‘Home Town’s Ben and Erin Napier Were Pushed to Their ‘Limits’ in Challenging New Season (Exclusive)

Ben and Erin Napier tackled some “extremely difficult” projects in the HGTV couple’s upcoming season of Home Town.

The Napiers opened up to PopCulture.com about being pushed to their “limits” ahead of Sunday’s Home Town season premiere, which saw them taking on their biggest renovation yet in their small town of Laurel, Miss.

“This season is extremely difficult,” Ben admitted of the episodes to come. “Every project pushed us to our limits in some form or fashion — typically in a different way than we’re used to.” Erin agreed that in the new season, she and her husband “learned that we can do hard things.”

In the season opener, the Napiers commit to their most massive undertaking yet, as they lead the charge on the transformation of one of Laurel’s most well-known historic homes. It’s a renovation so huge that the Napiers had to cover it over the span of two episodes for the first time.

With their neighbors of 20 years feeling “hopeless and embarrassed” at the state of their home, Ben and Erin were eager to jump in and turn things around for them. But restoring an heirloom family home with such significance to Laurel’s history put a lot of “pressure” on their team.

“In the end, it’s nothing like it was originally,” Ben teased of the outcome, as Erin added, “But just like it was.”

Later this season, the Napiers transform a house for Ben’s brother Jesse and his growing family, remodel a home for a newly-engaged couple who plan to host their wedding there, and completely renovate the maternity ward of their local hospital.

Ben and Erin were especially “honored” to renovate a hospital that had such significance in their lives, even if it gave off “’90s grandma house” in its decor.

“My dad worked at the hospital for 44 years. We had our babies there. I was born there. All of my nieces and nephews, our best friends’ kids, were all born there,” said Erin, who is mom to daughters Helen and May. “We have so many family photos in this one postpartum room of our hospital.”

With major renovations and plenty of emotion ahead this season, Erin told PopCulture that she hoped Home Town could be an “encouragement” to people who tune in.

“I hope what people see is that nothing is beyond redemption,” she said. “Nothing is beyond being saved and fixed. And that’s real evident in the whole season, I think.”

Home Town returns with a brand new season on Sunday, Jan. 4, at 8 p.m. ET on HGTV.