How Interior Designers Save You Money On Renovation Projects

Who doesn’t love getting a great deal?

With proper budgeting and hiring the right help, you can open yourself up to several opportunities to save on building materials and supplies for your next home renovation project.

Where some homeowners would assume most of the savings come from cutting corners, cutting services, and using inferior materials, this couldn’t be further from the truth. A good interior designer works to deliver their clients’ vision, all the while saving their clients money and countless hours of unnecessary stress from sourcing materials and supplies.

While there are countless ways that an interior designer can help reduce costs during a renovation, there are three main areas that consistently come up:

1. Insider Pricing (Getting access to exclusive deals not available to the regular public.)
2. Project Oversight (Assuring the budget is sound and everything stays on schedule)
3. Contractor Negotiations (Protecting your from gauging, poor contracts, and other unnecessary expenditures)

Insider Pricing

Trying to come in under budget while giving your reno that “magazine cover” look is the goal of many homeowners. Materials and supplies for home renovation projects often account for significant costs, and it’s one aspect of a renovation that you can easily cut down if you know where to look.

Without the aid of an interior designer, the only way to get access to discount prices is by seeking out discount brands or waiting for special savings from top-tier brands. Hunting down these special deals can be a full-time job – so it’s more economical to go with an interior designer who can unlock insider pricing for you.

Since interior designers work with suppliers on a regular basis, they are able to secure insider pricing on building materials, supplies, and furnishings. They can source prices from several different suppliers giving you the looks and brands you really want, for prices that are well within your renovation budget.

Wholesalers and distributors know that they can get more business by continually giving better deals to interior designers. So it is normal for them to offer more competitive prices, and those savings are passed on to you. Crayon Design has even had cases where the savings we provided on materials were greater than the cost of our services.

Project Oversight

The best interior designers will offer project oversight services. A renovation has a lot of moving parts and ensuring all aspects of the project stay on budget and on schedule can present challenges. Project oversight provides both supervision and coordination of the entire renovation process. That’s everything from the evaluation of initial drawings, booking contractors, to the day you walk into your completed renovation.

When a project isn’t thoroughly planned, there is a greater chance for it to go over budget and past the due date. This could come in the form of materials getting delayed, double booking contractors, and unexpected costs, that weren’t initially taken into consideration.

Caption: For our “ugly duckling” project, we provided project oversight services from start to finish.

Project oversight is both active and proactive. It is involved in preventing issues, just as much as resolving them. Crayon Design uses site instruction sheets that are distributed to all workers whenever a change is made during a build. This ensures that any changes are properly communicated and implemented by all team members.

Your interior designers act as the guiding voice on the project. Keeping your project running efficiently, while making sure your vision is represented. The level of involvement can vary from a daily presence on site to a weekly or monthly visit.

Contractor Negotiations

Interior designers deal with contractors on a near-daily basis. Hiring an interior designer who knows the ins and outs of contractor agreements can not only save you money, but also save you from shoddy craftsmanship and liability issues.

Large projects, kitchen remodels, and bathroom renovations are all likely to involve multiple negotiations with contractors and tradespeople. Electricians and plumbers need to be brought in at the beginning and end of these projects. This means that, at the very least, three negotiations will have to occur.

Interior designers are familiar with the work required, the materials used, and the standard costs of interior renovations. When a quote comes in heavily inflated, an interior designer will be able to recognize this and will also know to push back. In the event where there are multiple contractors and tradespeople coming to work on your home or condo, having an experienced negotiator on your side is essential.

Caption: This washroom project required a number of advanced features in order to allow the shower and the bathtub to share the same drain. An inexperienced contractor would have struggled with this project.

Non-Monetary Interior Design Renovation Savings

Interior design is one of the best ways to save money on a home renovation project, however, not all the savings are monetary in value.

One of the big savings interior designers offer is time. The hours spent going through designs, colours, and materials are hours that would come right out of your personal time. An interior design team will narrow down the best options to two or three for you to pick from, thereby saving time.

Interior design also provides peace of mind and greater satisfaction from a renovation. When planning a renovation, there is comfort in working with a professional interior designer. As a homeowner, you know that your project is being taken care of by professionals, and that their investment is well protected. As well, the finished project is more satisfying knowing you had the best people working to turn your vision into a reality. You’ll never have to second guess if you made the right decision.

When you start planning a home renovation project, the first person you should look to consult is a professional interior designer. You get so much more than a gorgeous renovation, you will also earn deep savings on your project.

Related Article – We know how interior designers can help save money, but how much does an interior designer actually cost? Read this article and find out.