Overhauling a space can be tones of fun, but don't forget; it also comes along with a lot of hard work and a serious price to pay. So whether you're someone who knows what they want but doesn't know how to get it, are completely clueless about where to begin, or just don't have the time to invest in this, picking the right design professional can help you channel your ideas and turn them into something spectacular. While hiring a design pro could be a great solution to your decorating problems, you must ensure that you pick one that understands your personal style. Home specialists share the three steps you need to undertake before committing to an interior decorator.

Step 1: Get to know them

This might seem obvious, but getting to know your interior expert is key to ending up with a home you'll love. The questions you should be asking right at the beginning are: what service do you provide? Will you consult or help me throughout my project? Do you work with a team, and what is the process like? What kind of projects have you worked on before? What are your favorite design styles and brands? How do you source products? What is your forte? What is your working style? Do you prefer minimum client involvement or are you okay with collaborating on most things? What will be included in your scope of work? Will you supervise on-site work?

Basically, the more questions you ask, the better you'll understand the designer's taste and working style.

Step 2: Manage finance, timelines and quality

Before you get swept away in excitement of a design makeover, don't forget to discuss budgets with your designer. Ask questions like how do you work within a budget? How much do you charge for your services? Is it an hourly or flat fee? What is the payment structure? Are there any additional charges that I will need to pay? Does the price quoted include the execution and labour charges, delivery charges, taxes, etc.?

If you're not familiar with interior designing yourself, then it might be difficult to know how long of a timeline is typical for your project. Ask them how long they would take to put together a final design. How long does it take to manufacture or procure products? How long does the on-site implementation take? How do you project-manage to meet timelines? Do you provide any guarantees or warranties? How do you ensure quality in brands, materials and overall work?

Bottom line: Make sure you agree upon a timeline so you're not rushing your designer, and so they know exactly what you're expecting from them.

Step 3: It's all about the details

Everybody has different tastes when it comes to decor, and your interior designer may also have a signature style where they feel like they really shine. Find out if your styles match, and if not, figure how they would incorporate your style within theirs. Go ahead and ask them questions like, how will you assess my aesthetics and needs? How should I give you a good design brief? How do you plan to infuse my taste and preferences into the design? Should we care about trends? How will you present your concepts? Can I see the designs in 3D or will you just share inspiration pictures? Is there a cap on the number of design revisions I can request? Do you also refurbish or reuse existing furniture and material? How much work will be done on-site? Will you give me regular updates about the progress? Do I need to accompany you on sourcing trips? Who takes care of cleaning after the work is done?

Once you have your questions answered, you will be in a much clearer space about whether your interior designer is the right one for your long term decor goals.