What should you expect from working with interior designers?

[Viet Hoang]

We are rehabbing a 2 bed/1bath condo in Jersey City, NJ and we're currently interviewing interior designers for the project. One designer is offering a flat fee of $3k for 3 months of consultation. She also stated that there would be a 35% upcharge for products she "chooses". I still need clarification on what she means, but until then, I wanted to know more about your experience with interior designers. 

- What are the average costs for interior designers in your area?

- Aside from consultation, what outputs are delivered by interior designers you've worked with? Do they provide a materials list with SKUs? Do they place the orders themselves? 

- How do you evaluate the quality of an interior designer?

Thanks for your help!