If you're about to embark on the process of redecorating your home and you've decided to splash out for a professional interior designer, you'll be keen to ensure that the money you're spending isn't in vain. Hiring the right person may seem as difficult as manually calculating your annuity rates however, with a little help, you'll find it's not as hard as it appears.

To begin with, you should ask your friends and family for their recommendations. The people who know your character the best will more than likely be able to make useful suggestions. Don't underestimate the power of information gained in this way.

Once you have a short list of names to work with, be sure you call each candidate in for an interview. Remember, you will be working closely with the person you hire over a long period of time so he or she needs to be someone you feel comfortable around.

Finally, remember to look carefully through each designer's portfolio. This will tell you whether his or her tastes coincide with yours; there's no point hiring a professional to create your living space if the style in which it is designed doesn't match your own.

In short, finding the right design professional to oversee the renovation of your home is difficult. It is important to use your social and familial connections, to assess character thoroughly and to cast a discerning eye over each candidate's portfolio.