Before
After
Project Overview
Top-to-bottom renovation of a 2,200 sq ft 1985 brick ranch in Anderson — new kitchen, three full bathrooms, refinished hardwoods, full electrical and plumbing modernization, HVAC replacement, new roof, and exterior refresh. Six-month project; homeowners moved out for the duration.
The Challenge
The homeowners bought the home from the original owners and inherited every system at end-of-life: original 1985 electrical panel with cloth-insulated branch wiring, galvanized supply lines starting to fail, a 22-year-old HVAC system, an original roof past warranty, and finishes that hadn't been touched in 30 years. They wanted to live in the home for the next 20 years and renovate every system once rather than chase failures.
Our Solution
We staged the project so structural, mechanical, and envelope work happened first (re-roof, electrical service upgrade and full re-wire, replumb in PEX, full HVAC replacement with new ductwork), then interior demo, layout adjustments (removed a wall between kitchen and dining, opened up the primary bath), and all-new finishes throughout. New kitchen with shaker cabinets, quartz counters, and a 9-foot island; three full bathroom renovations with tile walk-in showers; all-original hardwoods refinished and matched in the few areas that had been carpeted; new doors, trim, and paint throughout; exterior refresh with new front door, repainted brick, and updated lighting.
Scope of Work
- Pre-construction: measured drawings, finish selections, fixed-price contract
- Permits across structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and roofing scopes
- Full architectural-shingle re-roof with new underlayment and ventilation
- 200A electrical service upgrade and full re-wire of every branch circuit
- Full replumb of supply lines from galvanized to PEX
- New high-efficiency HVAC with new ductwork and proper zoning
- Interior demo and removal of two non-load-bearing walls
- New kitchen: shaker cabinets, quartz counters, 9-foot island, range hood vented to exterior
- Three full bathroom renovations including tile walk-in showers and double vanities
- Refinished original hardwood floors throughout main living areas
- All-new interior doors, trim, baseboards, casing, and crown
- Full interior repaint and exterior repainted brick with new front door
- Final punch list and closeout with all permits closed and warranties registered
Materials & Products
- •Architectural laminate shingles (50-year)
- •200A electrical panel and copper branch wiring throughout
- •PEX-A supply lines, new shut-offs and PRV at meter
- •16 SEER heat pump and zoned ductwork
- •Full-overlay shaker cabinets, quartz counters
- •Schluter waterproofing in three bathroom showers, large-format porcelain tile
- •Refinished original 3/4-inch red oak hardwood
- •Solid-core interior doors throughout, painted casing and crown
Frequently Asked Questions
How long did the whole renovation take?
Six months on-site, plus about 8 weeks of pre-construction design, finish selection, and permitting. The homeowners moved out for the entire on-site phase — for a project this comprehensive, that's almost always the right call.
Was it cheaper to do everything at once?
Yes, meaningfully. We estimate the same scope phased over 3–5 years would have cost 15–20% more in mobilization, repeat dust containment, and inefficient sequencing — plus the homeowners would have been living through construction every year. Doing it once was both cheaper and far less disruptive.
What surprises came up?
Three notable ones — all documented and priced via written change order before extra spend: cloth-insulated wiring required full re-wire rather than partial; one section of subfloor over the crawlspace was rotted from a long-ago plumbing leak and was replaced; and the original electrical service drop from the utility had to be re-located by Duke Energy to support the panel upgrade. None were emergencies and the 15% contingency we'd carried absorbed all three.