Ep # 148 From Finance To Foundations: How A Charlotte Builder Scales Dream Renovations With Design-Build

Think remodeling is mostly picking paint and watching demo day? We pull back the curtain with builder and remodeler Otto Anderson to show how the right plan turns chaos into craftsmanship. From kitchens and baths to ADUs and full additions, we explore a design-build approach that locks decisions early, controls costs, and keeps crews focused on building rather than chasing last-minute choices.

Otto shares his journey from a finance and real estate background to a hands-on role leading Dream Home Builders and Remodelers across the Charlotte metro. We break down the difference between traditional design-bid-build and design-build, digging into why aligning architects, designers, and the contractor at the start prevents scope creep, delays, and surprise expenses. You’ll hear practical examples of how detailed selections—cabinets, fixtures, switches, and finishes—done before demolition drive reliable schedules and cleaner job sites.

We also get into what homeowners want right now. Goodbye stark whites and cool grays; hello warm neutrals, beige cabinetry, and natural wood tones that feel calm and timeless. Otto explains why ADUs are booming across Charlotte and Fort Mill, how to evaluate a remodeler’s license and reputation, and what it means to have an owner who actually shows up on site. If you care about fewer change orders, clearer budgets, and a smoother experience, this conversation gives you a proven roadmap.

Ready to plan smarter and build better? Follow the show, share this episode with a neighbor, and leave a quick review to help more Charlotte homeowners find it. Have a project on your mind? Tell us what you’re planning and what you want to learn next.

Dream Home Builders and Remodelers
Otto Anderson
16011-A Lancaster Hwy #337, Charlotte, NC
(704) 659-1905
dreamhbr@gmail.com
DreamHomeBuildersandRemodelers.com

Chapters

• 0:00 Meet Otto And Dream Home Builders
• 0:49 Journey Into Construction
• 3:13 What Design-Build Really Means
• 4:13 Services From Kitchens To ADUs
• 4:49 Trends Beyond White And Gray
• 5:36 What Sets Them Apart
• 7:37 Service Areas In Charlotte Metro
• 8:07 TV Myths vs Real Remodeling
• 9:38 How To Get In Touch
• 10:30 Closing And Listener Nomination

Transcript

Intro/Close: 0:00

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Regina Lee.

Regina League: 0:10

Hi, everyone. My name is Regina, and welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. I broadcast here in South Charlotte, and my favorite thing to do is meet with local business owners. Today I'm speaking with Otto Anderson. He is the owner and operator of Dream Home Builders and Remodelers. Welcome, Otto. How are you?

Otto Anderson: 0:31

Thank you, Regina. Thank you for having me.

Regina League: 0:33

Absolutely. I'm excited to talk with you. Um, you're right here in the Waxall uh South Charlotte area. How long have you been doing this?

Otto Anderson: 0:43

So we've been in business since 2007, um, working in and around Charlotte. Um it's been uh it's been a strange journey from 2007 to to today because we went through the financial crisis in COVID, right? So we had some of that to muscle through, but you know, we're still here and you know, appreciate the boom times after COVID came. But you know, yeah. Servicing our customers and making everybody happy.

Regina League: 1:12

So what made you get into this industry?

Otto Anderson: 1:16

So I went to Clemson University after graduating Clemson. It seemed like most people would go one of three places. They would either go to Charleston, they would go to Atlanta, or they'd come to Charlotte. So I decided to come to Charlotte mostly because most of my friends were here. So over time I was, you know, working for you know car dealerships and stuff like that. And I had a friend that was actually uh in construction science at Clemson that started working with one of the big builders. I can't remember if it's Poulty or or Ryan, but anyway, he was like, We need to start building spectrums. And I was like, I, you know, I don't have like I'm mechanically inclined, like I could take things apart and put them back together, but you know, putting a house was, you know, building a house was just not in my repertoire at that time at you know, 25 years old. So he said, no, no, no, no. You, you know, you help get the loans for the for the project and I'll build them. So like, all right, so we did that. So we did some specs up in Davidson, and I ended up being, you know, a hangaround, right? So sometimes, you know, I'd be there when they're doing drywall and I'd watch it, or you know, framing or plumber, and I get to meet the people because I started, you know, being control of the bank accounts to make the the payments, kind of like an investor, right? So uh through that process, I was able to to meet folks and I decided at one time, well, the only way to learn how to you know build homes or a model is to get you know, roll up your sleeves and do it. So that's what I did, and I just kind of picked it up on a whim and it just just hooked in and I just kept going.

Regina League: 2:49

What did you study at Clemson?

Otto Anderson: 2:51

I studied finance with a minor in real estate. Uh wow.

Regina League: 2:55

Well, this ties beautifully then. It does, it does. And then the hands-on years, you know, I can see how you would fall in love with something like this. I'm looking at your amazing website, and you kind of can do it all. So, kind of walk us through the types of projects you're working on or that you do.

Otto Anderson: 3:13

So, a lot of the projects we do require design. So, we are a design build company that uh puts design first before we do any of our projects. And for those of you who don't know what a design build contractor is, is traditionally you hire an architect or a designer to design your project, and then you interview different contractors and you make a selection out of those different contractors, and then you start your build process. Through a design build process, we are able to, as a contractor, we work together with the design professionals and design the project up front so we can lead you into hey, the you know, there's always questions that the architecture or designers are going to have when they're doing the you know going through the process, but we're directly involved in that process to deliver a product that we're able to, you know, build at the end of the design phase.

