If you are a first time home buyer, you are probably experiencing a number of different emotions. It’s exciting, scary, emotional and fun. Buying a home for the first time is a big step. It’s what one might call ‘adulting’ in the slang world. There’s nothing that can make you feel more grown up then being handed the keys to your very first home. If you are having a house built, the interior decorators and designers will often allow you to choose certain designs and things about the home such as paint color, cabinet type, floor type, etc. Some manufacturers will often pick interior designers after seeing their work and having the house built according to their decisions but if you buy the house early enough in the process, you may be able to get in on some of that. However, there are a few things that interior decorators want you to know. Here goes:
- They Want Communication
Interior decorators need you to communicate. If you want to be involved in the process, let your voice be heard. As the owner, this is going to be your home and you need to enjoy living here. Your input is important and they can’t read your mind. Don’t be afraid to show them pictures and examples so that they can really see what you are thinking. If you have a particular paint color in mind, don’t hum and haw and try to describe it; pick up a paint sample and show them. It’s not over stepping your bounds. It’s better to let them know before hand than to have them guess what you’re trying to explain and have the wrong color put up. - They Keep to Your Budget
There is a certain budget allowance when a home is being built and it will be within what you bought it for. If you want to increase your decorating allowance, that is between you and the interior decorator. You may need to talk to your loan officer or if you are paying out of pocket, you can forego a higher loan. If you let your budget be known, then the decorators know what kinds of things they can show you. If they see that a type of carpet that you like is to expensive, they will likely try to find a similar product for a lesser price. They will try to keep within the number that they are given but sometimes that may require you making some compromises about what you want. You can always upgrade later. After all, this is your house now. - They See the Big Picture
Often times we, as the home owners, don’t see what’s behind the walls, literally. The decorators of a new home usually know how the home has been built and what kinds of things it can support. Sometimes, putting a sink or an oven in a particular place is not up to you because you don’t see what’s behind the wall that can’t support the appliance. At times, certain things can only go in one place because of how the home was built. If you did not design the home from scratch then there is only so much say you can have in how it is put together. When it comes to paint and flooring, that’s all you but try and leave the other things to the builders and designers. - They Need Time
Building a house takes time. Once the interior decorator comes in to help you choose paint colors, etc. it can be a few weeks before it is all done. If you want them to help you with every aspect including furniture and decorations, that could take even longer and be more expensive. Creative work really is time consuming, especially if you want the decorator to pick things out for you. Take advantage of their expertise instead of undermining it. It’ll help you in the long run to trust that they know what they are doing. You may not have specifically hired them but if the manufacturer did, then there’s obviously something that they are doing right. If you just aren’t connecting, maybe you can move on to another company but give the first guys a shot before blowing them off because it’s taking longer than you expected.
