There is a question we often hear: is it really worth investing in work and decoration before selling or renting a property?
The answer, supported by real estate studies and our own customer experience, is yes — and the difference is often bigger than most people realize.
In this article we gather data from international studies and the Portuguese market, and explain why decoration should be seen as an investment, and not just as a cost.
Why Real Estate Agents Invest in Model Apartments
It is no coincidence that practically all new developments have a fully decorated model apartment.
The buyer knows, from the outset, that he will not keep that sofa, that rug or that dining table. Even so, the model apartment remains one of the most effective sales tools in the sector.
The reason is simple: an empty space requires the buyer to imagine the potential. A decorated space shows this potential immediately — it allows the person to see themselves living there, which speeds up the decision and reduces resistance to the asking price.
It is the same principle that is behind the so-called “home staging”: visually preparing a property so that those who visit it can project themselves into it, instead of having to do this mental exercise alone.
What the Data Says About Selling
A 2025 report by the National Association of Realtors, in the United States, with responses from more than 1,200 real estate agents, showed that 29% of sellers’ agents recorded an increase of between 1% and 10% in the sale value of properties prepared with home staging. Almost half of the agents (49%) also noticed a reduction in the time the property was on the market.
In Spain, data cited by Idealista and attributed to the National Association of Realtors point to an appreciation of between 6% and 20% in prepared properties, with houses sold in about 23 days, on average, against 143 days for homes without this care — and up to 61% more visits, physical and online.
The numbers vary depending on the country and the study, but the direction is always the same: a well-presented property sells faster, attracts more interested parties and better supports the asking price.
And in Renting, the Logic Is the Same
The same effect happens in the rental market. According to Rentila, a Portuguese rental management platform, a well-decorated, functional and modern apartment can justify between 15% and 25% more in monthly rent, compared to an empty equivalent in the same area.
A simple way to confirm this in your own building: compare listings for similar apartments in the same condominium. It is common to find clear differences in price and rental time between the most careful and the most neutral property — even with the same area, typology and location.
Real cases: when decoration pays for itself
We have already accompanied several clients who, after investing in work and decoration with CW, sold the property for a value higher than the total cost of the project – work and decoration included.
We don’t like to promise fixed numbers, because every property, every area, and every moment in the market is different. But experience repeats itself often enough to make it clear: a good project tends to give back, at least, what it cost—and often much more than that.
Why So Many Buyers Prefer “Behind Closed Doors”
There is also a factor that the numbers, by themselves, do not show: many people simply do not want, do not know or do not like to deal with construction and decoration.
For these people, managing a refurbishment — budgets, contractors, deadlines, material choices — is a burden they prefer to avoid. Therefore, they look for ready-to-live-in properties, with no pending work: what in the market is usually called buying “behind closed doors”.
And that’s precisely why, when they find the right house — already ready, already decorated, with nothing to do — they don’t hesitate to close the deal, even if they pay more for it. For this buyer, the value of the property includes the time, wear and tear and uncertainty that he won’t have to face.
Decoration is not a cost. It is an investment — and well-being
Putting the two sides together: the data show that decoration tends to return, financially, more than it costs — whether in sale or rent.
But there is a second layer, which does not appear in any statistics: living every day in a well-thought-out, functional and pleasant space has a value that goes beyond the resale price.
That’s why, at CW, we see every project as both at once: an investment that you can measure on the day of sale or lease, and an improvement in quality of life that you feel every day, long before that.
See some of our projects and imagine the potential of your property.
Do you want to know how much your property can appreciate with a good project? Contact us for a consultation.