How much you want to spend on furniture (mueblas) will depend on many factors, including your new property’s style and size, whether it’s a forever home, a holiday home or a holiday let. Where it’s located will play a big role, is it a country home or an apartment? What’s your budget? You need to think about the different seasons and what you need to make you comfortable, and above all… your personal taste and intent for each space.

Holiday homes in Spain are often sold furnished, particularly apartments, although furniture may be of poor quality and not to your taste. That said, buying a furnished property can represent a bargain, as the cost of the furnishings are not normally reflected in the price of the property.

If you’re buying a new property as an investment for letting, some developers or agents will arrange to furnish it for you. Though I’m sure most of us would prefer to pick and choose our own furniture, I know I would! So...

Let’s start with your sofa, what should you look for in it…. apart from change down the back of it!

The sofa is an important part of any home, it is the central feature of the living room. It’s where you go to relax, watch telly in the evening, read a book or simply relax after a long day. Visually it has a major impact on the style of your living space.

If you are considering renting your property then it also makes sense to consider a sofa bed. This will give you more capacity to have more guests and therefore the amount of rent you can charge. For those of us who are lucky enough to live here, it is a useful addition for all the friends and family who want to come and visit us!

When buying a sofa, and other furniture, there are several things to keep in mind, the size is very important. If you have a big open plan living space then a small sofa will get lost and won’t feel as welcoming or comfy. A good quality sofa is a statement piece and can really make or break the look and feel of your home. You also have to take into account if this will be your home or a rental as this can influence your choice of fabric and colour. Do you have children? Or if you want to rent it out you could be renting it to families with small children. Think about how easily it can be cleaned, with faux leather spills or suntan lotion can easily be wiped off. However, if you don’t like sticking to your sofa on hot days you can either buy blankets to throw over it or have a material sofa where the covers can easily come off to be cleaned when needed.

If you already have a sofa that is the right size and shape but is looking a bit tired, you can also consider reupholstering in your choice of material, which is obviously more cost effective than buying new.

You can give a new lease of life to any furniture you want to, a fresh coat of paint can really transform anything, upcycling is very popular and kinder to the planet as well as our pockets and hugely reduces the amount of items that are thrown away in the world.

Once your sofa is in place it makes it easier to decide what else you need in your home and gives you a colour plate to work with. Do you want curtains, blinds or shutters? Side tables? Lots of cushions, blankets or a more minimalistic look?

Don’t forget about adding artwork or photos, they can really add colour, joy and personality to your space and add those finishing touches.

So where to go to “Get The Look” here’s a short list of furniture stores located throughout Spain:

Ikea

Of course nearly everyone has heard of Ikea, it’s affordable flat pack furniture, with a simple design and you can furnish your whole house in one shop if you want to. If you are renting your property out then they have good sturdy crockery that you can easily replace if guests brake a glass or two without having to buy a whole new set. They design and fit kitchens, you can buy beds, sofas, cushions, linens, blankets, kids toys, plants, outdoor furniture, basically if it goes in or around your house you can probably find it at Ikea!

El Corte Ingles

One of Spain’s largest department stores with a reputation for offering good quality products throughout its entire range including home furnishings. A little more expensive but they have more of a designer feel with a quality that should last a long time.

Casa

Again, this store has numerous outlets throughout Spain the shops themselves are not huge, though they do offer good quality furniture that has more of a designer look but it’s not too expensive.

Zara Home

Zara isn’t just about clothes, they offer a huge selection of home soft furnishings including crockery along with many other items for your home in Spain, bringing the high street fashion into your home.

Local Spanish Furniture Stores

There are numerous furniture stores in all major towns through Spain they often look like something from the 19th Century but don’t be put off as they may well supply the item you can’t find anywhere else. They can have some hidden gems and one of a kind pieces that you won’t find in every home brining some unique and individual style to your décor.

Markets in Spain

Most markets throughout Spain are a good source for kitchenware, especially saucepans, griddles and barbecue tools as well as ceramics and pottery, bed linen, towels and rugs. Prices won’t necessarily be very low, but at least they should be competitive and you might even be able to haggle.

Car Boot Sales

Car boot type markets are great for finding that one-off item and Spain has plenty of second-hand markets to explore, they are usually held at the weekends. Some of the stall holders are antique dealers, most are Spanish or foreign people selling things they no longer want or need - which could be your lucky day! Look out for picture frames, candlesticks, old plant pots, linen and well, anything and everything. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure!

Buying Second Hand Online

One of the best places to grab a bargain is Facebook marketplace or Ebay. You ca find anything and everything, including some nearly new, hardly used items.

If all this sounds far too daunting or your new property in the sun is a holiday home or you plan to rent it out for holiday lets, perhaps you are in a different country or you just don’t want to run around and sort it all out - then why not let a company take all the hassle and stress away and do it all for you?

There are companies such as Zoco Home who offer complete packages and will kit your whole home out, deliver it and set it all up for you. You can customise the packages to suit you and your home, it’s a real interior design experience at a more affordable price.

There are also companies that you can hire furniture from for a monthly fee if you are unsure you want to rent our your property or just want something for now while you choose your colour scheme and style.

However you decide to furnish home, we hope you love being in your new home in the sun!

If you haven’t found your forever dream home, holiday home or holiday let in Spain yet, then get in touch, we would love to help you! We mainly cover Alhaurin El Grande, Alozaina, Coín, Guaro, Mijas, Monda, Tolox and anywhere else in and around the Guadalhorce Valley. 

Simply fill in our contact form or call us on (+34) 951 242 157 and we will be here to help.