So you have made the decision to hire an interior designer and you’re feeling excited about your project. Before getting started, it’s helpful to understand some of the ways you can get the most value for your money starting from the get-go. While we are a business, operating to make a profit, we also care about the investment our clients are making into their homes and we want the process to be as rewarding as the end result. Below are six ways clients can get the best value when working with us!
Clear Direction
You may be thinking “But I don’t have a clear direction – that’s why I am hiring you!” and yes, that is true – we will help you define the right direction during your Initial Consultation. But it is important to stay on the right path throughout the project, and keeping the job within the scope of work we plan for is a good way to do this. That doesn’t mean we don’t want to take on more projects with you (we can always phase projects to complete your entire wishlist over time), but it is important to prioritize and stay on track in order to effectively move the project forward, otherwise each addition will add to the overall timeline.
Be Decisive
Nothing creates delays faster than an indecisive client. Whether it is a lack of decision making or changing the plan after the fact, the additional cost to cater to an indecisive client adds up quickly. We had a client who requested a large amount of decorating for their home and we put in many hours sourcing these products for them. In the end, they changed their minds on what they wanted sourced – adding different elements and taking others away. While they didn’t end up with all the products we sourced for them, they did end up with a bill for our time to source each one.
Trust The Experts
While you may want to hire your aunt’s boyfriend as your painter or your kid’s hockey coach to build your cabinets, the truth is that you will likely end up spending more time and money for us to communicate and work with your hand picked trades – especially if the person doing the work is not a true professional but a friend or family member “doing a favor.” You’ve hired us for a reason and that reason was to take care of all elements of the project that we have worked hard to fine-tune over the years. Trusting your designer to do the work you hired them for (including hiring the best people for the job) will save you time, money, and headaches.
Clear Communication
Communication is such an important part of any relationship and it is no different with the client-designer relationship. Communicating with your designer is essential in saving money on follow ups, questions, change orders, and errors. For example, we had a client who wanted to source her own plumbing fixtures (remember that trust factor…?), but did not communicate with us that she was planning on sourcing them herself. She did so at the same time we were also sourcing, so our time (and thus her money) was not spent effectively. If you would like to take on a certain part of the project, we are happy to accommodate that – we just need clear and consistent communication.
Follow Payment Terms
While we all love what we do, we are still running a business and in order to run a business, we need to get paid. When clients do not pay on time, we need to spend more time (i.e.money) to follow up. This can add up quickly-whether it is reminder emails or phone calls, as well as communicating with our team regarding the late payments. Paying on time means we have no “chasing” time being added to your bill.
Three Ways We Can Increase Your Investment
LONGEVITY AND QUALITY
Whether it is a custom craftsman, a wholesaler, or even a local retailer, we always ensure that we are using high quality products where it counts most. This ensures that the design will be long lasting and you won’t be replacing your new products in a matter of a few short years.
AVOID EXPENSIVE MISTAKES
Interior designers can envision the end goal much easier than the client can. This means we can also anticipate issues that need to be solved BEFORE they happen. We come up with creative solutions that can help you protect your investment by avoiding expensive mistakes.
PUT YOUR MONEY IN THE RIGHT PLACE
Interior designers are experts at where to focus your budget for the best investment. Whether you’re planning to renovate and sell, build a new home, or decorate your existing home, we know where to splurge and where to save. This means you’re investing in the right areas of your home to increase its value.
Comments of Questions? Drop us a line below. We would love to hear from you!