November 25, 2025 • 10 mins
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
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Intro/Close (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Regina Lee.
Regina League (00:10):
Hi, everyone.
My name is Regina, and welcometo the Good Neighbor Podcast.
I broadcast here in SouthCharlotte, and my favorite thing
to do is meet with localbusiness owners.
Today I'm speaking with OttoAnderson.
He is the owner and operator ofDream Home Builders and
Remodelers.
Welcome, Otto.
How are you?
Otto Anderson (00:31):
Thank you, Regina.
Thank you for having me.
Regina League (00:33):
Absolutely.
I'm excited to talk with you.
Um, you're right here in theWaxall uh South Charlotte area.
How long have you been doingthis?
Otto Anderson (00:43):
So we've been in business since 2007, um, working
in and around Charlotte.
Um it's been uh it's been astrange journey from 2007 to to
today because we went throughthe financial crisis in COVID,
right?
So we had some of that tomuscle through, but you know,
(01:03):
we're still here and you know,appreciate the boom times after
COVID came.
But you know, yeah.
Servicing our customers andmaking everybody happy.
Regina League (01:12):
So what made you get into this industry?
Otto Anderson (01:16):
So I went to Clemson University after
graduating Clemson.
It seemed like most peoplewould go one of three places.
They would either go toCharleston, they would go to
Atlanta, or they'd come toCharlotte.
So I decided to come toCharlotte 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.
(01:36):
And I had a friend that wasactually uh in construction
science at Clemson that startedworking with one of the big
builders.
I can't remember if it's Poultyor or Ryan, but anyway, he was
like, We need to start buildingspectrums.
And I was like, I, you know, Idon't have like I'm mechanically
inclined, like I could takethings apart and put them back
together, but you know, puttinga house was, you know, building
(01:58):
a house was just not in myrepertoire at that time at you
know, 25 years old.
So he said, no, no, no, no.
You, you know, you help get theloans for the for the project
and I'll build them.
So like, all right, so we didthat.
So we did some specs up inDavidson, and I ended up being,
you know, a hangaround, right?
So sometimes, you know, I'd bethere when they're doing drywall
(02:19):
and I'd watch it, or you know,framing or plumber, and I get to
meet the people because Istarted, you know, being control
of the bank accounts to makethe the payments, kind of like
an investor, right?
So uh through that process, Iwas able to to meet folks and I
decided at one time, well, theonly way to learn how to you
know build homes or a model isto get you know, roll up your
(02:40):
sleeves and do it.
So that's what I did, and Ijust kind of picked it up on a
whim and it just just hooked inand I just kept going.
Regina League (02:49):
What did you study at Clemson?
Otto Anderson (02:51):
I studied finance with a minor in real estate.
Uh wow.
Regina League (02:55):
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 withsomething like this.
I'm looking at your amazingwebsite, and you kind of can do
it all.
So, kind of walk us through thetypes of projects you're
working on or that you do.
Otto Anderson (03:13):
So, a lot of the projects we do require design.
So, we are a design buildcompany that uh puts design
first before we do any of ourprojects.
And for those of you who don'tknow what a design build
contractor is, is traditionallyyou hire an architect or a
designer to design your project,and then you interview
(03:34):
different contractors and youmake a selection out of those
different contractors, and thenyou start your build process.
Through a design build process,we are able to, as a
contractor, we work togetherwith the design professionals
and design the project up frontso we can lead you into hey, the
you know, there's alwaysquestions that the architecture
(03:55):
or designers are going to havewhen they're doing the you know
going through the process, butwe're directly involved in that
process to deliver a productthat we're able to, you know,
build at the end of the designphase.
Regina League (04:06):
I love that.
And uh so walk us through, youknow, you do kitchen bath,
obviously.
What are some of the otherthings you guys can do?
Otto Anderson (04:14):
Yeah.
So we do a lot of kitchens andbaths.
That's kind of like uh you knowthe bread and butter for what
we do.
Regina League (04:20):
Yeah.
Otto Anderson (04:20):
Um, ADUs have become very popular.
ADU is an accessory dwellingunit that uh has been popping up
all over town.
You know, they go from anywherefrom in-law suites to uh
apartment over a garage,garages.
We just kind of do a lot ofthose things.
We'll get an occasional customhome here and there, and um home
(04:41):
additions is also somethingelse that we we find ourselves
building.
Regina League (04:46):
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 (04:54):
That's right, that's right.
HGTV, my favorite.
Um so we're we're going awayfrom the white cabinets, as uh
we can't see on the on thepodcast here, but uh it seems
like a lot more things aregoing, a lot more neutral
colors, you know, we're we'restaying away from the grays, the
gray.
