As long as Ashley Evans can remember, sawdust and drywall have been part of her life. She can thank her parents — who flipped houses before the concept became popular — for that.

Jack and Kay Evans, who live in Tallahassee, would "buy low, live in it for a while, upgrade it as much as they could, then sell it," recalls Evans. "I think I lived in about 11 houses the first 12 years of my life."

Joey Ivansco/Staff (ENLARGE)

Ashley Evans's treasures her tools like some women do shoes. She owns more than a dozen power tools and about two dozen manual ones. 'I have a little bit of a tool issue' she jokes.

Joey Ivansco/Staff (ENLARGE)

Evans hung the shutters herself in about an hour. She bought them already painted, from Home Depot for about $200. ÒThe shutters are awesome. All you need is a drill and a drill bit and someone to help you hold them up,Ó she explains. A friend built the railing and helped Evans install it. She painted it herself. The whole project took a day and a half.

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At first she was a casual observer who watched her parents hammer and nail through the slats in her playpen. But when another sibling came along years later and her dad enclosed the back porch to add a bedroom, Evans was expected to pitch in.

"Part of my family duty was to be a team player on quite a few projects," says Evans. "There were many Saturday afternoons when my friends were at the mall hanging out and I was at home helping my dad hang drywall."

Now 35 and living in Atlanta, Evans still doesn't spend much time at malls.

She's been busy remodeling a three-bedroom, two-bath Cape Cod she purchased two years ago in Underwood Hills in northwest Atlanta, and she's enjoying every minute of it.

"All of a sudden I got the bug," says Evans. "I thought, this house needs some serious love, and I said to myself, 'I can do this,' because the floor plan is great."

So far, she's given her kitchen a $5,000 makeover, laid hardwood floors on the main level, tiled the bathroom floors with travertine, stained the cabinets and replaced the hardware, landscaped the front yard and backyard, hung shutters on the façade and built a rail around the porch.

When she gets stumped on a project, she calls her dad in Florida for advice or e-mails him pictures of what she's working on. Evans also reads books and magazines, watches home-improvement videos and takes free how-to classes at Home Depot for tips. For projects totally out of her league, like painting the exterior of the house or electrical wiring, she hires a pro. But much of the work has been a labor of love.

"It makes my home that much more of a haven for me because I've put so much work into it," Evans says. "Not only do I get to enjoy the comfort of a nice space, I'm reminded if you put your mind to something, you can do it. It's sort of empowering."

Tips from Evans on how to be your own best fixer-upper

• Know what you like: Tear pictures out of magazines, catalogs, etc., and keep a file for inspiration.

• Read as much as you can about home improvement. You'd be surprised how well books and Internet DIY guides will break down projects into easy steps.

• Take baby steps into things — start with easy sewing or art projects, then work up to using those power tools!

• Make a friend at the local hardware store. People who know their stuff can be invaluable when you have a question.