Just ask Andrea Birnie, olfactory specialist and owner of Melbourne perfumery Kleins.

The most common household odour complaints Andrea receives from customers are caused by pets and cigarettes. By contrast, she is all too aware of the alluring power of a pleasant-smelling home.

"Like music and beautiful flowers, smells can also seduce people.

"The sense of smell acts on a more subliminal level by making you feel a certain way.''

Real estate agents have been privy to the power of nice smells for decades.

A pleasant odour can add thousands of dollars to a property's value.

Prior to a house inspection, sellers are often advised to emulate the smell of fresh bread, which can be achieved by tearing out the insides of a loaf of white bread, pouring a bottle of vanilla essence into its centre and putting it in the oven on medium heat for half an hour.

Cinnamon is also another great killer of unpleasant house smells. Add a couple of tablespoons of cinnamon, a few cloves and the rind of one orange to a small saucepan of water and bring to the boil.

For those wanting a quick and sweet-smelling fix, Andrea's sensorial inner-city shop offers a range of room sprays that are designed to evoke pleasant memories through smell.

The room spray range includes the homely smell of freshly laundered clothes, the sweet aroma of baking biscuits and the crisp scent of salt air. Other odour-eaters include essential oils, oil diffusers, organic potpourri and scented candles.

When it comes to domestic deodorisers, Andrea advises that cheaper is not always better.

"As my father always said, 'you get what you pay for'. If you're paying $7 for a perfume, it's probably going to smell like it's a $7 perfume.''

Before attempting to sweeten the scent of a house, it is important to deal with the cause of unpleasant domestic smells.