Demi Morton

It seems that the cold weather is coming in more like a dam-break and less like the trickle of a faucet this year! One day, we were choosing between shorts or jeans, and the next day we were digging our winter coats out of the back of our closets. As you prepare yourself and your family for the incoming cold-weather months, don’t forget to prepare you home as well! Yes, that is right— in the same way that we need to prepare ourselves for the Winter by getting out our gloves, hats, vitamin-C, heavy blankets and cozy socks; we need to prepare our homes for the changes they could go through due to those pesky winter temperatures. Here at Shurm Homes, we know that knowledge is power when it comes to home prep, and we have compiled some of the top tips to help you make sure your home is as safe and comfortable this Winter season as you are! Check Your Heating! This may seem like a “no-brainer,” but checking your heating before the cold weather sets in can be an absolute life-saver (LITERALLY!) Make sure that your home is up to the task of keeping your family warm and cozy. An HVAC inspection can insure that your home is venting properly. This can cut down your risk for Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Test Your Detectors! Make sure that you test your Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors. Winter is the season that averages the most house fires per year! Of course, one of the goals of this list is to show you a few ways to avoid having those alarms sound, but we want you to be as prepared as possible in the case of emergency. If your detectors are beeping, it is likely time to change out those batteries. A new set of batteries before the winter months is never a bad idea! While you are in the mindset of checking your alarms, don’t forget to go over a family fire plan with your loved ones. Pick a meeting spot outside that you all know to gather at, and even do a fire drill to make sure everyone is up-to-date on fire safety information! Take a Look at Your Trees! Before the first snow of the season, take a moment to look at the trees that are surrounding your home. Look for any that look like they may be dying, fractured, or limbs that look particularly weak. When we think of snow, we often think of light, fluffy flakes. However, when snow piles onto the limbs of trees, it becomes very heavy. This, plus freezing temperatures can leave limbs weighed down by heavy, icy snow that can cause a break which may cause damage or injury. It is important to nip this problem in the bud (or “limb”) before such an issue occurs. Clean Your Gutters! Once the trees around your home are bare, it is time to clean out those gutters! During the fall, leaves… well… fall. This leaves your gutters packed with fallen leaves, leaving no room to do their job accurately. Water can sit on and between the leaves in your packed gutters and cause them to overflow. This leaves dripping water to fall down the sides of your home and cause deterioration the exterior of your home. Not to mention that overflowing water that freezes into icicles can be very dangerous! Don’t Forget About Your Pipes! Pipe bursts can be expensive and debilitating. It is so important to make sure that you are doing your due diligence to get ahead of the effect that winter weather can have on your pipes. Make sure that you drain all of your outdoor faucets. Sprinklers outside should also be blown out. You can have a professional come out and “winterize” your sprinkler system for you so that you can rest easy knowing it wont be a problem. On particularly chilly nights, when the weather is going to drop to or below freezing, it can be helpful to drip your faucets. Even the lightest movement of water through the pipes (a very slow, steady drip) can help keep the water from freezing in the pipes. It also will help to open the doors underneath your sinks to allow the pipes to be warmed by the air in the home. (If you are doing this step—PLEASE make sure that the items under the sink that are unsafe for children and your furry friends are REMOVED from the exposed area under the sink!) It is recommended that you keep the home at one temperature at all times of the day if possible to ensure that temperature changes do not aid the freezing of your pipes. Whether this is your first year in your own home, or your 50th year in your own home, we want everyone to enjoy the winter and holiday season with their families. This should be a worry-free time of laughter, making memories, time spent with loved ones and engaging in all of your yearly traditions! We hope that you have been able to take away something helpful from this article that you can implement in your new Shurm Home!

October is a month of celebration. We begin to settle into the Autumn weather as the air gets crisp and cool, pick out our Halloween outfits, visit orchards, sip on cider, and carve pumpkins. Here at Shurm Homes, we have an extra special tradition that we participate in during the month of October with all of the other builders in Richmond—The Parade of Homes! This year marked the 70th Anniversary of the Parade of Homes; an event where the builders of Richmond enter a model to be judged and scored, followed by a month of Open Houses for all models entered during the weekends in October. These Open Houses allow everyone in the area to have a chance to be a part of the event. Shurm Homes entered a model of our York II floorplan, in the highly sought-after 55+ community of Rock Creek Villas in the Quinton area of New Kent. Rock Creek Villas features one of the most maintenance-free HOAs in the Richmond area. With inclusions such as trash removal, street maintenance, exterior maintenance, and repairs (siding, windows AND ROOF,) landscaping and more, it is hard to get more maintenance-free than Rock Creek Villas! Our York II model included the BEST KITCHEN award in our price point. This 2-bed 2-bath floorplan is the perfect size for a right sized home, also including a large 2-car garage. It boasted a long and wide entryway leading to a very open-concept living space, which earned a “Best Feature” blue ribbon. Those who visited during our weekend open houses were most impressed by the door that connected the laundry room to the closet in the primary bedroom! This option makes putting away clothes a breeze! We had a blast with everyone that came out to see us during the Parade of Homes this year, and we hope that you are putting it on your calendar for next October, because we are already looking forward to our next entry!

