Is it worth it to hire an interior designer / decorator?

It sounds like it will be worth it for your own work and peace of mind to do this. You could do this, but it's a lot of time you could spend on things that aren't Hell for you. I presume that you will review any purchases they're going to make, and that you've looked at their portfolios.

I say, if you have the money, do it. I theoretically have all the time in the world to do this sort of thing, and it doesn't get done because I get overwhelmed by it. And we've lived in this house for almost 11 years! Find someone you really click with, make sure you're both working off of the same punch list, and make your budget clear from the start. A move with a 2-year-old in December is likely to be crazy-making to begin with; why not make it easier on yourself by having someone help you make your new house a cozy home?

- Is it worth the time to work on my diss and the ~$1300 to pay someone else to do this for me? I would say heck yes but that would depend if the money was readily available. You said funds are tight right now. If 1300 dollars will pay for the legwork of ordering of furniture/accessories, the install of said furniture and accessories, and install (or even shopping for) blinds I would say yes. 1300 dollars is an inexpensive price to pay to get it right the first time. It can cost a lot to undo decorating mistakes. Make sure you love it. Make sure it is absolutely pet and kid friendly. Make sure your area rugs hide pet hair and light dirt. (I can recommend the absolute best rug if you have pets that shed. It's the http://www.flor.com/house-pet-frog.html. It's awesome! The best rug I have ever had. Hides dirt and pet hair like nobody's business.) Make sure nothing is overly trendy because it will date and you might hate it in a year or two. I have made a lot of decorating mistakes and now I always advise anyone who will listen to go with a timeless, traditional style. You did not ask for decorating advice. Apologies for giving it. Another thought... It looks like you already have most of the furniture you need for your house to run efficiently. it sounds like you need help unpacking and setting up, not necessarily a whole lot of decorating. You can hire a professional organizer for a day or two and she can help you put all of your stuff away properly and recommend pieces of furniture you might need to for the place to function better. You don't have to buy everything at once and you don't have to spend every weekend shopping. Take your time and live with what you have now and think about how the new place works and functions. A lot of professional organizers can help you with light decorating. Professional organizers will sit with you for hours at a time and unpack/organize/straighten/light cleaning. Your kitchen is beautiful. The floors are beautiful. The place has good bones and it's not going to take a lot to make it look great. I would run with the warm, inviting, we are a family with a toddler vibe. If you have a sofa and beds and few tables, you are off to a good start.

Ditto the organizer. You can hire a great organizer/assistant for $1300 but frankly, you're not going to get much of a designer for that amount. Find an organizer who has handyperson connections.

Unless you have someone whom you really know and trust, it is very risky to hire people to do your interior decorating. No one cares as much about your interior decor, or better understands your needs and preferences than you do. I would recommend that you do your own interior decoration.

This really doesn't sound like a huge list at all. You can arrange your furniture in a few evenings, one room a night. You can buy the other items you need online or by taking a quick tour through a short list of local stores, one or two items a week until you're done. Try not to over research your items. You mention that you would read reviews, get coupons, etc., to buy sheets. That's overkill. If you do all that before deciding on sheets I don't wonder that you think of buying the other items as a major task. Just go to wherever you like to shop (it can be a lower-price-point store like Zellers or Target if you're worried about price) and pick out a set of sheets. And you sound like someone who pushes herself and stresses out about what she hasn't accomplished. Try not to do that. Just set a modest goal of buying one item for the apartment every week and you will get done in a few months and you'll have the time to make decisions you're happy with. Of course, if you reeeeeeaaallly hate decorating stuff and you can't manage to take it in stride, hire someone to do it for you.

I recommend finding a professional organizer to research rug choices, find art suggestions, find a painter, repair person, etc. That person can do lots of unpacking. A friend gets hired by a local company to unpack when new execs move in.

Is there any reason it needs to be done right away? I'm a big fan of living with what I have for a while - the space will tell you what it needs. Taking pressure off until you settle in can be a good thing.

You didn't ask, really, but I do want to point out that you are an easy 20-minute drive from an IKEA and Home Depot, if that makes any difference (hi neighbor!).