Just to encourage you, I did my valve job with no previous experience or help. Even though it may scare the shit out of you (I know the thought of breaking something did to me) it's actually pretty easy to work on these cars. And guess what after you do it you'll feel so much better. Even if it doesnt completely fix the problem it will make things better.
Like on my car I started with the fuel filter. Car ran a little better.
Then I did the oxygen sensor. Car ran even better.
Then I did the spark plugs. The car had a little more power.
Then I did the valve adjustment. Car felt like a new car.
Then I finally got around to the air filter, and the car felt like a BMW again (and now I speed alot)
So even though there was a few things to fix in the end I am glad I worked on it. Plus after you do a few jobs you can post on here helping other people. So don't worry about it to much. It probably isn't anything major but several minor things, and once you fix them, the car will run great.