It's just shopping and picking paint...
A lot of people hold a misconception that interior design is just picking a nice paint colour and then shopping for sofas, curtains and cushions to match. Consider that myth busted now.
Planning the space, making sure your floorplan is maximised, flows and works for the intended market, adding details that stand out. Creating cohesive schemes across multiple rooms that resonate with your target buyer or tenant, look beautiful, are current, contemporary and timeless not faddy...all within a given budget? Visualising properties so clients can imagine what the design will look like before work has started, guiding contractors on the vision and also as a tool to pre-market properties.
Doesn't sound much like shopping...
Yes, of course there is an element of sourcing and specifying fixtures, finishes and furniture, but insider knowledge of quality suppliers, passing on trade discount and delivering on budget is so much more than a dash round the shops.
I never needed one before
That may be true, but people said they didn't need mobile phones because we had payphones (remember them), or that they didn't need or want DVDs because they had VHS, oh the hours of rewinding lost! Times change and as property becomes ever more competitive, your business becomes larger and more successful, you may need to evolve how you work...is your time best spent in this area? An interior designer can be a great asset to you property and your team. Boosting values, speeding up sales, saving you time and being someone you can rely on to deliver top quality projects.
They cost too much
With costs going up everywhere we can appreciate that interior design might seem like the best thing to put on the chopping block. But good interior design is an investment, saving you money and increasing the value of your property — that's a win-win in anyone's book!
As the saying goes 'If you think the cost of good advice is high, try the cost of bad', investing in an expert not only helps you achieve higher rents and speed up your exit (saving you costs of having properties on the market) but will pass on discounts, find deals and keep you to your budget.
Interior design isn't a cost, it's a great investment.
I can do it myself
If you love interiors and want to do it yourself — we love that! We never stifle a fellow creative.
But, if you do go for it alone, be aware that there are some elements of interior design that aren't quite so glamorous. Redrawing the floorplan for the tenth time to get everything you need to fit perfectly, reading 120 page documents from the council on HMO standards, searching the entire internet for the right shower screen to fit the space, but still look modern, without costing a fortune. Interior design should really be described as "500 micro decisions a day until the project is finished".
I don't have time to manage one
If you don't have time to manage an interior designer, you DEFINITELY need to start outsourcing!
Interior designers will save you hours and hours and hours of time. Imagine the time spent picking the exact shade of blue you want, or running round last minute for an off the cuff contractor request. A great interior designer should plan every last detail for you — so you don't need to worry or stress over anything. That's time back to you that you can spend doing what you're great at like finding property deals, or spending some well deserved down time with your family and friends.
Looking to add an interior designer to your power team — we'd love to hear from you!
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