What Should an Interior Design Proposal Include? A Guide for Costa del Sol Homeowners
If you are comparing interior design proposals, I would set the prices aside for the first read. I would look for one simple answer: can I understand what will happen in my home and what I will receive?
A price becomes useful once you know what it covers. Two proposals for the same property might include very different work: a furniture selection, the design of every room, or purchasing and delivery coordination as well. These are the details I would look at before comparing the totals.
Does it describe your home and how you will use it?
I want a brief to reflect everyday life. I would plan storage differently for a permanent home and a second residence where you leave clothes, suitcases and sports equipment. A terrace for breakfast as a couple also calls for different choices from one intended for family gatherings.
The proposal should name the spaces included. If the terrace, utility room or guest bedroom matters, check that it appears. “Whole home” can mean different things to different people.
What design work will you receive?
I would look for specific deliverables: a layout, material palette, furniture selections, bespoke drawings or 3D views, depending on the project. It should also explain the revision rounds and when each stage needs your approval.
You do not need every possible document. You need the ones that help you make decisions. A visualisation can be useful for a room that is hard to picture; a detailed purchasing list matters when you are ready to furnish it.
If the property is finished and the layout works, I would consider Furnish & Style. If layouts, materials and lighting need rethinking, I would look at turnkey interior design. The service should match what the house needs.
Which costs are fees, and which are products?
My advice is to separate professional fees from the budget for furniture and implementation. Then check delivery, assembly, storage, installation and taxes. A comparison can look quite different when one proposal includes these costs and another leaves them out.
I would also ask how substitutions are approved. If a fabric becomes unavailable or you choose a different sofa, you should be able to review the alternative and its effect on the budget before an order is placed.
How does the design become an installed home?
I would want more than a final date on a calendar. I would look for the decisions that support it: design approval, measurement checks, orders, production and access to the property.
If you live abroad, ask how you will review selections and progress. In our Client Hub, project information is brought together so you can see what is pending and what you have approved. That organisation is more helpful than separate messages about every item.
At Costa del Sol Interiors, I lead the design and aesthetic decisions. Your proposal sets out the furnishing and coordination included.
The questions I would bring to the first conversation
- Which rooms, drawings and selections are included?
- How many revision rounds are available?
- Who purchases, receives and installs each item?
- Which costs will be quoted separately?
- How are changes approved and lead times communicated?
- What access and information do I need to provide?
To prepare for that conversation, send recent plans or photographs, the location, intended use and an indication of budget and timing. You can browse our projects, the Golden Hour Residence transformation or this residential project and tell us what appeals to you.
If you finish reading a proposal and still cannot see which decisions will be yours, it deserves another conversation. Tell us what you want to resolve in your property, and we can begin by defining it together.