Begin your selection process by understanding what an interior designer can do for you and what skills and experience they should have. Many people believe an interior designer simply chooses paint, furniture and accessories but you know they do so much more. Interior designers provide a long list of services including:
? Using software to create and manage design projects.
? Space planning.
? Negotiating prices on furniture, fixtures and accessories.
? Create drawings that include all the technical and design elements of the project.
? Reading blueprints.
? Hiring contractors.
. Keeping the project on time and on budget.
? Researching health and safety codes, permit requirements and building codes.
? Creating contracts and reviewing contracts of other service professionals on the project.
Once you have decided to use an interior designer on your design project you will want to hire someone who is qualified, who shares your vision and who communicates clearly with you.
Begin the selection process by defining the geographic location, budget, scope and time frame for project completion. You will want to use this information when researching and interviewing potential designers to make sure they are a good fit for your project and your location.
Review the websites of your pool of interior designers. Call the candidates who particularly interest you and ask questions and take notes. Some general questions you should ask:
? How long have they been in business?
? Do they work alone or as a team?
? Do they have a field of specialty?
? Can they give you a client list?
? What is their fee structure and contract requirements?
? What supplier partnerships do they have?
? How skilled are they at negotiating pricing for services and projects?
? Do they have case studies and a portfolio?
? What experience do they have with local building codes and the permit process?
? Do they do handle commercial, residential or both?
? Have they worked on a project similar to yours before?
? How do they handle refunds for furniture and accessories that are not used?
? Can they provide at least three references?
Set-up an appointment with those who received good references and take your notes, sketches and design ideas with you. Pay careful attention to the communication style and personality of the designer. Discuss budget and fees, scheduling, deposits, contracts and other policies. If possible, view other projects that the designer has completed. After you have completed this process review all the information you have gathered and you should find it easy to pick a designer or firm for your project and you can begin to look forward to your design ideas becoming reality.
Don't only look at designers that have done projects exactly like the one you are looking to do. You want a designer that can create personalized spaces that represent your lifestyle vs. a replica of something they have done before.
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A recent homebuyer's report from Halifax shows a substantial up to 20% growth in the London property prices during the first six month of the year 2007. It sounds like a good news for the sellers. At same time the rising market is more demanding when it comes to the quality of accommodation and therefore it requires additional efforts from the sellers.London buyers are particularly aware of the recent trends and home standards and very often they would like to move in straight away without doing any improvements on the property.
To increase saleability of a property it should correspond to the buyers expectations. An interior designer with experience for pre-sale refurbishment can achieve amazing results in the shortest time. The new bathroom and kitchen are leading the hit parade of the home improvements that would increase the value of the property.....assuming it is done properly and preferably professionally. Low quality DIY jobs completed wihout any knowledge of building regulations and current interior design trends would not increase the value of the property but can even decrease it. To avoid costly mistakes it pays off to comission a professional interior design specialist. A designer would be able to conceive, organize and supervise the project making sure that the final result would greatly appeal to the prospective buyers.
Saving on materials used for the work is another reason to employ an interior designer who would know exactly where to purchase necessary materials and appliances and would pass 10-20% discount to the customer. Another reason is time management. Many property owners don't quite realise how much input of time and knowledge their project will take. It is particularly difficult when one is in the regular employment, that means that the project might last for years robbing of relaxing week-ends and in the end the final product would not necessary be ideal.
The skills of an interior designer are frequently used by the property developers. Although most experienced property developers would nearly instinctively know what type of interior finish would appeal to their market, they find that contracting an interior designer achieve better standards thus increasing the price of the property and consequently their profits. Many prestigious residential developments around the country and in London in particular would pride themselves in the quality level of their new homes. An interior designer would add a ?wow factor? and a special home comfort touch to the interiors which would make them more marketable among style-conscious new buyers.
It is a common knowledge by now that attractive properties have higher rate of success with the prospective buyers. They conquer the hearts from the first visit and as a rule never stays on the market for long time. Even if one doesn't want to make a total refurbishment of the house it would make sense to invite an interior design specialist to advise you on some inexpensive but highly valuable improvement in the interior. We get used to our interiors but very often the interior created would only appeal to the limited number of prospective buyers and therefore some changes are essential to achieve a sale. In the recent years such interior design service as home staging is growing up in popularity. A professional interior designer would help to create a fresh appealing to the potential buyers look by de-cluttering the space, changing furniture layout and adding a few stylish accessories. The results wouldn't make you wait...
There are many interior designers in London; look for their membership/affiliation to the professional bodies. So why not contract an interior designer and ... increase the value of your property?
Both Paul Andrew & Jane Watt are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Paul Andrew has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Management, Home Renovation Ideas. With more than two decades of design experience, designer Paul Andrew's style and intuition has matured and helped to build Style for Life Interiors into a full service. Paul Andrew's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.
Jane Watt has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Improvement, Home Management and Home Improvement. Jane Watt, works for several well-known publications. Other articles published by Jane Watt related to. Jane Watt's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.