Regina League: 4:06

I love that. And uh so walk us through, you know, you do kitchen bath, obviously. What are some of the other things you guys can do?

Otto Anderson: 4:14

Yeah. So we do a lot of kitchens and baths. That's kind of like uh you know the bread and butter for what we do.

Regina League: 4:20

Yeah.

Otto Anderson: 4:20

Um, ADUs have become very popular. ADU is an accessory dwelling unit that uh has been popping up all over town. You know, they go from anywhere from in-law suites to uh apartment over a garage, garages. We just kind of do a lot of those things. We'll get an occasional custom home here and there, and um home additions is also something else that we we find ourselves building.

Regina League: 4:46

What are some of the trends that are hot right now? You know, I it's so funny. I know we all watch HGTV.

Otto Anderson: 4:54

That's right, that's right. HGTV, my favorite. Um so we're we're going away from the white cabinets, as uh we can't see on the on the podcast here, but uh it seems like a lot more things are going, a lot more neutral colors, you know, we're we're staying away from the grays, the gray. Um most of the stuff that we're seeing now is like uh you know a wood tone with a nice beige cabinet. It seems like that's the way things are going.

Regina League: 5:20

That's awesome. Very, very good. So, and you do garages, outdoor home editions, decks, everything.

Otto Anderson: 5:29

Yeah, kind of a little bit everything. It's just you know, if uh if the fit is right, well, we can build you anything you want.

Regina League: 5:36

Well, what sets you apart? You know, there's so many businesses that maybe don't do all of this, but you know, what's important when as a consumer, you know, we're we're interviewing different remodelers. What right, right?

Otto Anderson: 5:52

What sets you apart? Well, the first thing to do is make sure that you're working with a licensed professional, right? Like they have a license, they're licensed in the state, and they're their license is in good standing. Um and after that, I I think I think what what most people need to be concerned about is is is the prep. Like just like you would prep for an exam or or a test or the bar exam or something, you're you're gonna put in the time and the effort to to try to do the best you can. And the prep time for a construction project is no different, right? If you don't put the time in, you're not gonna get the results you want. So we really take the time to you know design our projects and and try to get all the questions answered from you know, what faucet are we going to use, what light switch are we gonna use, all the way down to you know, what cabinets we use. So we can once we get into the construction phase, we are we are in construction mode, we're not in design mode anymore.

Regina League: 6:52

Well, I was looking at your website. I did mention, but you also have five-star ratings and a lot of them. That's something to congratulate you. That's hard to do these days.

Otto Anderson: 7:02

Thank you, thank you very much. Yeah, so you know, I'm a more hands-on owner operator than than most construction companies would have. Some people think uh you know more is always better, but I think less is more, right? So I, you know, I kind of I'm on the job sites more than most owners would be, and I supervise more than most owners would be. It just uh I'm able to make customers really happy because I I'm involved from start to finish. And you know, being involved in that process really helps helps to make it yeah.

Regina League: 7:37

So what areas of Charlotte Metro do you serve?

Otto Anderson: 7:41

So the the furthest north we'll go is uh up to near Uptown, you know, kind of like Myers Park, Noda, kind of around that, around that area, and then we'll come down south to kind of Belmont and then through South Park and everything back down through Matthews, Wettington, Marvin, Fort Mill. We're licensed in both North Carolina and South Carolina, so we can we can service any of those areas.

Regina League: 8:03

That's yeah, and all the growth is down this way. That's right. What are some of the misconceptions that you see over and over again?

Otto Anderson: 8:12

Yeah. So back to the HTTP comment, right? Like, so you know, it makes for good television, but it doesn't make for a good remodeling contractor, right? So we uh although all the a lot of our projects, because of our design process and our and our and our focus on making everything, all the selections up front, really really helped us in the production of the of the construction projects because we've tried to figure everything out that could be wrong, right? Like, you know, or do we need another beam, or is there rot in here, or is the ceiling leaking? It's just just when we have all our contractors come and view the the job, they're able to you know head us off and hopefully keep us from finding something that we didn't anticipate. But you know, a remodeling project can be done well, it can be done with with minimal disruption to to the owners, and it can be completed without you know delays and or you know added expenses that that didn't come. It's just you have to find the right contractor that takes the time to put in to make sure that the project is a complete success.

Regina League: 9:24

So the upfront part is very important to you. Yes, yep. That makes a lot of sense, you know, because I think we do, uh we all are swayed by Chip and Joanna.

Otto Anderson: 9:35

That's right. Yeah, yeah.

Regina League: 9:36

Yeah, that's amazing. Um, so as we wrap up, you've listed where the areas of Charlotte you uh serve. How do our listeners actually find you?

Otto Anderson: 9:50

So you can find us online at dreamhomebuilders neuralmodelers.com. If you'd like to get in contact with us, the best way to contact us is through our contact form on our website. Uh, and we'll schedule a conference consultation to get together by phone and we'll talk about what's next for your project.

Regina League: 10:08

Yeah, so it's um very well done. You can see everything. These projects are beautiful in your gallery. Congratulations again on your success. That is quite amazing. Well, thank you for joining us today. It's been a pleasure getting to know you, Otto.

Otto Anderson: 10:23

Yes, likewise. Thank you, Regina. I appreciate uh the Good Neighbor Podcast and everything that you guys do for us.

Intro/Close: 10:28

Absolutely. Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpsouthcharlotte.com. That's gnpsouthcharlotte.com or call 980 351 5719.