How Much Does an Interior Designer Cost?

One of the first questions people ask is how much does an interior designer cost?

It’s a difficult question to answer, but I will do my best to explain some general pricing guidelines.

As you can imagine, interior design services are unique to each project and with so many options for service types, price ranges can vary drastically.

So why is the cheapest option not always the best? The people we work with understand the value of their own time and the value of using experts; they want a more hands-off approach, enabling them to run and build their business, leaving us to do that legwork for them. They know how much value working with experts can add to their projects.

In many cases, the project will become part of your portfolio for the following 10-20+ years, so you want to get this right the first time so as not to have regret later on down the line. The last thing you need is another refurb in 2 years to bring the property back up to scratch. We help create timeless designs that outlast trends and keep your properties selling and cash flowing in the long term.

How Much Does an Interior Design Service Cost?

The average price of our fees on a new build or flip project is £2,000 – £5,000. On a small development or HMO project, our fee would be between £2,000 – £10,000. You could expect to pay between £7,000 and £20,000 for a larger development.

So why does it make financial sense to use a designer?

Using a designer on your developments means having an expert on board who can look at the end product from the beginning and ensure everything from the design to the implementation is aligned. Here are our top reasons for using a designer:

• Increase the value of your property, increase viewings and offer prices, decrease voids and increase rents in rental properties.
• Maximise your budget – an interior designer will have experience with how much a design will cost to fulfil, they’ll have creative solutions to create a great design on lower budgets and they’ll have trade discounts you can use. 
• Avoid costly mistakes – many design decisions are made upfront so that everything is considered in your plans. Any experienced designer will know the usual issues and have creative solutions ready to tackle them.
• Maximise your floorplans – making the most out of your floorplans might even get you an extra bedroom, but at the least will create the best flow in the property and make the most of every inch. We’ve had HMO projects where a small tweak to the layout has added over £100k in value to the property. 
• Use the right finishes to save you money in the long term – using the right finishes in the right places can help you keep maintenance costs down over time and ensure everything is fit for purpose.

How Does the Type of interior design Service Affect the Cost?

When someone asks how much our interior design services cost, the level of service is always a key factor. We have 4 main service types, although, unlike many companies, we can do as much or as little as our clients would have us do. We’re as flexible as possible to make it stress-free and ensure you never pay for something you don’t need.

Consultancy services

Our consultancy design services are a great option when you need help with one element of a build such as the layouts or the colour schemes. We can either look at one section or pay per hour to help you get past any stumbling block.

Most clients will spend £300-1,800 on our consultancy services

Bespoke Design-to-Concept Stage

Our concept design packages include a bespoke design through to the concept stage, which means you get the look and feel for your property, paint colours, furniture ideas and a decoration plan so your build team can get cracking.

With this package, it is up to you to source the furniture you want to use, shop for accessories, plan your layouts and liaise with the build team on how it will be implemented in your property.

Most clients will spend, on average, £1,500 – £3,000.

Bespoke Design

Our complete interior design packages include everything your project needs to implement our bespoke design to perfection, from layout drawings, concepts, and greyscale models of any detail sections to the furniture and accessories, all chosen for you within the budget allocated. We will review everything with the build team on-site and ensure every detail is considered.

Most clients will spend, on average, £3,000 – £9,000 on design fees with this option.

Design plus project management

When you are wanting a complete hands off approach, this service is perfect. We help our clients with both the full design and we manage the build for them too. Working closely with the builders to keep things on track and keep you informed along the way.

Project management services are usually 10% of the build cost, you’ll need to factor in design fees on top of this too.

How Our Services Compare to Others

As you can see, the price of interior design services varies, which is as it should be. Every project has different challenges, just as every client has different goals, budgets and requirements.

So how does this fit into other services out there?

Our design services are relatively standard compared to other designers. However, there are still a few things that will set our prices apart from other designers or service providers. 

Experience level

When you are looking at the cost of hiring your interior designer, a huge factor to consider should be the experience they have. For example, if you are working on an HMO project, you will want to hire someone with experience in HMO’s so that they understand the regulations, amenity standards and tenant demands as well as all of the other aspects of a good design. We have over 8 years of experience in building and designing HMO’s so our services will cost more than someone 1 year in.

DIY

Many clients start off here. If you have fewer projects on the go and more time available, it might seem tempting to try it yourself. You’ll have a lot to organise, and it will be hard to avoid mistakes, especially if these are your first few projects, which may cost you further down the line.

However, it is a great way to learn about the industry and might be the perfect short-term solution to keep costs lower (those initial costs, at least).

Furniture Companies

There are a vast number of companies out there now offering furniture solutions to developers. They are an excellent solution for a quick turnaround when purchasing your furniture and are much cheaper than sourcing everything individually.

However, you’ll struggle to find anything bespoke from a furniture company (after all, the margins wouldn’t work if they can’t buy in bulk), so your properties will start to look pretty similar.

You’ll also need to still think about the rest of your design: Your layout designs, paint colours, finishes, flooring and any bespoke solutions for your joiner. So, make sure to factor in your time if you go down this route.

Property staging

There are lots of companies offering property staging now too, we offer both Property staging and HMO staging for example! But, be careful not to confuse these with Interior design services. It’s a hugely important part of your project especially if you are selling or creating HMO’s/Apart-hotels but there is a lot more to interior design than just the staging and again the price of each will reflect this.

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Hopefully, this has given you a good idea of what can influence the cost of your designs for your next project. If you’d like to discuss your requirements further, click here to book a free discovery call with us.