Firstly, be realistic. Your budget determines the amount of work that can be done to decorate your house. A smaller budget lets you do less things thus the more expensive things like plastering over rockstone walls and raised platform cannot be done without rising cost. Another thing to be realistic about is the timeline. You should give your contractors adequate time frame as rushing them would only result in unnecessary mistakes.

Other than that, do your research on the products or materials that is being used in the house and not take the designers word for it.

Besides that, know what is important to you for your new house. You do not have to go along with everything the designer proposes.

Look at how everything would come together through the design mock-ups or mood board done by the design firm to better understand what to expect visually, from the flooring to the draperies to the cabinet colours. Do ask for bigger swatches of cloth or more tiles or a larger sheet of painted surface to see the effect of the patterns or colour.

If you are unhappy about anything, bring it up. Cool it off first, then scan the design contract to see if anything has been breached, then call your designer. Do give them credit when a good job is done.

Do check your budget. This includes the small details that might add to a fantastic design and also your budget like a designer faucet. If you are afraid of hidden cost, slash your budget by ten percent and ask your designer to work with that. If incidents or extras are incurred, the money set aside should be enough to cover.

Besides that, read and understand your contract before signing it. The contract outlines the obligation of the designer, the agreed design fees and payment terms. Often, designers may also give you an itemised breakdown of work and individual cost involved.

Lastly, visit your home regularly to know what is going on. Visit with your designer so that you can point out the things you are not happy with and also give you updates as he brings you around your house. If you are visiting alone, take pictures with a digital camera so that the designer knows what you are referring to. A simple email would help.