by EmmaVictoriaID » Wed Jul 20, 2011 4:00 pm
Hi redshoe
I am an interior designer based locally and wanted to respond re. the above post as I feel that although a common way of charging a design fee is 10% of the overall budget it is not the only way, and would be wary of judging a company in regards to if they are "good" or not based purely on their pricing structure.
I run a small consultancy and work exclusively on residential clients on a 1 to 1 basis on smaller projects within the SW area. I have found that after speaking to and helping out lots of people in the area many people do not have an idea of a set budget and therefore the idea of selecting a budget beforehand is limiting to them. Especially if they just want pre-lim advice on furniture and colour schemes but are willing to carry out the project themselves. I have a package for clients who want a simple bit of professional inspiration for £300 I offer a furniture book, sample board and 1 colour scheme recommendation, this includes an hour consult. For larger projects I assess what services a person requires at the initial consultation - which I do charge a redeemable hourly £45 fee for - and then calculate the design fee based on the information gathered at the consult. Each client therefore pays for the services they need, which can be selected like a shopping list. I find this gives my clients and myself a clear list of what needs to be achieved and keeps us on track. 50% upfront and then 50% on completion.
Just wanted to say good designers are out there who do not necessarily charge in the standard way.
Hi redshoe
I am an interior designer based locally and wanted to respond re. the above post as I feel that although a common way of charging a design fee is 10% of the overall budget it is not the only way, and would be wary of judging a company in regards to if they are "good" or not based purely on their pricing structure.
I run a small consultancy and work exclusively on residential clients on a 1 to 1 basis on smaller projects within the SW area. I have found that after speaking to and helping out lots of people in the area many people do not have an idea of a set budget and therefore the idea of selecting a budget beforehand is limiting to them. Especially if they just want pre-lim advice on furniture and colour schemes but are willing to carry out the project themselves. I have a package for clients who want a simple bit of professional inspiration for £300 I offer a furniture book, sample board and 1 colour scheme recommendation, this includes an hour consult. For larger projects I assess what services a person requires at the initial consultation - which I do charge a redeemable hourly £45 fee for - and then calculate the design fee based on the information gathered at the consult. Each client therefore pays for the services they need, which can be selected like a shopping list. I find this gives my clients and myself a clear list of what needs to be achieved and keeps us on track. 50% upfront and then 50% on completion.
Just wanted to say good designers are out there who do not necessarily charge in the standard way.