DENVER -- There's a quiet realization under way now at the Denver Home Show; people are starting to shop for big ticket makeovers again.

A recent tour through the Denver Home Show found several vendors with the unshakable feeling that things might slowly be turning around for contractors, landscapers and other home-improvement businesses.

"We live on a lake. We don't want to move. We just want to update where we're at," said Sherri Specht.

She and her husband came down from Loveland Friday with plans two years in the making, ready to buy the kitchen, and maybe even the living room of their dreams.

"The rates are going down. And our location is prime so our bank is willing to work with us, at this point," Specht said.

They'll refinance and get a home equity line that allows for a major home expansion and remodel with a low, 4.75 percent loan.

One man, laid off in January, told 7NEWS he came to the show to use his "free" time to improve his home.

January and February were flat for one kitchen remodeler. But so far, March looks like it could mark a turning point.

"I'm booked for two weeks. I can't even go to a person's home," said Doug Campbell, owner of C & C Kitchens. "I'm so busy I have to charge for designs now. Where I was doing them for free during that two-month period."

Several attendees told 7NEWS that this year, sweat equity makes even more sense.

"So they might’ve lost some stock. But they still own their home. They still live there. And now they don't have the option to sell it and move on. So that, I think, is why we’re busy," Campbell said.

A landscaper specializing in yard fountains said customers are coming to the show with a different attitude this year. Instead of a wish list, they have a budget they won’t stray from.

The face of ABC's "Extreme Makover: Home Edition," Ty Pennington will attend the home show Saturday to sign books and take questions. Tickets are $10 for ages 10 and older at the door. Kids 6 to 9 years old are $5 and children 5 years and younger are free.

Online tickets are slightly cheaper. Go to HomeShowDenver.com to buy tickets.