Recently while stuck in traffic, an SUV loomed up in front of me with an impressive company slogan on the back windscreen, Royalty Roofing – Get Laid By Kings!

It brought to mind a recent roofing renovation which threatened to up-end the budget for my entire reno were it not for the crafty wisdom of our builder who sourced perfectly-matched second-hand tiles from a demolition site.

The potential for financial pain over this was significant as the tart-up job was to prepare the house for sale and budgeting was key.

Conventional wisdom says the areas which traditionally sell a property are the kitchen, bathroom and outdoor entertaining spaces.

But according to architect Aidan Halloran, the director of ITN Architects in Collingwood, it’s all too easy to go too far when doing cosmetic touch-ups to prepare the house for sale.

“I’m generally nervous about doing too much to a property before sale because people are always wanting to do their own thing when they buy a place. However there are things you can do cheaply which really make a difference,” he says.

“I’ve walked in to kitchens which are your typical colonial, timber-lined late ’70s renovation, but when you paint the entire thing white – including the timber – and change the cupboard and door handles, it transforms it,” he says.

The power of paint is undeniable and if you are prepared to slap on the coats yourself, then you can confidently save thousands.

But don’t fall for the trap of buying cheap paint – consider a beautiful rich Sikkens for outside timber decks and fences, because the colour ranges from this Dutch brand are strong and sophisticated and the paint will last for years before needing a re-touch.

For an interior wall, look for a paint with very good coverage and a built-in primer. English brand Benjamin Moore is renowned for its extraordinary application properties, durability and longevity.

“Generally my advice is, if the house is liveable and you have an owner-occupier as your target market, then they will most likely be wanting to live in the house until they can save up enough money to do their own renovations. In this scenario, I would only spend about $10,000 on cosmetic upgrades,” Halloran says.

“If the house is pretty much un-liveable, then you will need to spend around $50,000 on bathrooms and kitchens and possibly painting and flooring in order not to knock out a lot of people from the market.

“It will often come down to the area where the house is.

“In a prestige area you shouldn’t really need to do any work on the house because the new owners will not want to live with your renovations. However in the medium and lower-priced areas, where buyers may not have that kind of disposable income, the investment will most definitely be returned.”

A spruce-up for the garden with new mulch is cheap and effective, as are new light shades.

“I love the Chinese paper lanterns from the $2 shop,” says Halloran, “but anything in the Beacon Lighting or IKEA ranges are also very good.”

When it comes to re-stumping, Halloran has a word of caution.

“Re-stumping can open up a can of worms, basically the re-stumping itself will only cost about $4000 to $5000, but you’ll probably be up for that amount again in rectification costs as the re-stumping will crack all the plaster in the house,” he says.

“I would avoid it where you can unless the floor is so bad that you can’t stand up properly on it.”

There are plenty of apps on the market in Apple App Store and Google Play Store to help you sort out plans, quotes, design ideas etc.

Here are a few to get you started:

• Remodalista (iOS): Daily updates on trending style and renovation ideas.
• Home Design 3D: Share via Dropbox and work in 2D or 3D plans. Other versions of this app also allow you to play around with furniture and other design ideas.
• The Spruce: Daily blog on home and lifestyle ideas – a sort of Martha Stewart meets Home Beautiful.
• Floor Plan Creator (Android): Create your own floor plan and include furniture, supports Leica Disto Bluetooth laser meters.