Demi Morton

There are many advantages to building your new home, but the one that usually comes to mind for most people, is the ability to make your vision come to life! When you buy a resale, there is often a laundry list of projects you would like to do, or things you would like to change about your new home. This does beg the question— How “turnkey” is your “turnkey” house? When you go through the design process for a new build, you have the ability to make it TRULY move-in-ready. Nothing is worse than realizing that after weeks of packing, and then unpacking, moving around, and organizing, that your place still doesn’t feel complete. You hate the wall color, you are still annoyed that there is no backsplash, there is already a stain on the carpet that you promised yourself you would replace. What happens in most cases? These projects get pushed to the wayside, until you realize 8 months (or 8 years) later that you never made that house feel like the home you wanted. You will look up and see the pain samples still taped to the wall, the photos of your favorite backsplash options became nothing more than saved photos on your Pinterest board, and the rug that you chose to match your new LVP flooring is sitting in the closet—still in its original wrapping. The excitement of looking at new homes can give us a sense of confidence that we can make all of the little things we don’t like about a home, work. We suddenly imagine ourselves putting on a hardhat, and making someone else’s old home, feel like our new home. BUT, this is NOT an HGTV special, it’s your HOME. So why turn something old into something new, when you can turn something new into something that’s yours?! This is where Shurm Homes puts on our superhero cape and shows you a new way to imagine your space: from the ground up (LITERALLY!) The magic really takes shape in our design studio! At your design appointment, you will choose all of the details of your home, from your siding color to your door-style. We will make sure that when you close, moving in your belongings is the only project you need to do! The best part is… our design studio is IN HOUSE! You may be wondering what the advantages are of having an in-house design studio. Being able to have a private design appointment, where you get to see, touch, and compare all of the available selections makes all of the difference in the world. Everything from siding, faucets, foundation, granite, cabinets and more are available to view in person before you commit to your specific selections. Want to see our design studio in person? We would love to have you come out and view our design studio and get excited about the prospect of designing your new home! We have design studio open for preview appointments every few weeks on a rotating schedule! This means that if you are wanting to know what Shurm Homes has to offer, you can come by and see for yourself! Because it is open only by appointment, make sure you reach out to our Online Sales Consultant to find out the dates and get on the schedule! You can reach her at dmorton@shurmhomes.com We look forward to having you visit us in the design studio!

We are two weeks into the new year, and we already have a “National ________ Day!” on the horizon. January 14th is “National Organize-Your-Home Day,” and I am here to help you get in the festive mood! We mentioned the mental health benefits of having a clean living space in our last blog, but I would like to take it a step further and give some tips and tricks to help you declutter! Living in clutter makes your mind feel cluttered. So, it is time to start taking those steps you have been putting off! The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to get into the organizing mood. Sometimes it is hard to know where to start, so let this be your guide! We are going to help you get and STAY organized! STEP 1: Walk Through Your Home With Fresh Eyes: Have you ever looked in the mirror one day and thought suddenly, “Oh my gosh, I need a haircut! When did my hair get this long?” This phenomenon happens when something you encounter or look at everyday goes through small changes. Because the changes are so small, they do not alert you the same way that you would be alerted by someone dying your hair in your sleep. This can happen with the clutter in your home too. It may start with just a coat getting thrown over the banister instead of being put in a closet after a hard day, or letting your shoes pile up by the door instead of putting them away. These small instances of clutter can add up quick, and soon, you will feel like you are drowning in disorder. A great way to see just how cluttered your home may, or may not be, is to look at your home through a fresh set of eyes. Start at your front door, and walk through the home as if you were a guest visiting your home for the first time. What are some things that stick out to you? Maybe even keep a list on a pad of paper. This will allow you to tailor your tidying, not just to your own personal preferences, but to what your guests see as well! You may even find a project or two that you didn’t even realize you needed to do. To maintain your organization and cleanliness, try to do this process once a month and after holiday décor cleanup! STEP 2: Gut the Place! It is hard to think about tidying up without thinking about Marie Kondo. In her best-selling book “The Life-Changing Art of Tidying Up,” Marie coins her world-famous line “Sparks Joy.” The sentiment described in the book is the way that you decide what needs to be kept, and what needs to go. This is an excellent method to use at the start of your cleaning. What things in your home are taking up useful space? Go through your home with a trashbag, or 5, and determine what your home does, and doesn’t, need. Clear out the clutter! This is the best place to start, since you don’t want to waste time moving around things that don’t need