What You Need to Know Before Working with Professionals

With all the do-it-yourself hype surrounding home design projects, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement and sledgehammer away.

But what happens behind the scenes - the meticulous planning that skilled professionals put into these projects - can be more than you bargained for. Consider hiring a pro to do some of the heavy lifting for you, but first get to know a few basics about contractors and designers:

The designer takes the hard work out of planning your kitchen while you have as much creative input as you want. You dream the kitchen dream, but the designer guides you, translates your ideas into plans, suggests ideas for increased efficiency and functionality, maintains your budget, keeps the project on schedule and handles the logistics.

Look for a contractor by starting with recommendations from friends and family and perform a background check through the Better Business Bureau or Angie's List.

Expect to pay between $100 to$150 per hour for a designer's services, or a retainer of $3,000 to $5,000 per job. Often, the designer's payment will be a percentage of the entire job. There are multiple fee schedules and pricing structures.

Get to know your pro by seeing his or her work. Visit remodeled homes to see the fine details of your potential professionals.

Next blog....How to Choose a Professional....Stay tuned!!