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How to hire a freelance designer with Minimum Effort - IBDA3X

How To Hire A Freelance Interior Designer With Minimum Effort

Whether you need to redesign your house, shop, company, restaurant,.. This is the ultimate guide to hiring a freelance interior designer.

Once considered a privilege only for hotels and restaurants, a growing number of individuals are turning to an interior designer to renovate their kitchen, living room,  or bathroom, … 

Using an interior designer can be a smart choice if your goal is to create the home of your dreams, rather than just something that looks like it!

Why Hire an Interior Designer?


1. They Work with Trusted Collaborators

If you’ve ever done construction or renovation work, you know how important the choice of collaborators is.

A poor selection can make your experience bitter!

By working with an interior designer, you have access to his network of trusted collaborators. 

2. They Could Save you From Costly Mistakes

With his or her know-how, the recognized designer will undoubtedly save you from one or more mistakes, sometimes very costly! It will add value to your project

3. They Streamline your Work

The design of your home or commercial space must be carefully planned! Nothing better than a qualified and experienced professional to guide you in your investment. 

With their knowledge of:

  • interior design
  • the steps in the construction and renovation process
  • the principles of ergonomics
  • And the most durable materials, and the standards to be respected

interior designers are there to help you make the best decisions based on your interests. 

4. They Exploit the Full Potential of your Space

Part of an interior designer’s job is to make the most of your space, whatever its size. 

But the interior designer’s task doesn’t end there: the space must be made optimal and functional. It’s all in the details. And that’s exactly where an interior designer can make a difference through clever design.

 

Difference Between an Interior Design Agency and a Freelance Interior Designer


Just like graphic designers, web developers, marketers, etc, you will find yourself between two choices: hiring an independent interior designer, or choosing to work with an agency.

But, what’s the difference?

We can break it down into 4 major differences:

1. Cost

Yes, as you guessed, the cost of the services is the first difference between these two. Agencies, most of the time will have higher prices than freelancers.

Why?

It is common for agencies to have layers of people to pay. From management to administrative staff to people replying to job advertisements on a mass scale, each person needs to be paid.

2. Resources

Agencies will have more resources than independent workers. This statement stands still in any field (mostly).  

And that’s not a bad thing!

 It does not mean a freelancer doesn’t have enough resources, it just means they have less of them since they need less. It makes sense.

Agencies cost more and thus earn more because they have more resources and can take much more orders. 

3. Flexibility

What makes a lot of interior designers choose freelancing is the flexibility of their schedules. When you work with a freelance designer, you won’t have a fixed schedule like a usual 9 to 5 job. They might want to work in the morning, or at night.

Agencies on the other hand are usually pretty strict about their time schedules. In fact, the schedule will be agreed upon while signing the contract!

Now, I know you might think that a flexible work schedule is a negative thing. Right?

It’s the complete opposite! For most freelancers, having that flexibility options boost their productivity and give them the energy they need to give you the masterpiece you want. In fact, according to the Gartner 2021 Digital Worker Experience Survey, “43% of respondents said that flexibility in working hours helped them achieve greater productivity

4. Skills and Expertise

Skills and work quality are what any client will require. 

Both agencies and freelancers have the skills that will create the outcome you’re looking for. However, in recent years, appeared a stereotype of associating poor-quality work with certain freelancing platforms. 

I once heard two interior designers discussing this topic, and they said something that stuck to my mind:

“Bad freelancers are responsible for giving the freelance field a bad name by not completing their jobs or doing shoddy work. It’s usually the freelancers who can’t get hired by agencies in the first place.”

In general, however, freelancers choose work on the basis of their specific expertise and do not accept any type of work that they are not familiar with at all.

Freelancers’ reputation matters a lot since they cannot count on a stable salary and are not hired based solely on their portfolio. Thus, they work very hard to distinguish themselves from their competitors.

So rest assured, freelancers and agencies have the skills you require to get that design you’ve been picturing. 

 

Should You Hire a Freelance Interior Designer?


When it comes to choosing between an independent interior designer and an agency, it all comes down to experience and needs.

If you need to redesign part of your house, or even the whole house, or a medium size place, then opting for a freelancer may be a good choice. However, you should outsource any large or complex task to an agency.

 

What’s the Cost of Hiring a Freelance Interior Designer?


During the first interview, it is absolutely necessary to talk about the budget. Designers work with different billing methods: fixed price, hourly, or percentage. Professionals who are paid by percentage will charge you 8 to 15% of the total cost of the project.

If you are interested in flat-rate pricing, you should ask what changes are included in the price and how much they cost. It would be a shame to blow your budget because you are the indecisive type. Fees for a designer starting out in the field can be around $60 per hour. However, this hourly rate can go up to $100 or even $150 for experienced professionals who enjoy certain notoriety.

Commissions are a taboo subject in the world of interior design. Some designers receive up to 15% commission on the purchase of products and materials. Some agree to share these gains with their clients and others do not. Having an answer to this question of the commission could make your choice easier. 

Bonus: Tips to Successfully Hire Your Interior Designer

If you decide to hire a freelancer, these tips are a life-saver:

  • Make your requirements very clear
  • Verify your candidate’s credentials 
  • If it is not an online interior designer, interview them in person
  • Ask your candidate for previous work samples
  • Analyze past projects carefully
  • Having previous experience is important, but what’s more important is that their style matches what you have in mind.
  • Be clear about your budget
  • And finally, once hired, give your designer the autonomy they need to craft your dream place!

 

Where to Find your Designer?


Glad you asked! 

You can find your designer anywhere, from social media like LinkedIn and Facebook, to private forums on the internet.

However, opting for these will probably burden you with the long search for your desired freelancer. We advise you to look for one using a freelancing platform. You can actually find him/her right now by signing up on our platform.

 


 

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