to take up space. To keep up with your tidying, I recommend doing this every 6months, to a year! STEP 3: Everything in Its Place Everything must have a place. If it is going to stay, you should have a designated space for it to stay when you are not in use. The “Junk Drawer” mindset is easy to fall into, but organization at its core, requires knowing where items are at any given time. According to a study that IKEA reported on, 48% of all humans lose an item once a week. Those hours add up! The same study showed that the average amount of time we spend in a lifetime looking for missing items is almost 5,000 hours—that’s 6.5 months of our lives! It's time to differentiate yourself from the “Average” human. Something that may be missing, are containers. Drawer organizers, clothing shelves, kitchen cabinets organizers, containers for your dry goods or vanity items may help you allocate places for all of your belongings. Taking the guess work out of locating items will save you stress, energy, and the most important currency that you own—TIME. Evaluate areas that may need some extra TLC. Come up with a gameplan—this should highlight organization AND functionality. You may need to get some containers, dividers, or organizers to get the job done! To stay organized, use this in tandem with step 4! Step 4: Create and USE Systems The BIGGEST key to staying organized is using systems. You want to make all of your organization functional and easy, so that you are more likely to use the new systems. A system is a designated action, or set of actions, that you will use to ensure that you waste no time on looking for your things, or creating unnecessary clutter. This can be as something as simple as putting a key bowl next to your door, that everyone puts their keys in when they come home. They can also be more involved, like having a space designated for coffee items—such as coffee pods, creamers, and syrups, so you can restock stock them easily and have them all located near eachother for a quicker coffee-making experience in the morning. My favorite system that I have personally implemented in my own everyday life is holding myself to a “closing shift” at the end of each day. I get into the same mindset I had when I was working in a restaurant—reset the entire area, and make sure that you set yourself up to have an easy morning. Put the blankets away, run the dishwasher, wipe the countertops, put the coats on the rack; reset everything as if someone else will come behind you in the morning for an opening shift. Having systems will make your life so much easier, and can even have other effects such as boosting your mood, improvement in your punctuality, and more ease in your ability to relax! To stay organized, make sure to use your systems daily. Don’t limit your organization to one day a year—make it a lifestyle! It will take practice and discipline, but it will most assuredly be worth it. I challenge you to add a new resolution to your list this year if you have not already—rid yourself of the burden of clutter!

Neglecting ourselves and our mental health is something that we are leaving in the year 2022! Especially with the holidays wrapping up, you deserve to take some time for yourself in the new year. In the throws of the holiday season, sometimes it is hard to slow down and spend that time focusing on your physical and mental health, but you can not water anyone else’s grass with an empty well. The same way that we are instructed to “Put the mask on yourself before assisting others” during an airline flight emergency, we need to always remember that recharging our batteries is a NEED, not just a want. Self-Care doesn’t have to be lavish and time-consuming. It only needs to be intentional and fulfilling. Yes, a spa day or a vacation are a FANTASTIC way to practice self-care, but we should not limit relaxation and peace to a few times a year, or month. There are plenty of ways to recharge on a day-to-day basis. What are the things that bring you joy, that put you at the center of focus? What are your hobbies? What are some meals that you love, but you don’t get to enjoy as much as you would like? What is an activity around the house that you really like doing? What are some local places you have been wanting to check out, but have not yet? In the last few years, I have been really focused on getting rid of the guilt and the feeling of sacrifice that can be associated with spending my time and energy on me, and I am here to help you do the same! STEP ONE: Romanticize Your Life I know this sounds silly, but think about yourself as the main character of your life’s story! Invest your interest in rooting for yourself! Have you ever felt connected to a character in a television show, or a book, that you find yourself crossing your fingers for their good fortune? It is time to look at yourself the same way! Become your own cheerleader! Start looking at even the little mundane tasks that you do in your day-to-day life, and thinking “How could I make myself feel like a superstar doing this?” Sometimes it is as simple as drinking your orange juice out of a fancy glass in the morning, getting your car detailed so that you feel like you’re driving around a brand new car while running errands, or adding a few drops of essential oils in the shower to make it feel more like a spa. Take a moment to think about ways that you could possibly elevate your daily routine in a way that makes you feel like a celebrity! A study performed by the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that “Even 20 minutes a week of household cleaning reduces feelings of stress and reduces the risk of psychological difficulties.” There is a pressure that we can subconsciously put on ourselves when we are surrounded by clutter. Your environment can often feel like a reflection of your life, and when it is messy, it can cause an anxiety. Whether it is doing a load of