Renovating
5 Reasons to Tell Your Designer Your Real Budget
Designer Sabrina Alfin explains why financial transparency leads to a more successful renovation project
Homeowners can be reluctant to tell a designer their actual budget for a renovation project because they fear the designer will be compelled to spend it all and more. A contract for my design services will include a detailed scope of the project, an estimate of total design fees based on hourly rates, and a deposit, but there’s no concrete figure for the overall budget written into the contract.
I discover a client’s overall budget for a project by having a friendly conversation with them, and experience has taught me that the more transparent that conversation is, the better the project will go for everyone involved.
Here are five reasons why homeowners should be transparent about their available funds and how doing so will lead to a more successful renovation project.
I discover a client’s overall budget for a project by having a friendly conversation with them, and experience has taught me that the more transparent that conversation is, the better the project will go for everyone involved.
Here are five reasons why homeowners should be transparent about their available funds and how doing so will lead to a more successful renovation project.
Often, little changes to a design can lower the cost without entirely losing the original intent. When it comes to custom-made cabinetry, your designer can work with their cabinet-maker on little things such as forgoing soft-close doors or drawers, or possibly moving to a less labour-intensive finish. Those details can make a big difference to the price tag.
Clients will save money in design fees
This fabulous patio fireplace has a poured concrete hearth – a design detail that will certainly have affected the cost of construction. Falling in love with an idea only to find out later that its execution will cost a good deal more than you’d wanted to spend means the designer will have to go back to the drawing board. That’s money you could have spent on materials and finishes instead of redesign time.
Here’s the deal: when you don’t share what you really want to spend upfront, designers can take you down a design path that can have a significant impact on the cost of materials and construction.
Find interior designers in your area and read reviews from previous clients.
This fabulous patio fireplace has a poured concrete hearth – a design detail that will certainly have affected the cost of construction. Falling in love with an idea only to find out later that its execution will cost a good deal more than you’d wanted to spend means the designer will have to go back to the drawing board. That’s money you could have spent on materials and finishes instead of redesign time.
Here’s the deal: when you don’t share what you really want to spend upfront, designers can take you down a design path that can have a significant impact on the cost of materials and construction.
Find interior designers in your area and read reviews from previous clients.
Designers can leverage their trade relationships
One advantage of working with an interior designer is their ability to tap into their trade relationships with vendors.
Let’s say you want to decorate your whole house in one go. If your designer knows what your true budget is, they can consolidate the bulk of your furniture and accessory orders with just one or two frequently used vendors. By doing so, they might be able to negotiate deeper discounts, which can have a dramatic impact on costs.
You might also enjoy Your Essential Checklist to Plan Ahead for a Renovation Project.
One advantage of working with an interior designer is their ability to tap into their trade relationships with vendors.
Let’s say you want to decorate your whole house in one go. If your designer knows what your true budget is, they can consolidate the bulk of your furniture and accessory orders with just one or two frequently used vendors. By doing so, they might be able to negotiate deeper discounts, which can have a dramatic impact on costs.
You might also enjoy Your Essential Checklist to Plan Ahead for a Renovation Project.
You can still plan for contingencies
Almost every renovation or new-build project will encounter a few unexpected hiccups that call for a workaround and potentially more money.
So when you’re working through the scope and budget with your designer, give them a real number, but bear in mind it’s perfectly fine to subtract 10% to 15% as a contingency fund.
Almost every renovation or new-build project will encounter a few unexpected hiccups that call for a workaround and potentially more money.
So when you’re working through the scope and budget with your designer, give them a real number, but bear in mind it’s perfectly fine to subtract 10% to 15% as a contingency fund.
That contingency fund you set aside will probably come in handy when your contractor tells you, “Oops! You’re going to need a new electrical consumer unit; your current one is from 1930.” Or, “Oops, we found a crack in the foundations that needs shoring up before we continue.”
These are among the unanticipated issues that can crop up, particularly if you’re building an extension or adding to your home’s electrical load.
These are among the unanticipated issues that can crop up, particularly if you’re building an extension or adding to your home’s electrical load.
It builds trust between you and your designer
If you don’t trust your designer with your budget, how can they best serve you? A designer’s mission should be to give you the best, most beautiful outcome for the available money.
You’re paying them to bring you options and solutions to create a home that best suits your needs and style. So if you need to pay a bit more for a piece that will make the whole room sing, you can be confident your designer will make up the budget difference in other ways.
Any reputable designer is working as an agent on your behalf, so be upfront with them. Give them a budget you’re really willing to spend that will get the job done. It will make for a better project and a smoother experience, and it will most likely save you money in the long run.
Tell us…
Did you find this advice helpful? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
If you don’t trust your designer with your budget, how can they best serve you? A designer’s mission should be to give you the best, most beautiful outcome for the available money.
You’re paying them to bring you options and solutions to create a home that best suits your needs and style. So if you need to pay a bit more for a piece that will make the whole room sing, you can be confident your designer will make up the budget difference in other ways.
Any reputable designer is working as an agent on your behalf, so be upfront with them. Give them a budget you’re really willing to spend that will get the job done. It will make for a better project and a smoother experience, and it will most likely save you money in the long run.
Tell us…
Did you find this advice helpful? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
A designer’s job is to understand which features of a project are most important to their clients and to make compromises elsewhere when necessary.
In this kitchen, which my studio designed in collaboration with Darcy Tsung Design, we made some judicious choices to come in on budget. We used quartz worktops instead of natural stone and plain metro tiles to offset the cost of the pricier feature tiles behind the range cooker.
These decisions allowed us to prioritise the cost of custom-made cabinetry for better storage options and aesthetics – the homeowner’s top priority for the space.