CityLiving: Scented candles, fresh paint: presentation is everything, when you're selling, Edel Morgan discovers.

Does your property possess the four Ps? In the current sluggish second-hand market, if it doesn't have Position, Privacy, Parking and Presentation you may well find it difficult, if not impossible, to sell - particularly at full market price.

"Some people have the idea that if they live in a nice area and a house on their road sells for a certain price then theirs should go for the same amount but that isn't the case, not in this market," says estate agent Geraldine Bergin. "Believe it or not, orientation is still important and most people prefer a south-facing garden. Also if a house is very overlooked, it turns people off."

In the current market where properties are frequently being withdrawn at auction, the absence of all or some of the first three Ps, means you may have to compensate by going hell for leather on the fourth one - Presentation. When asked to name the most common presentation faux-pas made by vendors, Bergin's succinct reply is "Dirt".

Bad paint jobs where the paint is splashed halfway across the window pane is another. "Often you are not dealing with mere untidiness but straightforward neglect, where the carpet has a tacky feel when you walk on it, the bins aren't emptied and there's a smell of stale fat. There's still an element of 'oh it's such a good location it will sell anyway', but those years are gone."

And by good presentation we're not talking about a quick hoover around and hope for the best - but maximum impact. The idea is to sell the viewer a lifestyle and to achieve this it seems no decorative touch is too contrived.

The vendor of a southside period house recently drafted in the services of an interior designer who transformed the dated period house into a vision in cream. Plush fabrics in jewel colours were scattered provocatively and a cello was strategically positioned in the livingroom. The message was "This is the kind of house where terribly cultured people live who love to entertain - you too could live this dream" and it subsequently sold for €1 million above the guide price, despite needing work.

But does that mean that with a bit of cosmetic sophistry you can persuade people to fall in love with a property that really needs work? "Absolutely" says Geraldine Bergin

"I've done a couple of houses myself and everyone is copying me now. If people move the furniture around so it's not cluttered and paint the place in a minimalist colour it certainly helps."

But isn't this a tad dishonest? "I'd never encourage anyone to hide a structural fault, but I don't think painting to make things look bigger and brighter is misleading anyone."

A fabulous apartment I viewed recently with a price tag of €600,000-plus had lit scented candles in every room and the ubiquitous Eileen Gray chrome end table in the livingroom. The apartment oozed cosmopolitan class and was in what would be considered a prime location. On one hand, the extra touches were a little obvious and smacked of trying too hard; on the other, the candlelight flickering seductively against the cream walls, and adding extra lustre to the surfaces suggested a certain sophisticated lifestyle. And who, if they're honest, doesn't want a piece of that ?

Creating an instant good impression can help people forgive any minor faults.

"If you walk up to a dirty black door going purple with age, you are thinking "what is it going to be like inside?" and will start looking out for more problems. But if it's fresh and welcoming with neat hedges in the garden and the grass is cut and the flowerbeds weeded, as you walk up the path, it instantly puts you in a good mood and makes you favourably inclined towards the place."

And it's not just that people are unprepared to look past the swirly carpets and grime to see the potential. It often comes down to economics .

"People can be very conscious of money. They might be trading up to a bigger house because their kids are growing up and they need more room for them to bring their friends around or to put their computers. The house might be €650,000 and add to that the 9 per cent stamp duty and legal fees. It's a big whack and they don't want to have to start fixing the roof or rewiring.The scarcity of tradesmen and the prospect of having to get them in to do work is another factor."

While some TV property make-over programmes advise people to neutralize a property before sale so it's a "blank canvas" it might be a mistake to follow this too literally. "If it's too minimalist or clinical, you get people saying they can't see themselves relaxing there or curling up with a good book. " says Bergin.

If you're house is very overlooked, she advises investing in a good pair of drapes and some discreet hedging in the garden to create an air of privacy while not blocking light.

When your house is on view make sure you've considered the parking arrangements. "It's unfortunate when an estate agent forgets to organise viewings and a load of people turn up at the same time and can't park. It can really annoy the viewer. In those cases it should be appointment only."

emorgan@irish-times.ie