Congratulations, you’ve bought yourself a fixer upper! Now it’s time to become your own version of Chip and Joanna Gaines, but how? While watching their show “Fixer Upper” can give you some good ideas, they don’t really give you a step by step on how to accomplish it all.

But that’s okay! As Experts in our field, we’ve come up with just a few of the things you’ll need to do after signing on the dotted line and before you jump in with both feet.

A living room fireplace is place that people gather around to spend time with one another. Yet, if you don't particularly love your current fireplace then you don't want it to be the focal point of the room and are more than likely doing your best to act like it doesn't exist. 

Ignoring your fireplace and mantel may work for awhile, but in the long run it's a better idea to make it over into something you love.  To help you create a focal point that you're proud of, we've gathered some fun and helpful ideas and projects you can use to finally upgrade your fireplace to match what you've always dreamed of. 

What do you think of when you hear the words “home remodeling”? For some, the image of a house in disarray for months on end with tools laying out and materials stacked in the front yard comes to mind. For others there is the worry of sticker shock, and a fear that costs will run over budget and they won’t be able to trust their general contractor to get the job done right.

Remodeling doesn’t have to be an all at once, huge thing that puts a strain on your living environment and budget. You can consider making small changes around your house that can make a huge difference. And the good news…you don’t have to do the work yourself! So read on and learn about some small home remodeling jobs that you can hire out.

Do you ever look at your closet and just wish it did more for you?

Admit it, we all love a good home renovation show. All you have to do is turn on the tv, dedicate about an hour, and see a miraculous transformation. It seems so easy to watch an old run down home turn into a stunningly beautiful dream home.

While our home renovation team at Experts In Your Home can do that for you, we know not everyone has the budget or need of such a full scale remodel. So here we're going to look at more budget friendly, smaller options that will make a big impact on your home. These are things that you could possibly do yourself, or hire out. While they are far from a full-on HGTV style home remodel, these small home upgrades can make a huge difference in how your home looks and more importantly - how you feel about it when you walk in the door.

So here we go, take a look at these small upgrades that will make a big difference in your home:

If you live in an older home, you’ve probably dreamt of having your kitchen remodeled. Maybe your dreaming has led you to begin the process, or maybe you’re still just considering your options. Either way, it’s important to gather as much information as you can about kitchen remodels before you complete your dream redesign.

To help you in this process, here is some advice from Better Homes and Gardens and MarthaStewart.com on the Dos and Don'ts of your kitchen remodel.

The first thing you see when you pull up to a home puts an impression in your mind of the property, whether you realize it or not. The same goes for people visiting your home. Often, homeowners are so used to their own house that they don’t notice the overall curb appeal or think about how to make it look better. If you’re selling your home curb appeal is very important, but improving curb appeal can also help property values and your overall enjoyment of driving up to your home even if you plan to stay there a long time.

Maybe you’ve been watching too much Fixer Upper and started getting kitchen envy after seeing some beautiful subway tile backsplashes. Unfortunately, we can’t all have the Gaines Family come to our homes, but we can come up with simple, inexpensive ways to upgrade your own kitchen.

If you live in an older home (especially one built in the 1970’s or before), you may have single-pane windows. Newer homes are generally built with double-pane windows. While those in the window installation business are surely knowledgeable on all of the differences between different types of windows, we know the average homeowner may not be. What you may think of as a normal power bill or a normal amount of street noise that makes it into your home may actually be more related to your windows than you think.

So, if you’re asking the question “Should I Upgrade to Double-Pane Windows?” the answer is most likely yes, and here are some reasons why:

When you live in a small house, every little space counts. No longer is a bare wall acceptable or can an overhead space be left for the cobwebs. Limited space usually means the need for more creative ideas about how to use that space to your advantage. 

If you've ever looked at the alcove under your stairs and wondered what to even use it for, we’ve got an idea for you!