Yes they can be done in your home garage, and yes they will look professional if you take your time.
I did mine and you can't tell where the chrome ends and aluminum begins when you look head on.
It is a dirty job, but like anything else if you want it done right you have to do it yourself.
I hooked up a powered jig to spin my rim, then spin-sanded the rough cast going through 3 grits of paper. Buffed out using two types of buffing cakes. Oh yeah, this was two years ago and they are easy to keep clean, no matter what you hear about polished aluminum, maintenance is minimal if you know what products to use and how to use them.
Look at the last picture in this link:
http://www.angelfire.com/band2/chops101/axleadjust.htm