Reviewed by Luiza Balojin, real estate agent, on September 24, 2026.
Home staging for a sale means preparing your home so that buyers see the space, not your everyday life. It is neither decorating nor renovating: most of the work is tidying, cleaning, small repairs and fewer things on display. Below you will find the steps, room by room, the papers to have ready before you list, and how to get the home ready for the photos.
What home staging for a sale means
Interior design shapes a home around one owner's taste. Preparing it for sale goes the other way: you take out what is personal and neutralize the space, so that anyone who walks in can picture living there. The home stays warm and welcoming; it just stops telling your story.
The difference is intent. A designer adds favorite colors and objects with personality; you take them away, so the proportions, the light and the finishes show. A visitor looking at the family photos on the wall is not looking at the room.
First steps: depersonalize, clean, fix the small things
Take out personal items
Start with family photos, collections, souvenirs and extra decorations. Box them up now; you will pack them for the move anyway. What stays on display should be little and neutral.
Do a thorough clean
Once the space is cleared, do a deep clean, yourself or with a cleaning company. Focus on the windows, the bathroom and the kitchen: countertops, tiles, taps, grout. Clean windows let in more light, and the bathroom and kitchen should look cared for, with no limescale and no stains.
Fix what is easy to fix
A loose skirting board, a dripping tap, a wobbly socket or a scratch on the wall look like details, but they tell buyers the home has been neglected and give them arguments in the negotiation. Make a list, room by room, and fix everything that is easy to fix before the first viewing.
If the walls have strong colors or marks, a coat of paint in neutral tones (warm white, cream, greige) is a simple change. Light colors reflect natural light and make rooms look brighter.
Room by room
Every room should have a clear purpose. If a small room has turned into storage, give it back its job: study, bedroom or guest room. Buyers should not have to guess what a space is for.
- Entrance hall. It is the first thing anyone sees on the way in. Take the heavy coats and shoes off the rack, and leave a mirror and good light.
- Living room. Arrange the furniture so people can walk easily to the balcony or terrace, and move any armchair that blocks the way. A few cushions in calm tones are enough.
- Kitchen. Put the small appliances away in the cupboards: toaster, espresso machine, blender. The countertop stays almost clear, with at most one item on show, a bowl of fruit for example. Take the magnets and papers off the fridge.
- Bedroom. Clean, light-colored bedding and tidy bedside tables, each with a warm-light lamp. Clothes go in the wardrobe, not on chairs or doors.
- Bathroom. Hide personal care products. Leave out clean, folded towels and a simple soap dispenser.
- Balcony. Do not use it as storage while you have viewings. An empty, clean balcony shows how much space you actually have.
Light, flow and textiles
Open heavy curtains before every viewing, or swap them for sheer ones that let the light in. Turn on the lights in dark corners: a floor lamp with warm light makes a corner look lived in, not forgotten.
Walk the route a visitor takes, from the front door to the last room. If you have to step around a table or a cabinet, move it or take it out. A clear route shows the home's real floor area.
Textiles do the rest: a light-colored rug, a few cushions, a throw on the bed. In an almost empty room, the rug and curtains cut the echo. Do not overdo it: one focal point per room is enough, a plant or a neutral picture for example.
If the home is empty
In an empty home, buyers struggle to judge how much room a bed or a sofa takes up and what each room is for. You have two options.
The first: a few basic pieces, borrowed or rented, that show each room's purpose. A sofa and a rug in the living room, a bed and two bedside tables in the bedroom, a table and chairs in the kitchen. The second: digitally furnished images in the listing, made from the real photos. If you go with digitally furnished images, say so clearly in the listing and put the photo of the empty room next to them, so the viewing holds no surprises.
Even empty, the home needs cleaning, small repairs and light: bulbs in every fitting, clean windows, curtains to cut the echo.
A home ready for every viewing
Preparation is not a one-off. While you have viewings:
- air the home before each visit and avoid strong smells: cooking, smoke, overpowering air freshener;
- keep the order you started with: dishes washed, bed made, countertop clear;
- keep the temperature comfortable, winter and summer;
- remember what people see before your front door: in a block of flats, the landing and the front door; in a house, the yard, the path and the gate;
- let visitors look at their own pace and answer their questions without rushing them.
Papers to have ready before you list
A prepared home is only part of the job. The other part is the paperwork: one document you need for the listing itself, the others when you sell. For who pays for each document, see who pays for the paperwork when you sell a flat.
The energy performance certificate
Under Law 372/2005, a home that is sold must have a certificat de performanță energetică (energy performance certificate). It is issued by an auditor energetic pentru clădiri (building energy auditor) and is valid for 10 years (less, if a major renovation changes the home's energy use). If you already have one, check the date it was issued.
You need the certificate before you list, because the sale listing must include the energy performance indicators from the certificate. The obligation falls on both the owner and the agency, and the fine is 5,000-7,500 lei, applied by the Inspectoratul de Stat în Construcții (State Construction Inspectorate).
When you sell, you give the buyer a copy of the certificate before signing, and at signing the original passes to the new owner. A contract signed without that copy having been handed over first can be annulled (relative nullity).
A PAD policy in force
Under Law 260/2008, registering the buyer in the land register requires a PAD policy (Romania's mandatory home insurance) in force. Before you list, check that your policy has not expired and renew it if needed. What it covers and how to check it is in our guide to PAD insurance.
The land register extract
At signing, the notary requests the extras de carte funciară (land register extract) for authentication. To check your own file before you list, an information extract is enough; the types of extract, where to get them and what they cost are in our guide to the land register extract.
Photos for the listing
The listing is where buyers see your home before they visit it, so treat the photo session like a viewing.
- Finish the preparation before the photographer arrives. Cleaning, repairs and tidying come first, not after. Whatever is on display in the home ends up in the photos.
- Shoot in daylight. Open the curtains and turn on the lights in darker rooms.
- One clear photo per room. Pick the angle that shows most of the room, so buyers understand its shape and how it connects to the rest of the home.
- Check every frame. Toilet lid down, towels folded, cables tidied, nothing on the floor. Pets and their things stay out of the frame.
- Show the home as it is. Buyers will see it at the viewing anyway, and it is better they hear about a flaw from you than discover it on their own.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to prepare your home for sale?
It depends on the state of the home and how many repairs it needs. Make the repair list first, room by room, and book the photos only once the cleaning and repairs are done. Order the energy performance certificate early, because you need it before you list.
Do you need a home staging company?
It is not required. You can do the depersonalizing, cleaning, small repairs and room arrangement yourself, following the steps in this guide. A company can help if you are short on time or if the home is empty and you need furniture for the viewings.
Do you need the energy certificate before you publish the listing?
Yes. The sale listing must include the energy performance indicators from the certificate, so you need the certificate before you publish it. It is issued by a building energy auditor and is valid for 10 years.
What do you risk if the listing leaves out the energy certificate data?
A fine of 5,000-7,500 lei, applied by the State Construction Inspectorate (ISC). The obligation to include the energy performance indicators in the listing falls on both the owner and the agency.
What happens to the PAD policy after you sell the home?
If it is paid in full, the PAD policy stays valid until the date in the contract, and the new owner becomes the beneficiary. What matters is that it is in force, because registering the buyer in the land register requires a PAD policy in force.