Calling in the house doctor might be the only solution to selling your apartment, especially if you've already been forced to engage in a spot of price dropping to get the competitive edge over other apartments for sale in your block - but still have no takers.

The answer could be to take a long, hard look at the dΘcor and ask yourself "Who would want to live in a place like this?" If you can't trust yourself to objectively cast a critical eye, it may be time to call in the professionals.

It's either that or risk growing old while waiting for that special buyer who totally gets what you were trying to do with the gloss paint and the wood chip wallpaper.

If you decide to go it alone, the first rule, according to Lee Fleming of LMF property management and design consultants, is to think of your apartment as a canvas - shiny and clean enough to convince potential buyers they will not have to pour too much time and money into it initially, yet neutral enough to allow them imagine how it will look when they put their own mark on it.

"With property so expensive, people like to feel that they can change a place to their liking bit by bit over time. Keep lines clean and colours muted and neutral and avoid heavy patterns or definite or dark sombre colours. Freshly painted walls and woodwork are vital. Most wallpaper can be painted over and it may be a good idea to swap busy curtains for simple cream calico ones."

Revamping houses and apartments to sell is one of the many strings to Fleming's bow. How lavish the refurbishment depends on how generous the vendors' budget and which end of the market they are aiming at. She reckons a minimum investment of £2,500 to £3,000 (3,174-3,809) is required to do a basic makeover on the average two-bedroom apartment, involving a clean out, paint job and various cosmetic changes. When her services are engaged, she supplies all the contractors and her fee is usually around 15 per cent of the total cost.

One of her recent projects was the updating of a two-bed duplex in Rathmines, which had old-fashioned carpets and Laura Ashley-style wallpaper.

"We put in a blue/grey industrial strength carpet and the walls were painted magnolia, which is not as harsh as white. It had been rented and the tenants had asked for bookshelves and some extra kitchen chairs which didn't match, so we discarded them. A few items of furniture were replaced as were the light fittings. It sold about two months later."

Dingy carpets or those loud enough to drown out any subtle changes you may make have to go. One low cost solution is semi-solid timber floors." The first layer of the floor is solid timber but below that is plastic. They are inexpensive but look the exact same as the solid version, although they don't last as long and may be more prone to heel marks."

Another alternative is industrial hemp-look carpet which is hard wearing. "It comes in a fabulous range of colours, and is quite inexpensive compared to wool mix carpets."

Aluminium Venetian blinds with a timber veneer could replace curtains, which can get dirty and dusty and often don't look their best after a few years.

And in the spirit of keeping lines clean and sleek, remember that displaying all your best china, favourite trinkets and family photographs on every available surface can be a big mistake, says Fleming.

"A couple of things are fine but people often leave kids' toys lying about as well as books, files and personal items which clutter the place."

It may be worthwhile to pack a lot of this paraphernalia away into storage while the place is being viewed. If you choose the out of sight, out of mind route and stuff whole roomfuls of junk into wardrobes and presses, remember to lock them up before viewing times. People will try to open them, and won't be impressed if the contents fall out on top of them.

Too much furniture can make the place look smaller. "All you need is a suite, a coffee table, and a dining table and chairs. There's no need for extra book shelves.

"Think of it as going into a shop where the furniture area is set up to sell. That is what you are doing, selling a property and marketing it."

The mistake, however, would be to make a clean apartment a sterile unit. A place that looks unlived in can be a deterrent.

"A book on the coffee table is a good idea as are some old favourites like the smell of baked bread or coffee." Attention should also be paid to the bathroom. If the suite is dated avocado or pink there's little you can do that doesn't involve great expense. It can't be painted but it might help to co-ordinate the tiles around it .

"You can prime and paint the tiles surrounding the bath and the floor tiles and change the bathroom fittings and the cabinets. A good shower is important but shower curtains can look tatty, so a foldable shower door that fits flush with the bath can look very clean and very simple. If there is condensation, make sure you repaint and install a more powerful extractor."

You've followed the advice and your place has been honed to neutral streamlined perfection with just a few strategically placed homely touches. Don't ruin it by neglecting the outer reaches of your apartment. The balcony should look its best with a window box or some potted plants, while the front door should be a shining precursor of the apartment's interior.

"The front door is the first thing they see and shouldn't be underestimated in importance. People look and re-evaluate everything," Fleming says.

emorgan@irish-times.ie