After watching Our First Home you will either feel a burst of inspiration to renovate your own home or a sense of dread at the work involved. If you're looking to sell and going down the renovation road is not for you then perhaps redecorating is the way to go. 

We asked our resident property expert Matt O'Brien and Resene colour consultant Nikki Morris how much value can you add with a fresh lick of paint and some minor upgrades. 

Matt says he often recommends a good paint and cosmetic clean up before listing a property if you want to get top dollar. A thorough clean of everything including carpets, walls, kitchen cupboards, house exterior, gutters and decking is the place to start. 

 "First impressions are key when selling a house, so you want everything to look as fresh and and as new as possible" he says, "it's really incredible what a fresh coat of white paint on the inside can do to a house. It freshens it, brightens it and almost makes it feel like new." 

Nikki says making your house stand out can be simple and cost effective if you focus on the right things and adding a burst of colour can help buyers remember you. Painting your front door, letterbox and front fence for a lasting first impression is a project she says even a beginner DIYer could knock over in a weekend. 

"Put a bold punch of colour on your front door and paint it in full gloss to get that luxury factor and always paint your letterbox - it's the first thing people see when they're looking for the number of your house" she says. 

Nikki says only use colour in a house you're going to sell where it deserves it. Have a neutral colour for the interior walls but look at the space and see where colour could be added either by paint or some special wallpaper to create a statement wall. 

"Don't paint every room a different colour if there's no flow or thought process to tie it all together" she says, "If you don't want to paint a whole room try painted on stencils or details in a smaller space like a guest bathroom. It keeps the house modern and adds a bit of personality but can be easily painted over by new owners." 

Adding bold colour to a more permanent fixture such as a kitchen splash back or bathroom tiles could be off-putting to a buyer especially if they don't like the colour. They will potentially see it as a cost to replace whereas the idea of repainting one wall is not as daunting. 

"The beauty of paint is that it is definitely more viable than high cost fixed items in a house for a bit of colour" she says. 

For a quick spruce up outdoors Matt recommends replacing a lifeless old lawn with fresh vibrant ready lawn which can make a massive difference to your yard and those all important first impressions. A bit of fresh mulch and some new plants also makes it look like your home has been looked after. 

Nikki says a good waterblast and restaining tired decking and adding pops of colour to terracotta planter pots can also really lift your garden. 

And don't underestimate the impact simple things like cushions, new tea towels, throws, bedding, kitchen mugs and a big bunch of fresh flowers to tie colour through your home. 

"Even the simplest additions can make a huge impact to a potential buyer and having fun with colour by purchasing lower cost items is the way to go so if they go out of trend they can easily be updated by the new owner" she says. 

For more colour inspiration or help with redecorating visit Resene