In today’s fluctuating economic climate, it’s natural to wonder: Is now the right time to move forward with my interior design or remodeling project? What are the trade-offs of waiting?
While inflation and market changes may feel daunting, thoughtful planning can transform uncertainty into opportunity. At Speas Interior Design, we believe the key lies in intentional design and thorough planning—a process that empowers you to make informed choices, whether you proceed all at once or in deliberate phases.
Design First: Clarity Before Construction
Before any pricing or construction work can proceed, the professionals involved in the process need to have the design plans in place. This gives your construction team a chance to understand the scope of the project and allows them to plan a process to follow in order to work most efficiently—before pricing or construction begins.
A completed design is also vital for the homeowner. Having a fully-realized design plan allows you to:
- Make informed decisions if pricing exceeds your budget (e.g., swapping fixtures or simplifying layouts).
- Phase with purpose, breaking your project into achievable steps without compromising the end vision.
- Avoid costly surprises, like discovering mid-renovation that a structural change requires reevaluation.
Consider this: A minor adjustment—like preserving an existing plumbing location—could be the difference between stretching your budget or stalling your project. By finalizing the full design upfront, you create a roadmap that distinguishes essential scope from scope creep.
It is easy to get excited by the opportunities that design has to offer, and while it may seem simple to add to a design, this creep can compound until it balloons your budget and makes your project unrealistic.
By designing the ENTIRE picture, you can easily compartmentalize when to execute which portion of scope in certain phases. It makes the construction process much more sizable and allows you to make educated on-site decisions that won’t affect your next phase of construction.
Proper Construction Planning Provides Apples-to-Apples Clarity
When reviewing contractor bids, precision is paramount. Any outlying bids could be a sign that something is amiss. A bid that’s 20–50% lower than the rest may signal omitted scope or contractor inexperience. Protect your investment by:
- Requesting line-item comparisons to ensure identical scope and finishes.
- Vetting low bidders rigorously—request references, tours of past projects, and proof of similar work.
- Trusting transparency. Dramatic price disparities often reveal hidden risks.
When your time and money are on the table, if a contractor’s portfolio lacks projects like yours, your home shouldn’t be their learning curve. Without an experienced team, your construction may be held up by unexpected surprises that can derail your budget or give you an unsatisfactory quality of work that may need additional construction or remodeling.
Make Timeless Decisions to Beat Inflation
The economy is always changing—and products and pricing shifts happen every day. Material costs and availability will always ebb and flow, but one truth remains: Prices rarely retreat once they rise. While surcharges may fade, baseline increases happen each year. Here’s our advice:
- Design completely—know your end goal, even if you decide to break up your project in easy-to-divide phases.
- Price honestly—face the numbers early to avoid painful mid-project compromises.
- Phase strategically—anticipate that timelines may shift or that products may be discontinued but let your master plan guide each step.
- Plan accordingly—include some wiggle room in your budget to allow for unexpected finds or to replace out-of-stock finishes, not to add to your scope.
Does It Make Sense to Phase My Project? – Quick Checklist
Yes, Phasing Makes Sense If:
- You want to spread costs over time without sacrificing the final design vision.
- Your budget requires flexibility, but you still want to avoid future redesign costs.
- You’re concerned about inflation but want to lock in design decisions
Phasing May Not Be Ideal If:
- You’re willing/able to complete the project in one go for efficiency.
- Your project has critical dependenciesor structural changes that can’t be split between projects.
- You prefer a single construction timeline over managing multiple phases.
Your Home, On Your Timeline
At Speas Interior Design, we don’t chase trends—we craft spaces meant to last. Whether you renovate now or in phases, our process ensures that every decision aligns with your vision for your space and keeps your budget and lifestyle in mind. After all, the best homes aren’t built overnight—they’re curated with care by a team that understands your needs.
Ready to remodel with confidence? Contact us online or give us a call at (719) 685-0144 to schedule your initial consultation. We serve homeowners based out of our showroom at Colorado Springs and serve the surrounding areas and beyond, including Broadmoor, Cathedral Pines, Cathedral Ridge, Flying Horse, Flying Horse North, Kissing Camels, Monument, Skyway, Stratton Pines, Cedar Heights, Mountain Shadows, and the Old North End, Colorado.