FALL is upon us, and Chesterfield is buzzing with activities in and around the area that you and your family can participate in this Autumn to celebrate! Shurm Homes has found some of the most fun things that you can do in this fall after nestling into your new home in the highly-sought-after community of Pennwood Estates! 1.) Visit the Berry Farm! Take a trip down Hull Street Road and visit the Chesterfield Berry Farm for a fun-filled day with the whole family! With an 8 acre “dino maze,” funzone, barrel train ride, wagon train ride, fun hat mazes, fun hay slides, pig races, animal corral, paintball target shoot, & corn cannons, there is so much to do! After you have experienced everything the CBF has to offer, take a hayride to pick out your favorite pumpkins and gourds! With many different admission packages and tickets available, there really is something for everyone! Check out their website to stay up-to-date on all of their events and learn how to get tickets! 2.) Take An Apple-Picking Trip In The Mountains! Pack up the car and head to Charlottesville for a day full of apple-picking and apple donuts, because Cater Mountain is THE PLACE TO BE in the fall! There is so much to do for the whole family, with food, ciders and beers, apple cider slushies, gorgeous mountain views, space for kids to run, and of course, miles and miles of apple orchards where you can pick many different types of apples! Visit their website to get more information about getting tickets— and don’t forget to clear up your camera space before you go for all of the fantastic photos you are going to take while you make memories with your family! 3.)Catch an Old Halloween Movie at the Byrd Theatre! In 1928, the Byrd Theatre opened its doors for the first time as a film-only venue in what is now known as Carytown in Richmond Virginia. It was viewed as an architectural masterpiece at the time, and still looks stunning today. Well into the 21st century the Byrd Theatre continues to be a Richmond staple. In October, the Byrd has a line-up of Halloween Movies on schedule. Since the Byrd is a one-screen movie venue with a small lobby, please bring a jacket. It is customary to wait outside for the movie time since there is not enough room in the lobby to house everyone waiting for entry. You can find movie times and ticket information on their website! For those who like the scarier side of the fall, the Byrd Theatre is known as one of the most haunted places in the city! 4.) Go To An Adults-Only Halloween Party! Many bars and restaurants have Halloween events, however if you are looking for a fun Adults-Only Costume party with live music and prizes, Uptown Alley’s “Boos and Brews” event is the place to be in Chesterfield. This is a 21+ party that will include indoor and outdoor bars, 2 live bands, and a Halloween costume contest with a $1,000 prize. This year, the event will take place Saturday, October 30th at 7pm! You can find more information about the event and how to get tickets on the event’s facebook page! 5.)Attend the Scott’s Addition Pumpkin Festival! Scott’s Addition is a popular place to head to on the weekend with its many breweries, cideries, and fun bars/restaurants for the entire family. On Saturday, October 16th the Scott’s Addition Pumpkin Festival will take place on Arthur Ashe Boulevard. This free-admission event includes live music, fall treats and food for sale, as well as beer from local breweries! There are even costume contests for kids, adults AND four-legged friends! Head over to the facebook page for the event for more information 6.) Head to the Botanical Gardens for the Harvest Fest! On Saturday, October 23rd from 9am- 9 pm and Sunday, October 24th from 9am-5pm, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens will be hosting their Harvest Fest. This 2-day event will have live music, adult beverages, food, and family-friendly activities. Whether you are watching the pumpkin-carving demonstration, building a Fairy House with fall materials, or even listening to “scary” stories, you are guaranteed to have a great time! Check out the event’s Facebook page for all the details! 7.) Experience the Richmond Folk Festival The Richmond Folk Festival is one of Richmond’s most popular events of the year! From October 8th-10th you can experience a wonderful celebration of music and culture with a whole line-up of performing artists! Bring a blanket, or even some chairs, and enjoy a showcase of talent and community. There is no cost of admission, but make sure that you bring some cash for beverages and YUMMY food! You can find information about the history of the festival, as well as the musical line-up on their website. There is nothing quite like the feeling of fall in the air, and we really hope that you now have some more events to add to your calendar! There is so much to do in the fall, but no matter what you plan on taking part in, please remember to be safe and have fun!