on the photos with no furniture rental. Physical staging costs more but genuinely transforms the rooms during viewings. The choice depends on budget, timing and the condition of the property.Does home staging really sell at a higher price?
According to the Italian Home Staging Association, a prepared home sells faster and at a better final price than one presented as is. On a property worth hundreds of thousands of euros, the cost of preparation is a small percentage of the value.With Refit.space, how much do I pay for home staging?
If you sell through one of our partner agencies on an exclusive mandate, light home staging is included in the agency's 3% commission at closing (Zero upfront): you pay nothing in advance. If you sell privately or with another agency, light staging costs €600 to €2,000 and full staging with furniture from €2,800, VAT included, always with a written quote after the analysis. Prices are indicative and do not constitute an offer to the public.