laundry, finishing the dishes, making your bed, or wiping down the countertops, cleaning projects (small or large) can have an extremely positive effect on your mood! Being in a clean space, makes it easier to relax, since your mind will not wander to the list in your head of things that you still need to get done. If you are interested in learning more about how to organize your space, do not forget to keep up with our blog, and keep an eye out for our blog post about organizing your space! Most importantly, don’t forget to implement Step 1 during the cleaning process. Light a candle, put on your favorite music or television show in the background, and remind yourself as you are cleaning, that you are not doing it as a chore—you are doing it for YOURSELF! STEP 3: Find and Do a Hobby That Makes You Happy Do you have a hobby that you wish you had more time for? Do you have an interest in a hobby that you would like to explore, if you had more time? It is time to make time! Whether you love to read, quilt, scrapbook, play or listen to music, garden, work out, catch up on the latest episodes of your favorite television show, take your dog to the dog park, or whatever else it is that you love to do/have been itching to do, carve out the space in your schedule to do those things! Make it an event for yourself. Put in your headphones, sip on your favorite drink, and do those things that make you happy! STEP 4: Get Outside The fresh air and sunshine can be absolutely mood-stabilizing. Even taking a few minutes out of the day to walk down the street and back can influence your mood. If you are struggling to fit time outside into your schedule, try to incorporate being outside into an activity that you are already planning on doing. Take that long phone call with the bank outside while you take a walk, take your laptop onto the front porch or back deck if you need to do something on the computer, eat your lunch outside. Any way that you can add even TEN minutes of outside time to your day, is a win! STEP 5: Treat Yourself While most of these suggestions are small ways to practice self-care, I would still like to challenge you to take 2 days out of this year and have a “ME DAY.” On this day you will schedule a massage or hair appointment. Or maybe, you will take a day trip to a museum or aquarium that you have been wanting to visit. Perhaps, you spend this day shopping around for a couple of things that you WANT but might not necessarily NEED. Use those holiday giftcards, and call in that babysitting offer from your parents, and do something you and your spouse have been wanting to do for date night. YOU DESERVE IT!

The holidays are a time for family, friends, and food! For some families, this is the only time of the year that they will have all of their family under one roof, so it is safe to say that it is one of the most important times of the year for many households. However, along with the cheer and excitement that accompany the grand events, stress can pry its way into the days and weeks prior to hosting. As a family-owned company, we care about the gathering aspect of the holiday season here at Shurm Homes. We want to make sure that your energy and focus can be on your time with loved ones, rather than worrying about preparation. We have compiled a list of suggestions and reminders to help you ease into the holidays! Organize the Food: How much pie is too much pie? You may find out if you skip this step! If your guests are all bringing dishes to the meal, you may want to set up a system for assigning dishes. You, as the host, can either do this on your own by reaching out to guests individually… OR you can use a program such as Sign-Up Genius. You can put all of the food items into the program and send a link to your guests. This serves two great purposes: 1.) It allows you to make sure all food items will be present at the meal 2.) It allows your guests to see what food items have already been chosen by someone else, so you don’t have too many of the same items. Don’t forget that some of your guests may have dietary restrictions! Ask this in advance so that you are inclusive as possible—No one wants to only eat salad at a holiday feast! Clean That Kitchen: One thing that throws a lot of people off when it comes to hosting a big family meal, is just how jam-packed your kitchen will be with people and food. When you clean and organize your kitchen in preparation for a large gathering, make sure that you are cleaning every surface with a disinfectant. Every inch of your available counter and island space may be used to hold food. Make sure your normal counter décor, and unnecessary appliances are off of your counter and put away in a space that will not disrupt your meal preparation. Make sure that all cookware that may be needed is cleaned, and in a convenient location. Wash and dry all of your dishes prior to hosting—Your sink will be full by the end of the day, so create the space now! Make sure that you sweep and mop a day prior, so that your floor is safe and not slippery! Make a Plan for the Food: Cooking takes time. Make sure that you make the most of your kitchen appliances by planning the order of dishes and cooking! If you built a home with us, you may remember speaking to our Designer about appliance packages. Did you take advantage of our convection microwaves, or our double ovens? Now is the time to put them to use! Prior to beginning the cooking process, make sure that you have a plan of action for which ovens and microwaves to use, and when. A double-oven can allow you to cook a large item like turkey or ham all day, while simultaneously cooking the sides. A convection microwave, paired with the double oven, can be a great help in warming and heating the food as you set the table! Cooking is already a time-consuming and attention-consuming process without the added element of scheduling the food preparation as you go. Some