Old Home Renovation Specialist

We like general contractors who focus on renovating period homes. Charlie Allen is a renovator who fits this description and he answers some questions.

Our favorite quotes:

Peeling back the aluminum siding from a home to see what treasures lie beneath. "That," he says, "is really fun."

   

Q. What's the biggest challenge in renovating and restoring a period home?

A. Money. What do I mean by money? This is the real world. I give the house a voice. We have to do what the family needs and what they can afford. So the tension is between what the house needs and what the house wants, and what can be afforded is a very big challenge. How to not compromise, but how to get what a growing family needs with the budget. We rarely work for people who have enough money to do everything they want to do.