Online interior design or an interior designer?

Both will give you a better room. The difference is how much of the work you want someone else to do, and how much you want to spend on it. Here is how to tell which one you need.

When a designer is the right call

When you want someone to see the room in person, draw it to scale, and take decisions off your hands over a longer project. Most designers also offer project management as an option if you want them to deal with builders and deliveries. For a renovation, a new kitchen or bathroom, or fitted joinery, that is worth paying for, and you should expect £1,000 to £5,000 a room.

When a plan is the right call

When the room is structurally fine and what you need is to decide: what colour, which sofa, where the lamp goes, what it will all look like together. A Render Homes plan gives you a photo-real picture of your own room finished, the exact paint colours, every piece priced and linked to a UK shop, three budgets and the order to buy it in, from a single photo, in days, for £150. Then you can get on with it yourself, with us on hand for questions and a revision if anything needs changing.

Side by side

• Cost: designer £1,000 to £5,000 a room; online package £200 to £700; Render Homes £150.
• Time: designer four to eight weeks; online package two to four weeks; Render Homes a few days.
• What you see: designer, drawings and samples; online package, a mood board, sometimes a 3D visual; Render Homes, a photo-real picture of your actual room.
• Shopping: designer may order for you; online package gives a list; Render Homes gives every piece priced and linked, three budgets and the order to buy it in.
• Afterwards: designer, changes usually by the hour; Render Homes, one revision included and as many questions as you like.
• Payment: usually up front; Render Homes charges only when the plan arrives.

How to choose

Common questions