December 23, 2022
Interior Design: Do’s and Don’ts for new homeowners
In most cases, young or fairly new homeowners face a big dilemma once they complete the purchase of their first or new home: whether or not to hire a professional interior designer. A couple of the most common searches on the internet are, what do interior designers usually charge? and how do I estimate interior design costs? This shows that people are often skeptical to hire a professional to design their homes and are looking for the best solutions.
Well, here are the do’s and don’ts to help you decide and understand how to approach interior designing your home.
Do’s
Hire a professional. Yes, the first thing you must do is hire a professional to design the interior of your home. This is not a menial job or work that can be easily executed by doing a bit of research on the internet. It takes a lot of knowledge of various things, patience, and time which require a professional. However, even after hiring a professional, you have to keep a few things in mind.
Decide on your budget first and then search for the type of interior designer who would fit your bill. If you have a very small budget, trying to contact someone who only deals with high-budget clients will not work for you. On the other hand, if you have a moderate budget don’t just settle for any beginner-level professionals.
Research well before hiring any professional. Other than hiring a professional based on your budget and the scale of work, you must look into their profiles and their previous works. Take a good look at the customer feedback and compare their pricing with others.
Always emphasize utilizing the most of your space, good ventilation, and getting maximum natural lighting into your living space.
Discuss in detail with the hired professional regarding your requirements and set up a priority list before starting the project. In this way, your budget will be allocated in the best way possible and you will not spend any extra money later.
Don’ts
Do not rely on verbal agreements and promises. Always read the contracts carefully and understand every bit of them. Know what you are paying and what you are getting in return. If possible, ask your contractor to write the contract in layman’s terms so that there is no gap in communication or lack of understanding.
Always make sure there are no hidden charges and you are not agreeing to variables. The pricing must be laid in front of you in clear writing and there are no hidden charges included in the contract.
Do not fixate only on the aesthetics of the design ideas and plans. The design ideas must ensure that you are turning your home into a living space that will make your life more comfortable, healthy, and hassle-free.
Do not buy decorative items and furniture that will make your living space smaller and less convenient for you to move around freely. Always emphasize the size factor first and then try to look for their design and other aesthetic factors.
Do not take inspiration or design ideas from other examples without considering the space factor. Different size of living space needs a different approach to design. What can be done on a 3000 sq ft of living space may not be possible on a much smaller size.
