You will need to interview some contractors for sure and maybe some help from a designer but I would start with choosing a contractor who you feel good about. Maybe even friend can help with some of the design stuff since most of what you want is more in the contractors expertise.

"and other minimal stuff"

Breaking open one of the master bedroom walls to open views/access to backyard is not minimal! Opening up an exterior wall is "remodeling!

I have a feeling you don't have a realistic understanding of what construction costs are these days, both for labor and materials. Demand is high and skilled trades are in short supply. Good luck!

Often a good designer has relationships with great contractors - the designer gives the contractor a lot of repeat work and it’s easier for a contractor to work with a good designer than deal with a bunch of different/random homeowners. In my area when you work with the right designer you get access to their terrific pros - win win

I can suggest your break this down to a list of priorities. For instance opening up an exterior wall is definately something a contractor would do but if for instance if there is an existing window that you want to enlarge, a window installer could be a possibility. I have a list of things to do around the house and I already have rough quotes so I know what the budget will be for each task and I hire people who specialize in each area rather than hire a contractor who would then hire a bunch of smaller contractors. I just hire each smaller contractor to do small jobs as I get enough money saved for each job. I do not hire the same guy to paint a room as I would to install a new patio door, or another to put in new flooring etc.

The price quoted by the interior designer - is that her estimated budget for the project or is that her design fee?

Opening an exterior wall, building closets, fireplace replacement, painting, etc. is easily more than a $25-30k job! Unless, of course, you hire your neighbor’s cousin’s boss’s 20-year-old high school dropout son who quotes you $20k to totally destroy your home.

Your accurate answer is right here below and 30K does not cover any addition, ANY size

""and other minimal stuff"

" Breaking open one of the master bedroom walls to open views/access to backyard is not minimal! Opening up an exterior wall is "remodeling!

( Even a simple sliding door, more window would take all of your 5K and more )

I have a feeling you don't have a realistic understanding of what construction costs are these days, both for labor and materials. Demand is high and skilled trades are in short supply. Good luck!"

Re think your wishlist ..........Big re think in order.

I might get hate mail from homeowners, contractors, and interior designers for giving out trade secrets, but I'll attempt to translate the client's scope of work as related to a contractor and the contractor's likely take on it.

What the prospective client says:

"... breakopen one of the master bedroom walls to open to the backyard, need 3 closets build, fireplace to be updated with electric one and some storage in the kitchen to be built, paint, hanging lights and other minimal stuff."

What a prospective contractor hears:

"I'd like you to perform the most difficult, high-risk aspects of a residential remodel and deliver the desired quality and schedule at a discount price. I'll take it from there."

I JUST need this done...........hahahahahah

I am new to the US and have bought my first house here. Have never dealt with contractors in my life. This is more of a navigation question and was looking at tips. So, what I understood is it is best to look at contractors for specific jobs rather than looking at one contractor for doing all jobs (I had thought the latter would be cheaper than the former). Seocndly, the quote provided by designers is just the design fee. Some suggest they get their own contractors- some ask me to look for one. I understand I need to get my priority first and then navigate each task as it comes.

It is best to figure out your budget!

Prioritize the things most important, to you.

First, post pictures of the home, the rooms you have in mind. what you are thinking of doing, and some inspo pictures of what your ideal may be.

Interior designers work in many ways, structure fees in many ways- It is impossible to say what is reasonable for your "projects"

Post the house......jpegs......not screen shots.

If you don't know what you are doing, you should get one contractor to handle everything. It doesn't sound like you have enough knowledge to act as your own contractor and hire different sub-contractors. Do you know what your local building codes are and what permits you might need?

Where are you located? I can recommend good contractors in Los Angeles and southwest FL. I'm sure others here can come up with more referrals, if you narrow down your location.

Yes, hire one contractor that will handle everything. Much less headache for you to juggle different sub contractors.

The only way to save money on these types of projects is to be able to bring some level of expertise to it yourself. If you don't have the expertise, you have to pay someone for it. It's important to be realistic about your capabilities and not get in over your head with your contribution to a project. When you move, it's normal to want everything to be just like you want it as soon as possible, but it might be better to wait and save your money to do things right. If you do things out of order you can cause yourself more problems.

If you post some pictures of your house people will be happy to offer more guidance now we know you are a first-timer. Most of the frequent commenters here are pros, or people who have owned multiple houses and done many projects already.

The answers you're getting reflect your CURRENT level of involvement. You can research each project. Brake each down into materials and labor. Pull your own permits. Explore the different methods available to learn about quality considerations. Draw scale plans Decide if some parts are tasks you want to do. Sometimes you need to control something to end up with the finish you can be satisfied with. All these are options that affect the cost. Learning what it takes will help you choose contractors. And better know when to fire one. Which happens. Having knowledfe helps you avoid contractor pricing "errors", which are always in their favor.

It requires more info from you to help. A door out to the garden from the bedroom can be a huge job or not so bad depending on the wall and if there is a waindow that is a nice width. Clsoests where ? FP replace,ment ideally a firpeplace shop. Hanging lights can often be DIY. To really get any real help you would need to post pics and more detail