Housing Watch: Starting home improvement projects

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Back in 2009, Ty Pennington unveiled the dramatic change at Mary Ann Riojas' Fresno house on ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

The Riojas family was overwhelmed.

"I just remember, too, how amazing the community in Fresno was to come out and support," he said. "There were so many people that were involved. It was just such a moving experience to to be able to to highlight someone like her."

Today, Ty still works on home improvement shows.

We asked him about doing his work on television and how other workers might compare it.

"I mean, there's always somebody who thinks they can do it better, right," he said. "What was amazing for me is people came out of the woodwork to tell me how awesome it was that I become famous for being a carpenter, because a lot of times, I think that was sort of a middle-class job."

With the warmer weather, Ty says now is the time for some projects to help you stay cool and save money.

"Another suggestion is to start small," he said. "A smart thermostat, some fresh insulation or even just sealing gaps or cracks in your house can have a huge impact. You don't have to do everything at once."

Most people don't have the carpentry skills and enthusiasm of Ty Pennington, but as he says, you just start small.

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