Building your own house gives you the opportunity to have the home of your dreams. However, you will also take on a lot of stress as you try to stay within budget, deal with setbacks, and make decisions about who to hire. With the demands on your budget, you may be wondering if you need to hire an interior designer to take your plans and turn them into a home.
You don’t need an interior designer when building a house, but hiring one can be extremely helpful. The general contractor can build your house, but it is the interior designer who is trained to add the small details that make the house your ideal home.
In this article, I will discuss the benefits of hiring an interior designer and some common misconceptions about their role in the construction process. I will also explore the potential drawbacks of hiring an interior designer and ways to avoid these drawbacks, so you can make the right choice for yourself and your future home.
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The Role of an Interior Designer
There is a misconception that an interior designer only decorates your home after the building is already complete. In fact, decorating is just a part of what an interior designer does! Their work is much more extensive than most people realize.
Interior Designers Are More Than Decorators
While decorating is an integral part of the job, an interior designer can do many things long before colors are mixed or carpets are rolled out. The designer can plan the best electrical, plumbing, and lighting layouts for each room if they are involved early enough in the home building process.
If you have ever been in a home with incredible functional details – including outlets conveniently tucked away in clever places, storage space under the stairs, or lighting inside kitchen cabinets – chances are the homeowner hired an interior designer who acted as a guide throughout the home construction process.
Interior Designers Coordinate the Construction Process
You can think of the role of an interior designer like that of a conductor of an orchestra. Without the guidance of the conductor, there is instead a lot of chaos and noise instead of music. Interior designers are the conductors of all the hands working together to build your home.
The designer directs the carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and other contractors from the ground up. Instead of trying to keep track of everyone, the interior designer does this for you, meaning they are the only point of contact you need to communicate with.
Since the designer knows what each contractor needs to do, they take a lot of stress off your shoulders. The home building process will ultimately go much smoother and happier when you have an interior designer by your side.
Benefits of Hiring an Interior Designer
An interior designer’s job is to:
- Save time
- Reduce stress
- Make your vision of your ideal home a reality
However, there are also additional benefits that come with hiring an interior designer that may not be immediately obvious.
Interior Designers Avoid Costly Mistakes
While it may be tempting to choose your own furniture, you often end up finding that it doesn’t fit properly when it arrives. Whether it’s not fitting up the stairs or through the door, or simply not fitting right in the space, the DIY approach can lead to some costly mistakes.
An interior designer will ensure your purchases are the right fit for your home. Designers know how to measure everything and have software programs to plan the furnishings in 3D blueprints.
If you are building a multi-story home, they will make sure you don’t end up with furniture that doesn’t fit properly – and if you fall in love with a piece of furniture that is too big for the stairs, they will work with the general contractor to ensure there is a way to get it up those stairs!
Interior Designers Bring the ‘It’ Factor
Many people have good taste, but that is usually not enough to take a home to the next level. Interior designers have education and formal training that allows them to add a special touch to any home.
It takes practice to find the balance between statement pieces and coziness. Your home will feel less like a collection of rooms and more like a cohesive, unified space.
The work of an interior designer is executed with great attention to detail, such as accent colors in a kitchen backsplash that echo the accent colors in the living room.
Interior Designers Aid in Resale
If you decide to sell your home in the future, you will appreciate the value that your home gains from building with the help of an interior designer. According to Forbes, this added value alone covers the cost of hiring the interior designer and more!
Your home will not only sell for a higher price, it will typically sell faster and with much less back and forth between real estate agents. Your home will be something special, and buyers will take notice!
Drawbacks of Hiring an Interior Designer
I have talked quite a bit about the benefits of hiring an interior designer when building a house, but there are also potential drawbacks. Here are some of these drawbacks along with solutions to avoid them.
Interior Designers Can Be Expensive
How much you spend on an interior designer will largely depend on the size of your home, the desired scope of work, and the total amount of work time. No matter how you look at it, a good interior designer isn’t cheap.
However, there are many ways in which you can recoup your money. As mentioned earlier, interior designers pay for themselves when you sell the house at a later time.
They also have access to insider deals. Purchasing through an interior designer can save you a lot of money on furnishings. If you find a designer with good connections who can incorporate things you already own, you may find that the designer ends up saving you more money in the end than they charged you!
Designed Homes Lack Personal Touch
While it can be a great relief to have an interior designer take the reins, you still want to make sure you communicate and agree throughout the entire process. Otherwise, you may not feel at home in your house.
It is incredibly important to find an interior designer who has the proper education and with whom you feel comfortable and involved at every point. If you decide to bring a designer on board, shop around and find someone who fits well with you and your home!
Additionally, be sure to collaborate with your designer so you can incorporate your personal favorite touches from your old home into your new home. A good designer will help you bring those elements into your home in a way that seamlessly blends with the new design features.
Final Thoughts
If you were unsure about whether to hire an interior designer when building a house, this article should dispel your uncertainties and help you find answers to your questions.
While not necessarily required, bringing an interior designer on board at the beginning of building a house is definitely worth it. They have a trained eye for beauty and will give you the assurance that the construction will go smoothly. A designer makes the process of building a house an enjoyable one and creates the home you have always wanted.