Fees

Clear, fixed fees for every stage, so you always know where you stand.

Talking about money can feel awkward, but it shouldn’t. You should know exactly what you’re paying for, and what you’ll get in return, before you commit to anything.

How we set our fees

Every project starts with a conversation. We take a detailed brief and get to know your home, your plans and what you’re hoping to achieve. From there, we put together a fixed fee for each stage of the work, set out in a fee proposal that explains clearly what’s included at every step.

We prefer fixed fees because they give you certainty. Hourly rates, and fees based on a percentage of the build or project cost, can leave clients wondering whether the bill is quietly creeping up as the project grows. With a fixed fee for each stage, you know the cost from the outset and can budget with confidence.

Each stage stands on its own. Starting with feasibility or a concept design, for example, doesn’t commit you to anything beyond it. At the end of each stage, you’ll have seen the work, and you decide what happens next.

For smaller tasks, or when a brief is still taking shape, we charge by the hour instead. This is most common with interior design, where we’re often involved in something more focused, like a colour consultation or help with a single room, but it applies to architecture too, such as a quick look at whether an idea is workable. We’ll always agree the approach with you first.

Where our fees sit

We’re unlikely to be the cheapest, but we’re not the most expensive either. Every project is led and managed by a director, never handed down to junior staff, and we keep our overheads low so we can price fairly without cutting corners. We also check our fees against industry norms, so you can be confident they’re in the right place.

Your fee proposal

After an initial chat, we’ll usually visit your home free of charge. We then prepare your fee proposal: a no-obligation document setting out what we’ll do, what each stage costs and what you’ll receive. Nothing is agreed until you say yes. For projects much further afield, we’ll start with a video call and combine site visits with remote working, so you get the same service wherever you are.

How payment works

Each stage starts with a deposit, so we can get going straight away. The rest of the fee for that stage is invoiced at agreed milestones, as pieces of work are issued to you. Payments follow progress, so you’re never paying for work you haven’t seen.

Other consultants

Most projects need input from other specialists along the way. For architecture, that might be a structural engineer, heritage consultant or ecologist. For interiors, it could be a joiner, lighting designer or specialist fitter. Their fees are separate from ours, but we’ll give you an estimate of likely costs at the outset so you can see the whole picture, and we’ll coordinate their work alongside ours.

Buying furniture and materials

For interiors projects, we can source furniture, fittings and finishes on your behalf. We have excellent trade accounts with many suppliers, are happy to set up new accounts, and pass those discounts on to you, so you pay the trade price rather than the retail. We don’t add a mark-up, and our fee for sourcing is agreed up front as part of your fee proposal.

Have a project you’d like to talk through? Get in touch