I recently read Mary Kay Andrew's The Fixer Upper.  It's about a single girl who loses her job and ends up moving into an old Victorian her dad owns and fixing it up.  I really enjoyed it!  I also read Hissy Fit by the same author.  It's about decorating an old house.  I liked it as well, but really liked the one that entailed elbow grease.... turning something worn out and old into something beautiful.  Any suggestions for me on similar books?

Edie

Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter by Lisa Patton has a southern girl fixing up a bed and breakfast in Vermont. I really enjoyed it.

Second Time Around by Beth Hendricks also dealt with fixing up an old building to create a B&B. It was a good fast read.

A Year at Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball is about 3 older women that purchase an old farmhouse and restore it.  Great read and there's a sequel out.

I have a couple of books on my bookshelf that are somewhat similar:

Flirting with Disaster by Sherryl Woods centers around the volunteer construction of a house for a needy single mom in South Carolina's Low Country, kind of like a Habitat for Humanity project.  The protagonist, Maggie, owns an art gallery, and despite having a "Southern debutante" style, she restored her gallery space doing all the work herself.  Sparks fly with the construction foreman, whose expertise is in high-end historical restorations.  Lots of scenes at construction sites.

In A Little Light Magic by Joy Nash, the main character is restoring a neglected old house on the Jersey shore, turning it into a quirky magic/new-age shop.  Her love interest is the contractor she hires to do the restoration.  It may not be quite what your'e looking for because she doesn't do the work herself, but it's a light, enjoyable read.  (I've written a more detailed review.)

I'd be happy to do a 2-for-1 deal if anyone is interested!  Just request one and PM me for the other...

[This is my first discussion post...not sure if it's ok etiquette to directly post books that I have available...please let me know if not!]