You have to kiss some toads to find a prince . I suggest you get the names of 3 designers ask how much for a 1 hr. consult and hopefully from those 3 you will find one who seems to understand your style and that you like. Hiring a designer is akin to finding a good hairdresser only you will know when you have the right one. I do consults and that first hour is deducted from my first billing but I cannot see how to hire a designer without some cost since most of us are busy and like to be paid for our time.

I did a major remodel fairly recently and was a complete novice as I had never used a desgner and the closest anyone in my family came was when my mother and aunts bought furniture and the store had designers to help with selection :-).

That said, my experience was that my designer did not charge to meet with me initially. She came to my home to look at the space and discuss what I liked. She showed me her book. We discussed tentative budget. She didn't make any suggestions so I don't think I would call it a "consult".

I realize that professionals charge by their time but there is also a realistic cost of doing business and meeting with potential clients would seem to be part of that. I don't know what value a client would actually receive from meeting with a designer in the manner I did for our first meeting since theoretially we would both be free to decide not to work with each other.

Once I decided to hire her, everything was laid out in the contract. Since mine was a pretty major gut remodel of my unit, there was a very detailed plan that laid out everything that was done including specifications. This would be used to get the permit from the city and would also be used to give to prospective GC so that they knew exactly what they were bidding on. FWIW, the GC also made an in-person visit to view my unit and didn't charge for the time they spent with me nor would they charge for working up an actual bid - again that is a cost of doing business and if they didn't want the job or whatever they wouldn't have proceeded further and not submitted a bid.

The detailed plan was owned by me and I was charged $X per square foot for it. At the same time I entered into an agreement that was for the "design" aspect of it. I paid a flat fee for the design and this amount was an advance which was recoupable against the amounts I owed for the actual design. The fees charged by my designer varied depending on what they were for - some of the stuff was classic percentage for stuff purchased; there was a different percentage for stuff she designed as she actually designed some of my funiture which were then made by various tradespeople she worked with.

I had a great experience with my designer and couldn't have achieved the results both aesthetically and functionally without her. Choose someone who you like and feel comfortable with. My relationship with her really is not defined by the strict terms of the contract although obviously she gets paid in accordance with the terms.

Hi R G,

I would recommend getting clear on what you want to get out of your remodel before engaging with designers.

Some strategic forethought at the very beginning will make your designer vetting & hiring process less wasteful and more productive.

I have a remodel roadmap document available on my website you might find helpful in removing some of the mystery around finding the right project-homeowner-designer fit.

The roadmap also gives you some practical tips and insights regarding preparing for and working with a designer on a remodeling project.

Click Here For The Remodel Roadmap (Leading My Remodel)

All the best to you on your project R G!