Um most of the stuff that we'reseeing now is like uh you know
(05:14):
a wood tone with a nice beigecabinet.
It seems like that's the waythings are going.
Regina League (05:20):
That's awesome.
Very, very good.
So, and you do garages, outdoorhome editions, decks,
everything.
Otto Anderson (05:29):
Yeah, kind of a little bit everything.
It's just you know, if uh ifthe fit is right, well, we can
build you anything you want.
Regina League (05:36):
Well, what sets you apart?
You know, there's so manybusinesses that maybe don't do
all of this, but you know,what's important when as a
consumer, you know, we're we'reinterviewing different
remodelers.
What right, right?
Otto Anderson (05:52):
What sets you apart?
Well, the first thing to do ismake 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 ingood standing.
Um and after that, I I think Ithink what what most people need
to be concerned about is is isthe prep.
(06:12):
Like just like you would prepfor an exam or or a test or the
bar exam or something, you'reyou're gonna put in the time and
the effort to to try to do thebest you can.
And the prep time for aconstruction 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 toyou know design our projects and
(06:35):
and try to get all thequestions answered from you
know, what faucet are we goingto use, what light switch are we
gonna use, all the way down toyou know, what cabinets we use.
So we can once we get into theconstruction phase, we are we
are in construction mode, we'renot in design mode anymore.
Regina League (06:52):
Well, I was looking at your website.
I did mention, but you alsohave five-star ratings and a lot
of them.
That's something tocongratulate you.
That's hard to do these days.
Otto Anderson (07:02):
Thank you, thank you very much.
Yeah, so you know, I'm a morehands-on owner operator than
than most construction companieswould have.
Some people think uh you knowmore is always better, but I
think less is more, right?
So I, you know, I kind of I'mon the job sites more than most
owners would be, and I supervisemore than most owners would be.
(07:23):
It just uh I'm able to makecustomers really happy because I
I'm involved from start tofinish.
And you know, being involved inthat process really helps helps
to make it yeah.
Regina League (07:37):
So what areas of Charlotte Metro do you serve?
Otto Anderson (07:41):
So the the furthest north we'll go is uh up
to near Uptown, you know, kindof like Myers Park, Noda, kind
of around that, around thatarea, and then we'll come down
south to kind of Belmont andthen through South Park and
everything back down throughMatthews, Wettington, Marvin,
Fort Mill.
We're licensed in both NorthCarolina and South Carolina, so
we can we can service any ofthose areas.
Regina League (08:03):
That's yeah, and all the growth is down this way.
That's right.
What are some of themisconceptions that you see over
and over again?
Otto Anderson (08:12):
Yeah.
So back to the HTTP comment,right?
Like, so you know, it makes forgood television, but it doesn't
make for a good remodelingcontractor, right?
So we uh although all the a lotof our projects, because of our
design process and our and ourand our focus on making
(08:33):
everything, all the selectionsup front, really really helped
us in the production of the ofthe construction projects
because we've tried to figureeverything out that could be
wrong, right?
Like, you know, or do we needanother beam, or is there rot in
here, or is the ceilingleaking?
It's just just when we have allour contractors come and view
(08:54):
the the job, they're able to youknow head us off and hopefully
keep us from finding somethingthat we didn't anticipate.
But you know, a remodelingproject can be done well, it can
be done with with minimaldisruption to to the owners, and
it can be completed without youknow delays and or you know
(09:15):
added expenses that that didn'tcome.
It's just you have to find theright contractor that takes the
time to put in to make sure thatthe project is a complete
success.
Regina League (09:24):
So the upfront part is very important to you.
Yes, yep.
That makes a lot of sense, youknow, because I think we do, uh
we all are swayed by Chip andJoanna.
Otto Anderson (09:35):
That's right.
Yeah, yeah.
Regina League (09:36):
Yeah, that's amazing.
Um, so as we wrap up, you'velisted where the areas of
Charlotte you uh serve.
How do our listeners actuallyfind you?
Otto Anderson (09:50):
So you can find us online at dreamhomebuilders
neuralmodelers.com.
If you'd like to get in contactwith us, the best way to
contact us is through ourcontact form on our website.
Uh, and we'll schedule aconference consultation to get
together by phone and we'll talkabout 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 inyour gallery.
Congratulations again on yoursuccess.
That is quite amazing.
Well, thank you for joining ustoday.
It's been a pleasure getting toknow you, Otto.
Otto Anderson (10:23):
Yes, likewise.
Thank you, Regina.
I appreciate uh the GoodNeighbor Podcast and everything
that you guys do for us.
Intro/Close (10:28):
Absolutely.
Thank you for listening to theGood Neighbor Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tognpsouthcharlotte.com.
That's gnpsouthcharlotte.com orcall 980 351 5719.
