Be honest, how many of you out there think that hiring an interior designer is a luxury you just can’t afford? Do you believe interior designers are only for those with money to burn? Well, I’m here to tell you the truth about hiring a designer. The fact is that hiring an interior designer can SAVE you money! In fact, a well designed home can even MAKE you money.

But, Melissa! You encourage people to learn how to decorate so they never have to hire a designer! Yes, I know, and I firmly believe the best person to decorate your home is YOU! But, the fact is, there may come a time in your life when you don’t have the time or energy to do it yourself, and you’d rather hire out. I’m here to make sure you know the truth about working with a designer, and how it might benefit you. Here are SIX reasons why:

1. The Designer Discount

Most designers charge an hourly fee to work on enhancing your space. They do countless hours of research and planning to ensure they provide you with the very best options to meet your budget. But did you also know that designers often get a huge discount from vendors? In fact, that discount is sometimes up to 40% or 50%!

designer can save you money

Why does this matter? Let’s imagine for a moment that you have hired a designer, and s/he charges $100 per hour. Suppose your project is going to take 30 hours, or $3000 total. Now, that may sound like a ton of money to spend, but let’s keep on imagining that you are planning to buy $20,000 worth of furniture for your new home, and your designer is going to pass along a partial discount of 20% to you on that purchase. That means that you only have to pay 80% of the cost of the $20,000 purchase, or $16,000.

$20,000 * 80% = $16,000

Wait a minute! That means you just saved $4000 on your purchase!! So, if you have to pay your designer $3000, but you saved $4000, you’ve not only covered your designer’s fee, but you’ve saved an additional $1000. Woohoo!

Check out my video for more details on how you can save money buying furniture and accessories when working with a designer.

2. Avoiding Replacement Costs

Not convinced you need a designer discount because the furniture store down the road is having a 50% off sale? Well, let’s talk a little bit about furniture quality and replacement costs. Suppose you see a great looking sectional sofa at that sale down the road, and it’s only $5000. The sectional your designer recommends is $7500, and they look almost identical.

I hate to break it to you, but that $5000 sofa at the furniture store is probably not a great quality sofa. In fact, it likely won’t look good in 2-3 years, and will require a complete replacement in 5 years.

worn out sofa

A cheaper sofa may look like this in 2-3 years!

On the other hand, the sofa your designer recommends is a great quality sofa that should hold up wonderfully for 10 years. So, if you buy that $5000 sofa, but have to replace it in 5 years, you’re now spending $10,000 on sofas over 10 years. Whereas, if you buy the sofa from your designer, you only have to invest $7500 over ten years. That’s another $2500 you just saved!

3. Avoiding Restocking Fees

Suppose you go ahead and buy that inexpensive sofa on sale for $5000, and you take it home only to find that the dimensions are off, and it just doesn’t fit in your living room or go with the new coffee table you bought. What now?

sofa too big

Most furniture companies will accept returns but charge a restocking fee of 10% or more to return the item. So, you could end up paying $500 to return that $5000 sofa! That ends up being a very costly mistake! If you had gone with the designer’s sofa, you could rest assured that your designer had already taken measurements of your space, the new sofa and other furniture, and confirmed that they are the right size, shape, color, and style for your space.

4. The Value of Time

What would you say an hour of your time is worth? If you are a busy, working-full-time mom with kids, I will bet that your time is very precious to you! If you are a stay-at-home-parent, you likely don’t have any extra hours to shop for furniture options, rugs, or paint colors either! The amount of time it takes to plan out the furniture for your space, select from countless tile, paint, or flooring options, ensure the items are within your budget, and coordinate each piece of furniture and decorative accessory to  look fabulous together takes a LOT of time. Your time is money! And, your time is time you could be spending with your family, which is truly priceless.

designer can save you money with gift of time

So, if one hour of your time is precious to you, then think how much 30 hours of your time is worth to you!  A designer could be saving you tons of effort and time that you could be spending with your family, doing hobbies that you enjoy, or running your own business. You just can’t put a price on time!

5. Best Bang for Your Buck

Think that more expensive rug must be “better” than the less expensive one you saw online? Think again! Sometimes, more expensive means better quality, and sometimes it doesn’t. A good designer knows where the best places to shop are, and can point you to the best quality products that fit within your budget. They can also help guide you on where to spend more and where to cut back to save you money. You could save hundreds of dollars, even thousands, just by shopping smartly and still end up with a gorgeous, expensive-looking home! Yes, you may have to pay a designer for this guidance, but if you end up saving tons of money, isn’t that designer fee worth it?

designer can save you money

6. Save/Make Money When Selling Your Home

Here’s one you may not have thought of. Did you know that a well-designed, staged home sells 75% faster than a home that isn’t staged? Just think about how much you could save in mortgage costs over several months of having your house on the market! You’re talking about a good chunk of money!

There is even some evidence to suggest that a staged or well-designed home can increase its sales price. How? Good design can positively influence the way buyers view your home, and drive competition among buyers. If your home looks its best, buyers are more likely to fall in love with it, and offer you top dollar to ensure they will be the new owners. Your investment in good design may have just MADE you some money!

A designer can not only help you create a beautiful home for you to live in now, but when it comes time for you to sell, your home may have an edge over other homes, leading to a faster sale and the very best price. If hiring an interior designer means you get to enjoy your living space now, and save even more money later on, you may want to start looking for a great designer in your area!

hiring an interior designer can save you money

So there you have it – SIX ways hiring an interior designer can save you money, and might even help you make money later on!  A good designer can not only save you hundreds or even thousands on purchases, but they can help you avoid costly returns, save you precious time, ensure you get the best bang for your hard-earned bucks, and may help you sell your home faster later on. What are you waiting for? Time to get out there and find a great designer near you!

If you are interested in some extra help for your home, check out my e-design services today!