items like crock-pot recipes, turkey and ham will likely take longer to cook. Make sure that you are well-aware of how much time each item you need to make will take. Get ahead of the undue stress by mapping out your cooking ahead of time. Create Your Gathering Space: Make sure you have your space set aside for your guests to eat. Whether you already have a table for dinner, or you need to set one up, you don’t want to make decisions about your gathering-place at the last minute. Due to high-demand, you may find it difficult to find foldable chairs and tables close to the holiday season. Everyone who forgot to plan beforehand will be scorching the earth to find those last available sets of tables and chairs. Don’t leave any room for worry—plan your space ahead of time! Create the Boundaries That You Need: The last piece of advice that we have may seem obvious, but it is extremely important, and isn’t always easy. You are inviting your friends and family into YOUR space. A home is a very special place, and your family and friends should respect that. Since you are hosting, if you need your friends and family to wait until a certain time to come over, or safely leave at a certain time, make sure to create a clear boundary ahead of time so that everyone knows the plan. You want to have the best time possible, and that can not be done if you feel uncomfortable. It is best, and easiest to set the expectation early. So, whether your holiday is going to happen in a small window, or is going to run from sun-up to sun-down, make sure you let everyone know the plan! If you find yourself hoping to change something about your space to enhance your hosting experience next year, now is the perfect time to start talking to someone at Shurm Homes about building in time for next years’ celebration! Whether you host this year and want more counterspace, better appliances, or more outdoor space, OR if you are a guest with aspirations of having a place to host at next year, Shurm Homes can help you create the space of your dreams! From everyone here at Shurm Homes, have a happy, healthy and safe Holiday Season!

With Summer fast-approaching, our calendars will soon be full of activities that bring us outside and into the sunshine! Going to the beach, soaking by the pool, amusement park trips, and more will consume some of our free time. However, it is equally as important to make sure that the time you spend in and around your own home is enjoyable during these hot months as well. At Shurm Homes, we have many different options available to help enhance your home and yard so that your enjoyment of the summer months is not limited to vacations and day trips! Our Designer will be able to help make your vision a reality during your design appointment—but here are a few ideas to help craft that vision, and get your Pinterest board started! Add or Extend Your Patio A concrete patio is a simple, yet game-changing element for backyard entertainment! Patios offer space away from the grass that is perfect for entertaining or just enjoying that summertime air. Imagine filling your patio with outdoor furniture, maybe even a firepit, and enjoying an icy beverage as the sun goes down. This is also the perfect area to place your grill for the summer cookouts! Some of our communities, such as Brickshire and even offer a patio as part of the included “Standard Features!” Add a Deck or Screened-In Porch Decks and Porches are often some of the first things that come to mind when thinking about the enhancing the exterior use of a home. Here at Shurm Homes, you will find our hand-crafted decks and porches are the best place to enjoy some summer sun! With the right rugs, seating, and maybe even a television for those sunset baseball games, you will never want to leave! Our screened-in porches provide ultimate protection against bugs, with the screens running, not only AROUND the porch, but also UNDERNEATH—so there are no bugs crawling into your entertainment area! Whether you are listening to the kids playing in the back yard, enjoying some food, watching the game, or catching up with friends, your deck or screened-in porch just might be your new favorite place to “chill,” even when the weather is warm. Create a Space for Cooking Outdoors As they say, the kitchen is the heart of the home, and at Shurm Homes, we believe there is never too much love to go around! So why not add an additional kitchen outside! You will never have the fear of missing out on the fun being had at a party outside if you have an outdoor kitchen! Cooking in an outdoor kitchen makes cooking feel like a brand-new experience. Outdoor kitchens also bring a luxurious feel to the backyard that will wow your guests as you prepare a meal without needing to commute in and outside of the home. Upgrade Your Driveway One of the most underrated features for outdoor entertainment is the driveway! Whether it’s shooting baskets, drawing with chalk, or riding on roller skates, a Paved Driveway can undoubtably provide a safer alternative for summer fun than playing in the street! Paved driveways allow for playing in the sprinklers without flooding the front yard, and a place for the adults to set up chairs and watch the kids play from the comfort of their property! There may even be options for you to extend the driveway for more space to play. Don’t let your driveway be a second thought when you are building your new home! Bring the HEAT with an Outdoor Fireplace What is a summer without S’mores? Go no further than your own patio for the bon-fire treat when you build an outdoor fireplace on your new home! The ambiance of a fireplace on your patio will be unmatched, and you are sure to find yourself unwinding after a long day in the sun next to the crackling fire. It is the perfect embellishment on a hand-stamped patio that will take it to the next-level! This envy-worthy feature will have all of your friends talking!