If you’re thinking about building a home or renovating the one you already have, you may be wondering when you actually need to bring an interior designer into the process.

My answer?

As early as possible.

In fact, if you just bought land and know you want to build, that is an ideal time to find your designer. You don’t need finished plans. You don’t need to have every decision made. And you don’t necessarily need a builder picked out yet.

The earlier your designer is involved, the more thoughtfully the entire project can come together.

Building a New Home? Start Earlier Than You Think.

For new construction, I ideally like to begin working with a client about a year before they want to break ground.

That may sound early, but there is a reason for it.

Some decisions take longer than others. Some products take longer to arrive than others. And sometimes a project simply takes more time to work through than expected.

I’d much rather have a client waiting on construction to begin because we’re fully prepared than have construction waiting on us because we’re still trying to make decisions.

When you come to me early, we can think through the project together. We’ll talk about what you realistically want to invest, how long the process may take, and what needs to happen between buying your land and breaking ground.

From there, we can plan when you’ll work with your architect, review the plans together once they’re ready, identify any revisions that may be needed, and establish when design decisions need to begin so you’re ready for your ideal construction start date.

You don’t have to have everything figured out before you hire a designer.

That’s part of what I’m here to help you figure out.

You Don’t Need a Builder, Budget, or Plans First

One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that you need to have everything else figured out before hiring an interior designer.

You don’t.

You don’t need a finalized budget.

You don’t need a builder.

You don’t need finished architectural plans.

If you need an architect, I recommend finding your architect and designer early in the process. Your designer can help you understand realistic budgets and timelines, recommend builders they trust and have worked with before, and help you make decisions before you’re too far down a path that may be difficult or expensive to change.

The goal is to get real numbers instead of fictitious budgets.

For some clients, their builder has already provided an overall construction budget with allowances for materials. For others, we’ll work through a realistic range based on the materials and level of finish they’re considering.

Either way, the earlier we can have those conversations, the better.

Renovating? Give Yourself 6–8 Months.

Renovations are similar, but the timeline is a little different.

For a renovation, I recommend meeting with your designer 6–8 months before you want demolition to begin.

That gives us time to think through the design, selections, budget, ordering, and all of the details that need to be resolved before construction begins.

Because, honestly, it is stressful to build the ship while you’re floating along in it.

The goal is to have the decisions made before they’re needed—not make the decisions because someone is standing there waiting for an answer.

Why Hiring Your Designer Early Can Save You Money

I have been brought into projects where construction was already underway and the client needed help making selections.

One example that comes to mind was a partially constructed home where the plumbing rough-ins had already been installed. The homeowners were then working with me to select their plumbing fixtures.

What they didn’t realize was that plumbing rough-ins are designed around specific plumbing fixtures and brands.

If the builder had already roughed in the plumbing based on a particular brand, the homeowners could either choose fixtures that worked with those rough-ins or pay to have the rough-ins removed and redone.

And that is just one example.

You often pay far more to change a decision than you would have paid to make the right decision in the first place.

That is why I believe good design starts long before construction.

You Don’t Hire a Designer Because You Can’t Make Decisions

I don’t believe you hire an interior designer because you can’t make decisions yourself.

You hire one because you want a professional designer to be your advocate and liaison throughout the process.

You want your home to be more thoughtfully considered.

Because I do this every day, I know what questions to ask that you may not have even thought about yet. I know what to look for because I’ve seen the mistakes. I know what other homeowners have done and later regretted.

And I can help you avoid making those same mistakes.

You can’t make decisions in a vacuum. Every decision in a home affects another decision somewhere else.

That’s why I believe the best time to hire an interior designer is before you think you need one.

If you’ve purchased land and are beginning to think about building, or you’ve decided that your renovation is actually going to happen, that’s your sign.

You don’t need the plans. You don’t need every answer. You just need to start the conversation.

That’s where I can help you figure out what comes next.