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Regina Lee.
Regina League (00:10):
Hi, everyone.
My name is Regina, and welcometo the Good Neighbor Podcast.
I broadcast here in SouthCharlotte, and my favorite thing
to do is meet with localbusiness owners.
Today I'm speaking with OttoAnderson.
He is the owner and operator ofDream Home Builders and
Remodelers.
Welcome, Otto.
How are you?
Otto Anderson (00:31):
Thank you, Regina.
Thank you for having me.
Regina League (00:33):
Absolutely.
I'm excited to talk with you.
Um, you're right here in theWaxall uh South Charlotte area.
How long have you been doingthis?
Otto Anderson (00:43):
So we've been in business since 2007, um, working
in and around Charlotte.
Um it's been uh it's been astrange journey from 2007 to to
today because we went throughthe financial crisis in COVID,
right?
So we had some of that tomuscle through, but you know,
(01:03):
we're still here and you know,appreciate the boom times after
COVID came.
But you know, yeah.
Servicing our customers andmaking everybody happy.
Regina League (01:12):
So what made you get into this industry?
Otto Anderson (01:16):
So I went to Clemson University after
graduating Clemson.
It seemed like most peoplewould go one of three places.
They would either go toCharleston, they would go to
Atlanta, or they'd come toCharlotte.
So I decided to come toCharlotte 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.
(01:36):
And I had a friend that wasactually uh in construction
science at Clemson that startedworking with one of the big
builders.
I can't remember if it's Poultyor or Ryan, but anyway, he was
like, We need to start buildingspectrums.
And I was like, I, you know, Idon't have like I'm mechanically
inclined, like I could takethings apart and put them back
together, but you know, puttinga house was, you know, building
(01:58):
a house was just not in myrepertoire at that time at you
know, 25 years old.
So he said, no, no, no, no.
You, you know, you help get theloans for the for the project
and I'll build them.
So like, all right, so we didthat.
So we did some specs up inDavidson, and I ended up being,
you know, a hangaround, right?
So sometimes, you know, I'd bethere when they're doing drywall
(02:19):
and I'd watch it, or you know,framing or plumber, and I get to
meet the people because Istarted, you know, being control
of the bank accounts to makethe the payments, kind of like
an investor, right?
So uh through that process, Iwas able to to meet folks and I
decided at one time, well, theonly way to learn how to you
know build homes or a model isto get you know, roll up your
(02:40):
sleeves and do it.
So that's what I did, and Ijust kind of picked it up on a
whim and it just just hooked inand I just kept going.
Regina League (02:49):
What did you study at Clemson?
Otto Anderson (02:51):
I studied finance with a minor in real estate.
Uh wow.
Regina League (02:55):
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 withsomething like this.
I'm looking at your amazingwebsite, and you kind of can do
it all.
So, kind of walk us through thetypes of projects you're
working on or that you do.
Otto Anderson (03:13):
So, a lot of the projects we do require design.
So, we are a design buildcompany that uh puts design
first before we do any of ourprojects.
And for those of you who don'tknow what a design build
contractor is, is traditionallyyou hire an architect or a
designer to design your project,and then you interview
(03:34):
different contractors and youmake a selection out of those
different contractors, and thenyou start your build process.
Through a design build process,we are able to, as a
contractor, we work togetherwith the design professionals
and design the project up frontso we can lead you into hey, the
you know, there's alwaysquestions that the architecture
(03:55):
or designers are going to havewhen they're doing the you know
going through the process, butwe're directly involved in that
process to deliver a productthat we're able to, you know,
build at the end of the designphase.
Regina League (04:06):
I love that.
And uh so walk us through, youknow, you do kitchen bath,
obviously.
What are some of the otherthings you guys can do?
Otto Anderson (04:14):
Yeah.
So we do a lot of kitchens andbaths.
That's kind of like uh you knowthe bread and butter for what
we do.
Regina League (04:20):
Yeah.
Otto Anderson (04:20):
Um, ADUs have become very popular.
ADU is an accessory dwellingunit that uh has been popping up
all over town.
You know, they go from anywherefrom in-law suites to uh
apartment over a garage,garages.
We just kind of do a lot ofthose things.
We'll get an occasional customhome here and there, and um home
(04:41):
additions is also somethingelse that we we find ourselves
building.
Regina League (04:46):
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 (04:54):
That's right, that's right.
HGTV, my favorite.
Um so we're we're going awayfrom the white cabinets, as uh
we can't see on the on thepodcast here, but uh it seems
like a lot more things aregoing, a lot more neutral
colors, you know, we're we'restaying away from the grays, the
gray.
Um most of the stuff that we'reseeing now is like uh you know
(05:14):
a wood tone with a nice beigecabinet.
