The verdict in three sentences
For a turnkey furnishing studio in Hamilton (design, procurement, installation and staging for second homes and rental properties), the website's main job is to reassure owners who are often off island and decide remotely. That is exactly why a remote web studio at a fixed price (Starter at USD 2,900, Growth at USD 4,900) fits most cases, as long as the before and after photos are taken on site by a local photographer. A Bermuda agency keeps the edge if you want art direction present at every installation or a monthly partner for your rental listings.
How do you weight the criteria when your clients live elsewhere?
Many of your clients are owners based in New York, London or Toronto, or relocating reinsurance executives renting a furnished home in Paget, Pembroke or Warwick. They never visit your workroom: they judge your site, your photos and how fast you reply by email. Here is an illustrative scoring grid to adapt to your own business (scores out of 5, multiplied by the weight).
| Criterion | Weight | Local agency (score) | Remote studio (score) | Agency weighted | Remote weighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-site before and after shoots | 3 | 5 | 3 (local photographer hired by you) | 15 | 9 |
| Time-zone overlap | 2 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 8 |
| Fixed price and budget control | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 15 |
| Time to launch | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 10 |
| In-person workshops | 1 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| Domain ownership and code handover | 2 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 |
| Native English copywriting | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Total (out of 70) | 14 | 54 | 56 |
The gap is small, and that is the point: everything hinges on how often you shoot. Raise the weight of shoots from 3 to 5 and the agency climbs to 64 while the remote studio reaches 62. Run the exercise with your own weights before signing.
When is a local agency clearly the better choice?
- You install several homes a month and want the same team to photograph every staging on handover day, before tenants arrive.
- Your owner clients insist on an in-person presentation in Hamilton, with the agency at the table.
- You need an ongoing content manager for listings, social media and weekly availability updates on furnished properties.
Otherwise, a remote studio is enough: your project files exist, you have a trusted photographer and you want a site live in 3 to 4 weeks. Tier details are on the international offer.
What does each option cost over three years?
The ranges below are 2026 ballpark figures based on typical quotes and public local agency rate pages, not a survey. Bermuda's living and labour costs push quotes upward.
| Item | Hamilton agency | Local freelancer | Kolonell Starter | Kolonell Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website build | USD 10,000 to 30,000 | USD 4,000 to 10,000 | USD 2,900 | USD 4,900 |
| Pages per service (design, procurement, installation, staging) | Included | Depends on quote | Compact version | Included with full portfolio |
| Local photographer, 2 shoots a year (third-party cost) | USD 2,500 to 4,500 per shoot | USD 2,500 to 4,500 per shoot | USD 2,500 to 4,500 per shoot | USD 2,500 to 4,500 per shoot |
| Maintenance (market assumption) | USD 200 to 450 a month | USD 75 to 150 a month | 3 months included, then on quote | 3 months included, then on quote |
| Timeline | 8 to 12 weeks | 4 to 10 weeks | 3 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks |
| 3-year total excluding photography | USD 17,200 to 46,200 | USD 6,700 to 15,400 | USD 2,900 + maintenance on quote | USD 4,900 + maintenance on quote |
What should a turnkey furnishing studio site include in Bermuda?
- Before and after per property, in large WebP or AVIF images with lazy loading, because overseas owners often view the site on mobile.
- Strict discretion: never a private address or owner's name, written consent before publishing a home, and a "private residence, South Shore" option for confidential projects.
- Photo rights: a written licence covering the site and social media, and a photographer credit on every page.
- A qualifying form: property type, number of bedrooms, budget range, target rental date. No passport copies or unnecessary data.
- A process page setting out the stages (visit, plan, procurement, import and customs lead times, installation) without inventing a fee grid.
- Partners: suppliers, craftspeople and shippers described plainly, links to Instagram, Pinterest or Houzz, and a press page only if you have real coverage.
- Materials and climate: a section on choices suited to salt air and humidity reassures absent owners.
The Personal Information Protection Act 2016 (PIPA) has been fully in force since 1 January 2025, overseen by the Privacy Commissioner. Expect to provide a privacy notice, justify each field you collect and set a retention period. Aim for WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility. This is not legal advice.
Questions to ask every provider
- Will the domain and hosting accounts be in my name from day one?
- Which project manager runs the job, and during which Bermuda hours are they available?
- How do you handle before and after galleries without bloating pages?
- Who coordinates the photographer and who keeps the image licence?
- What do you hand over at the end of the contract (code, access, documentation)?
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Mini case study
Illustrative example: Elliot runs a turnkey furnishing studio in Paget. He receives about 40 inquiries a year, 60% of them outside his scope (budget too low, furniture rental only, impossible deadline). Each discovery call lasts 45 minutes.
- Before: 40 × 60% = 24 wasted calls, so 24 × 0.75 = 18 hours lost a year.
- After a qualifying form (property type, budget, date): if it filters out two thirds of those inquiries, he wins back about 12 hours a year.
- Budget side: Growth at USD 4,900 plus two shoots at USD 3,000 each with a local photographer (third-party cost), so USD 10,900 in year one, against an agency quote of USD 18,000 with one shoot included plus a second at USD 3,000, so USD 21,000.
He picks the remote studio and keeps the USD 10,100 difference to photograph his next installations.
FAQ
Is the time difference a problem with a remote studio?
Bermuda is on UTC-4 in winter and UTC-3 in summer. Kolonell assigns a project manager reachable in your time zone, with 2 to 3 check-ins a week across the 3 to 4 weeks of the project.
Can I show my clients' homes?
Only with their written consent, and with no address or name. One project in three can stay anonymous without weakening the portfolio, as long as you caption the property type and the service clearly.
What does PIPA change for my form?
Since 1 January 2025 the Act applies in full: keep the form to 5 or 6 fields and explain their purpose and retention period. This is general information only.
Which tier suits a turnkey studio?
Starter at USD 2,900 is enough for a compact presentation site; Growth at USD 4,900 covers per-service pages and a before and after portfolio; Premium at USD 8,900 targets large catalogues or several languages (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote).
How long until launch?
Allow 3 to 4 weeks once photos and copy are gathered. To align the calendar with your next installations, request a free quote.
Let's scope your project. Before and after portfolio, qualifying form and launch in 3 to 4 weeks, from USD 2,900. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.