Hello everyone! The previous blog explained how to communicate and cooperate with interior designers during the design stage. This time, I will explain in detail the roles and responsibilities of designers during the construction stage. Many people think that interior designers will only work in the early phases. However, we must ensure the results align with the design concept. Most design companies will provide supervision services to avoid mistakes. In the Hong Kong market, many construction companies offer one-stop services and state that they do not charge design fees. In addition, there are also design companies that will set a design fee to complete the design first and then cooperate with the contractor through outsourcing or bidding to complete the entire project. And many customers need help understanding the difference between the two. The truth is that everyone operates differently. We will say the former provides services as a contractor, mainly focusing on construction parts and providing essential layout plans and drawings to customers. The latter focuses on design first and finds a suitable contractor to complete the project based on design requirements. Likewise, I will take Burgundy Interiors' whole-house design process as an example to explain the service details during the construction phase.
Step One: Quotation Analysis and Procurement
After the design period, the designers will submit the drawing set to the contractor for a quotation. The designer will match the appropriate contractor according to the customer's budget and requirements. These contractors are long-term partners and are trustworthy. After receiving the quotation, the designer will review and approve it and provide an analysis to the client. Moreover, the designer will arrange a meeting between the customer and the contractor to understand each other and answer the client's questions before they sign the agreement. In addition, designers will collect quotations from suppliers to update the budget table. Since many products take a long time to be ordered and shipped, customers need to complete the transaction before the start of the construction. Please remind everyone that, to protect the interests of both parties, all the orders must be signed by the client and paid in full before ordering.
Step Two: Construction Coordination
After the project starts, the designer will keep in contact with the contractor to ensure the project's progress is smooth. Depending on the content of the design contract, the designer will go to the site to inspect and provide regular reports to the client, usually once every two weeks. During the construction of the project, many unexpected situations will occur. The contractor will discuss solutions with the designer and inform the customer. There are often some changes or additional items during the project. In that case, the designer will first request a quotation from the contractor and then proceed with the relevant work after the customer signs and authorizes it, which ensures that fees will only be charged when there is an agreement between both parties while avoiding financial disputes. The designer will arrange at least three site meetings with the client during construction. The meeting aims to confirm with the client that everything is on schedule and correct. When the project is complete, the contractor, designer, and customer will come together for inspection. We will record the defects so the contractor can follow up.
Step Three: Project Completion
Before the clients move in, they can ask the designer about the charges if they need extra decoration services. When completing the project, the designer will arrange the photo shoot as a portfolio. If the customer does not want that, please discuss it with the designer when signing the contract. Finally, the designer will provide a design service completion certificate to confirm the completion of the contract. The completion of the construction contract is related to the final payment date specified by the contractor. Clients also need to check the maintenance period. If you have any questions, please ask your designer.
The above are the services we provide to our customers during the construction stage. Designers are mainly responsible for communicating with customers and contractors and giving professional advice to clients. Of course, some bad companies are still in the local market, and many clients are worried. As designers, we should try our best to use our experience and knowledge to ensure our customers get the best result at the end of the project. We understand very well that every person wants to have a perfect house. The construction is also a considerable expense, and clients must have many expectations. However, construction projects are still done mainly by Si Fu in Hong Kong, and sometimes mistakes are unavoidable. We hope the customer, designer, and contractor can communicate openly, understand and respect each other. We believe we can solve the problem smoothly and complete the project quickly.
I am Angel, an interior designer. If you want to inquire more design information and service charges, please go to:
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