It’s no surprise that most people get a few things wrong the first time; after all, most people only hire a designer once or maybe twice in their life. To look at designers in Sydney is a little like shopping for a mechanic. A lot of choice, a lot of confidence and not much to go on other than reviews and gut feeling.
Mistake number one is hiring for looks. A portfolio filled with gorgeous kitchens tells you that the person has taste. It doesn’t say whether they meet deadlines, reply to emails or can get a set of plans through council without three rounds of corrections. Ask about the boring stuff.
Mistake number two is keeping the budget under wraps. As if the designer will quote higher once they know. It is usually vice versa. If someone knows you’ve got 400,000 bucks all up, they’ll sketch something that fits it. Without a number, you will probably end up with a beautiful design you can not afford.
Then there’s the brief. “Modern and light” could mean fifty different houses. Tell me what really gets on your nerves: the hallway vacuum that never fits, the laundry you have to get to by going through the bathroom, the kids’ bedrooms that feel like cupboards. Real complaints give a designer something concrete to fix.
Sydney has its own twists. The blocks are small, many of the streets are in heritage conservation areas, and councils can vary more than you would ever think from one suburb to the next. Someone who has worked with your particular council before will know what usually gets through and what tends to bounce back.
That local knowledge is something to chase when you’re comparing Designers in Sydney. Ask how many projects they’ve done in your area, and if they’ve worked with your council. Don’t be afraid to. A designer who feels good about the question will generally respond with a story rather than a sales pitch.
A good look at fees is also warranted. Some charge a flat fee per stage, others a percentage of the build cost, a few bill by the hour. None of these is automatically superior. The key is knowing what’s in the package, especially changes, site visits and any extra paperwork the council requires.
Ask who actually draws the picture, as well. In some firms, you meet the boss, and everything gets passed down to a junior you never meet again. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but you should be aware of that before you sign. It’s your house. You want a name to call when things look off.
Timing is where people often get caught out. Designing, getting council approval and then the building itself all take longer than anyone expects, with approval especially often being months in the pipeline. Starting the conversations early – even before you have picked your builder – takes a lot of the pressure off the whole thing.
One of the best things to do is to speak to a previous client. Most designers will happily give you a name or two. A ten-minute phone call about what went well, what was a pain and whether the final bill matched the quote will tell you more than any website.
And trust your gut a little too. If you meet a couple of designers in Sydney and one keeps interrupting, or brushes off a worry you’ve raised, that’s usually what the next six months will feel like. After the first coffee, the right person usually makes you feel understood.
Conclusion
Hiring well is not rocket science, but it is easy to rush. Be open about money, tell them what really annoys you and call a past client before signing anything. Those few habits prevent most of the regrets that people mention later.
