Ok, so here’s the thing. I’ve come in contact with numerous clients that fall in the category of not having a budget, and the reasons vary for why they may not have one. You have the “just tell me how much this is going to cost” clients who assert they want to get a price so they can decide if and when they want to move forward with the project. Then there’s the “I purchase in pieces client” who doesn’t think in terms of total cost for purchases. And one of the more fun ones is the “I actually have a budget, but won’t tell you” client who thinks that all designers are out to devour their budgets. But I’ll tell you this, the mass majority of the design community is not going to start your project without a budget. Let’s explore why.

First things first: designers are not in the habit of trying to break your pockets. Having a budget keeps us on track with what’s comfortable for you to spend, whether you see that number as low, high, or somewhere in between. The last thing you want is for us to quote a budget for a project, that you fell in love with, but can’t afford. You’ve seen Say Yes to the Dress. You know that they do everything to keep women away from those wedding dresses that go outside the budget. The sticker shock is real! Our purpose isn’t squeezing you out of your dollar. It’s giving you the space that you can walk away from feeling good about your investment.

Another reason why you definitely need a budget for your project is more practical. We need to get products and materials that’ll work. Interior designers have access to thousands upon thousands of products and materials at their fingertips. Ready-made, custom, semi-custom, one-of-a-kind, made-to-order; there are just so many options. We have to narrow that down for you specifically, and the budget is one way we do that. Don’t forget: your budget deals with your overall cost, so we filter out those items that we know will absolutely push that bottom line figure. So help us by giving us that number up front.

The last thing that I’m going to say as a reason to have a budget is time. Every project in addition to having a budget should have a timeline: a date, or range of dates, for the project to start or be completed. Some timelines are looser than others, but the point is that time will also effect how much we spend. Knowing the overall figure keeps us in check with sourcing time sensitive items. Is there a baby on the way? Are you looking to update your space before the holidays? Do you need to hold off on construction until the school year ends? We’ll either need to spend more or spend less to work with all these scenarios.

So, next time you’re ready to get in contact with your designer to start your project, make sure you have that budget number at the ready. If you need some guidance, get the Monthly Budget Planner to help get you started. With that, I’m going to head out, but before you do the same, don’t forget to like, comment and subscribe if you haven’t already done so. Until next time!