By Amber Mabe

We have all heard the horror stories of renovation projects gone wrong. Faulty wiring, crooked tiles, cabinet doors or drawers with no room to open, and the list goes on. During a renovation project, especially in an older home, there are countless opportunities for things to go wrong. Your dream home renovation can quickly turn into a nightmare fraught with unexpected expenses, delays, and disappointments. Erik Anderson, Tracy Moore, and their team at DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen are changing the remodeling game with their fresh business model and a desire to take the drama out of home improvement.

Erik knew from a young age that he wanted to own a business someday, but more importantly he knew he wanted to help people. After studying engineering at North Carolina State University and going on to earn his MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, Erik spent time learning everything he could about the home renovation industry and business ownership. It was during that time that he solidified his personal vision statement that remains to this day: “I live my life to help others.” For Erik, and the team at DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen, remodeling homes is about helping people get the most out of their homes and improving their quality of life. “When we are working with a client that has accessibility needs, or they are aging and they want to stay in their home longer, if we can make their homes safer so they can stay in their home for five more years rather than going into an assisted living facility, I feel that we are helping them enjoy their quality of life,” says Erik. “If we are able to come in there and help you enjoy your home more, enjoy your life better, and enjoy time with your family better, it is why we do what we do.”

What makes the DreamMaker experience the right choice for your next remodel? The difference lies in the planning and coordination that the DreamMaker business model provides. Clients who choose the route of finding their own contractors, designers, and sourcing their own materials may have done so in an effort to save money, but many times the experience ends in frustration. The DreamMaker’s one-stop process takes the weight off the client’s shoulders through careful planning and in-house communication. First, the client meets with an interior designer who listens to the desires of the client and develops a plan that meets their expectations and works within their budget. From this point, specially trained and selected DreamMaker contractors move forward with the implementation of the renovation. This saves the client from becoming a middle-man running interference between designers and contractors, and they can have peace of mind that the job will be completed in a way that lives up to their original design. “If questions come up in construction, the job doesn’t shut down for three days trying to figure it all out,” says Erik. “We can call the designer for that project (Jennifer, Virginia, or Lauren) and ask, ‘hey, what was the plan with this’ and we get the answer. We do the design, the product selections, the cabinets, we take care of everything, and we do all the work so there are a lot less concerns, stress, and frustrations that the client is going to go through.”

Unlike new construction contractors who are not used to working in people’s homes, DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen uses trade contractors who consider things like where to park, what time the newborn needs to sleep in the morning, or that the cat might try to sneak out open doors or windows. “When we are done each day, we sweep it up. And that is what we expect of all of our trade contractors because we are in your house. It would not be very respectful to leave your house a mess when we leave to go home at the end of the day,” says Erik. This level of trust and peace of mind is what Erik, Tracy, and the team hope to develop in their relationship with each client. Throughout the planning and design stage, clients are able to become comfortable with the DreamMaker team and become acquainted with the company’s culture and values. So when the time comes to start the renovation, all the guesswork has been eliminated and the client can relax in full confidence that the job will be completed to their satisfaction.

DreamMaker’s commitment to helping others does not stop with their own clients, however. In addition to the company supporting local nonprofits and community organizations, Erik has been personally committed to the betterment of the remodeling and construction industry for many years. He believes that lifting up others in his industry benefits not only his peers, but also the community at large. “If I can help them do better and do a better job for their customers, then it makes our industry look better. And everybody wins,” he says. Through his involvement with the North Carolina Home Builders Association and the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors, Erik has advocated for the development of continuing education programs for contractors throughout the state. Since the law passed in 2019 requiring 8 hours of continuing education for all general contractors in the state, Erik has taught about 60 classes a year in an effort to share knowledge and experience with others in his industry. “I went to college for 6 years and nobody taught me how to run a remodeling business,” Erik says. “Tracy and I had to learn from others in our industry, and that is what we spent 10 or 15 years doing. We travelled all over the country to these other remodeling companies asking what works and what doesn’t, and that’s what we brought back here to Winston Salem. That’s what I want to share with other people.” Safety is a big concern for contractors, and Erik worked with colleagues at Builders Mutual Insurance Company to start a nonprofit called the Job-Site Safety Institute, which raises money for research into safety concerns and the development of educational programs and literature for contractors. “Every person in our industry that goes to work in the morning deserves to come home to their family in the afternoon. If we can find a way to do that, that is just one more thing we can provide to help people,” he says.

Next time you are looking to update your kitchen or bath area, do not hesitate when you think about all that a remodel will entail. Consider DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen, a company that cares for your home, your community, and your personal peace of mind. For more information call 336-722-3625, visit Dreammaker-Remodel.com/Winston-Salem, or send an email to erik@dreammakernc.com.