What should I charge as an interior designer?

What should I charge as an interior designer?

Am I under charging or over charging?

So many interior designers are struggling with what to charge for their interior design services. I know I have been doing that in my first years as well. And that has been really difficult. A question we get a lot is whether someone asks too much or too little for their services.

So many guru's or marketing consultants, coaches and experts will tell you this: You can't over charge. There is no such thing as asking too much.

I disagree.

There is such a thing as overpricing or underpricing for your interior design services. But opposed to what many believe it has nothing, nothing to do with design skills or years of experience or all of those things.

We all are creative and clients are willing to pay us for what we're good at: making beautiful interior designs that work for them.

But what then determines my price if it is not about being a good interior designer?

Well, as it has nothing to do with your creative skills, it has everything to do with how well you communicate with your clients. How well you manage their expectations, how good you are with guiding them through what they feel as a difficult scary time and how much systems or processes you have in place to give them comfort.

And I know you may be like: "oh dear, I don't really like those skills! I just want to make beautiful designs!" I get that. I was thinking like that too. But I can tell you from personal experience that if you fix this skill, you will get way more time actually designing interiors instead of all the boring administration and emailing stuff.

How do you get those skills?

If you are right now like: "okay I need to learn these skills!" Then I've got something good for you!

Marc and I have recorded a webinar called 'The M-word'. And it's all about Money, including these things. You will find some really good insights in the webinar. It's a bonus in our Stay in the Flow video training. Check it out over here.

Sven van Buuren (1980), interior architect, founder of Institute of Interior Impact and owner of the Beyond Iinterior Design LinkedIn Group. Sven has a pleasant mix of rationality versus seeing and naming. He likes to make rigorous choices. Not going for obvious, but the consequences are always positive. For Sven, 'Living On Your Own Terms' means shaping his own freedom to be able to live his dreams. With his optimism and loyalty, he likes to gather people around him who have something to add. To his life, but especially to the lives of each other.
Place comment