It seems like that's the waythings are going.
Regina League (05:20):
That's awesome.
Very, very good.
So, and you do garages, outdoorhome editions, decks,
everything.
Otto Anderson (05:29):
Yeah, kind of a little bit everything.
It's just you know, if uh ifthe fit is right, well, we can
build you anything you want.
Regina League (05:36):
Well, what sets you apart?
You know, there's so manybusinesses that maybe don't do
all of this, but you know,what's important when as a
consumer, you know, we're we'reinterviewing different
remodelers.
What right, right?
Otto Anderson (05:52):
What sets you apart?
Well, the first thing to do ismake 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 ingood standing.
Um and after that, I I think Ithink what what most people need
to be concerned about is is isthe prep.
(06:12):
Like just like you would prepfor an exam or or a test or the
bar exam or something, you'reyou're gonna put in the time and
the effort to to try to do thebest you can.
And the prep time for aconstruction 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 toyou know design our projects and
(06:35):
and try to get all thequestions answered from you
know, what faucet are we goingto use, what light switch are we
gonna use, all the way down toyou know, what cabinets we use.
So we can once we get into theconstruction phase, we are we
are in construction mode, we'renot in design mode anymore.
Regina League (06:52):
Well, I was looking at your website.
I did mention, but you alsohave five-star ratings and a lot
of them.
That's something tocongratulate you.
That's hard to do these days.
Otto Anderson (07:02):
Thank you, thank you very much.
Yeah, so you know, I'm a morehands-on owner operator than
than most construction companieswould have.
Some people think uh you knowmore is always better, but I
think less is more, right?
So I, you know, I kind of I'mon the job sites more than most
owners would be, and I supervisemore than most owners would be.
(07:23):
It just uh I'm able to makecustomers really happy because I
I'm involved from start tofinish.
And you know, being involved inthat process really helps helps
to make it yeah.
Regina League (07:37):
So what areas of Charlotte Metro do you serve?
Otto Anderson (07:41):
So the the furthest north we'll go is uh up
to near Uptown, you know, kindof like Myers Park, Noda, kind
of around that, around thatarea, and then we'll come down
south to kind of Belmont andthen through South Park and
everything back down throughMatthews, Wettington, Marvin,
Fort Mill.
We're licensed in both NorthCarolina and South Carolina, so
we can we can service any ofthose areas.
Regina League (08:03):
That's yeah, and all the growth is down this way.
That's right.
What are some of themisconceptions that you see over
and over again?
Otto Anderson (08:12):
Yeah.
So back to the HTTP comment,right?
Like, so you know, it makes forgood television, but it doesn't
make for a good remodelingcontractor, right?
So we uh although all the a lotof our projects, because of our
design process and our and ourand our focus on making
(08:33):
everything, all the selectionsup front, really really helped
us in the production of the ofthe construction projects
because we've tried to figureeverything out that could be
wrong, right?
Like, you know, or do we needanother beam, or is there rot in
here, or is the ceilingleaking?
It's just just when we have allour contractors come and view
(08:54):
the the job, they're able to youknow head us off and hopefully
keep us from finding somethingthat we didn't anticipate.
But you know, a remodelingproject can be done well, it can
be done with with minimaldisruption to to the owners, and
it can be completed without youknow delays and or you know
(09:15):
added expenses that that didn'tcome.
It's just you have to find theright contractor that takes the
time to put in to make sure thatthe project is a complete
success.
Regina League (09:24):
So the upfront part is very important to you.
Yes, yep.
That makes a lot of sense, youknow, because I think we do, uh
we all are swayed by Chip andJoanna.
Otto Anderson (09:35):
That's right.
Yeah, yeah.
Regina League (09:36):
Yeah, that's amazing.
Um, so as we wrap up, you'velisted where the areas of
Charlotte you uh serve.
How do our listeners actuallyfind you?
Otto Anderson (09:50):
So you can find us online at dreamhomebuilders
neuralmodelers.com.
If you'd like to get in contactwith us, the best way to
contact us is through ourcontact form on our website.
Uh, and we'll schedule aconference consultation to get
together by phone and we'll talkabout 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 inyour gallery.
Congratulations again on yoursuccess.
That is quite amazing.
Well, thank you for joining ustoday.
It's been a pleasure getting toknow you, Otto.
Otto Anderson (10:23):
Yes, likewise.
Thank you, Regina.
I appreciate uh the GoodNeighbor Podcast and everything
that you guys do for us.
Intro/Close (10:28):
Absolutely.
Thank you for listening to theGood Neighbor Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tognpsouthcharlotte.com.
That's gnpsouthcharlotte.com orcall 980 351 5719.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.