By Melissa Kossler Dutton Associated Press Lewis and Rebecca Taylor were confident when they recently bought a fixer-upper, even though they're not particularly handy. They knew they'd have plenty of help updating the kitchen, tearing out carpeting and redecorating the house, which was built in 1965.

Forget parking a car there.
Mike and Carmen Payton would rather park themselves in their new garage than let a vehicle occupy prime party space.
Yet like many homeowners faced with an intimidating drop zone for life's assorted "stuff," they put the renovation project off.
For two decades, to be exact.

 
Four DIYers grade a Black & Decker 18-volt cordless drill driver, Model BD18PS.
1. Deborah Alexander-Marshall, Chesapeake:

What did you use the tool for?  My husband, Alan, and I put in a new carpet runner on our stairs. We also used it to tighten screws in the gazebo on our deck and planter boxes.

CHESAPEAKE
Jean-Marie Eagler begs to differ with Kermit the Frog: It is easy being green.
Since moving into her Tanglewood home in June, the Chesapeake resident has launched a one-woman "eco-renovation" crusade.

FINISHED PRODUCT:
We attached nails inside the back of the fram and ran a wire across to hang the piece.
It cost $39 and took seven hours to complete.

Proceed with caution if you share your home with a motorcycle enthusiast or a guy craving a man cave.
Either is bound to get revved up by Brian Parsons’ Harley-Davidson heaven.
It a word, it’s cool.

Steve Clifford wanted his wife to have the master bath of her dreams - a bubble-bath heaven fit for a queen and surrounded by nature. Now Audrey can soak in her garden tub, which overlooks a backyard creek just a stone's throw from the Elizabeth River, and watch television at the same time.

Island hoppers Kevin and Mary Simmons don't have to go far these days when craving a taste of paradise. They simply visit their backyard for a homemade slice of heaven. With a relaxing patio, infinity pool, hot tub, homemade beach and tiki bar overlooking a lake, the couple's South Shore Estates home is their vacation getaway minus plane fare.

Bill and Mindy Sizemore spent six months searching for the perfect home before moving to Hampton Roads from Georgia in 2006.
"We just kept coming back to Port Norfolk," Mindy said, "because every street has a feel with these homes. We kept going past this one."
Added Bill: "We always look for a fixer-upper. This fit the bill."

Rodney Diehl of Little Neck Estates in Virginia Beach is a mechanical engineer. He works at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in the reactor servicing division and is a "fixer-upper around the house," the kind of guy neighbors come to for advice.