When Lise Hinton and her husband, Bo, found the perfect home in Dilworth, they knew they would need to expand it for a family eventually. They loved their house so much, they wanted to be there for the renovations—through the good, bad and ugly. To help them, they knew they needed to find the right contractor for the job.

They hired Advanced Renovations, a premier general contractor who specializes in renovating homes in some of Charlotte’s oldest, prestigious neighborhoods. These homes need more attention than most remodelers are accustomed.

The Hinton project was no small task. It included raising the roof, adding a second story, restoring the first floor and adding a screened porch. The project practically doubled the square footage of the original footprint.

Living in the house would be a challenge for the Hinton’s, not to mention, a challenge for Advanced Renovation’s Duane Johns and his team.

“We were excited to find somebody who was willing to work with us,” says Hinton. “But we also knew we would be confined to three and sometimes only two rooms for the six- month duration,” says Hinton. “We wanted to see the project unfold, day by day, and that’s why we chose to stay.”

Working with their architect, Don Duffy, the Hinton’s also applied for tax credits through the North Carolina Historic Preservation office. During their wait for approval, Advanced Renovations provided them a list of their preferred vendors so that the Hinton’s could take their time in deciding on budget allowances and selections prior to the project getting underway.

They prepared for their new construction surroundings by moving their belongings and anything of value into storage. They only kept about five pieces of furniture and a refrigerator.

“Lise could write the book on how to live through a remodel,” says Johns. “We hear the debate all the time, ‘should we or shouldn’t we stay during the renovation.’ The Hinton’s were prepared and flexible. It made all the difference.” But there was also help from Advanced Renovations’ team of employees and subcontractors.

“They were great. They came up with ways to limit the dust and really tried to minimize the effects of construction that we might feel,” says Hinton, noting that when the time came to take their kitchen away, Advanced Renovations offered a hot plate and a microwave for cooking.

Hinton advises to make sure your project manager regularly communicates about the progress of the project and what’s coming up next. “There were no surprises,” says Hinton. “They communicated with us regularly letting us know what was going to happen on a daily and weekly basis. Our project manager, Pat Apple, always prepared us and he was great about keeping everyone on schedule,” says Hinton.

Johns says he and his team pride themselves on meeting the needs of the homeowner. “Pat Apple’s experience, temperament, and sense of humor greatly helps our clients through the remodeling process,” says Johns.

“There wasn’t a day there wasn’t progress in the project. It moved along just as they said it would. When they said it would take six months to complete, we were ready for nine months or longer—that’s what everybody told us—take what the contractor says, and double it! That wasn’t the case for us with Advanced Renovations.”

Advanced Renovations is an award-winning general contracting company that specializes in older Charlotte neighborhoods. They can be reached by calling 704-799-3999.

Reprinted with permission