Whether you are gathering virtually, or having a small dinner in person, Thanksgiving tends to be a time where our kitchens take center stage. Is your kitchen meeting expectations, or could it use an overhaul? We are sharing some of our favorite features in a kitchen to help you prepare a delicious meal, no matter how small the size may be this year. 1. The Double Oven The turkey (or tofurkey in this girls case), the green bean casserole, the pumpkin pie, the rolls... how do you fit it all in one oven and it all be HOT when it's time to eat? We love the functionality of a double oven to make multi-tasking a breeze! This Ellwood kitchen combines mixed metals and classic colors to create a timeless space! 2. The Pot Filler Voted "Best Feature" in our 2020 Parade of Homes entry, the potfiller is a kitchen feature that is both functional AND luxurious. It's luxurious in the fact that you don't have to have one. Anything you can do with a potfiller you can do with the kitchen sink, but it's so much cooler to do it with a potfiller! From water for the mac n cheese and deviled eggs, to filling a kettle for tea after dinner, the potfiller helps make the home chef's life easier! 3. Butler's and Walk-In Pantry A place for everything, and everything in it's place. That's easy to do when you have the convenience of a walk in pantry directly across from a Butler's Pantry. If you are entertaining, the Butler's Pantry helps you be the hostess (or host) with the mostest! The built in wine fridge helps keep those extra bottles of wine chilled for you to grab at a moments notice, and the privacy of the pantry allows you to quickly stash things you don't want your guests to see, in person or virtually! 4. Outdoor seating off of the kitchen Outdoor spaces became an extension of our dining spaces long before Covid-19 hit. What better way to gather responsibly than in the fresh air? With spaces including decks, screened porches, and paver patios, your options for outdoor living are versatile and customizable. Grab a blanket or an outdoor heater, and enjoy the tranquility of mother nature while feasting over your Thanksgiving dinner. Interested in learning more about our communities, or building on your own land? Drop your information below, or visit our website!

If you've ever driven through the Town of Ashland, VA, you may chuckle to yourself when you see the sign that says "Ashland, the Center of the Universe." How can this quaint town right off of I-95, with a population of 7,200 be the Center of the Universe? Just a quick drive to both Richmond VA and Washington DC, Ashland is centrally located along the East Coast, with easy driving or train access to many major US cities. Richmond International Airport and the airports near DC offer convenient access to flights around the world (when we can travel again, or course!). Just West of Ashland, down Patrick Henry Road, you'll find Riva Ridge, a pristine community of 8 5-8 acre homesites, with sprawling landscapes, gardens, and a place where you can finally bring your horses home. We are still a few months out from sales starting and our model home construction, but we are excited to share some of the development activity going on! Roads are being cleared and will soon be in! We are excited for construction to begin and to release more information as we get closer to our preview event. The beautiful colors of the autumn leaves perfectly frame the development activity, and with a little imagination you can envision what this may look like next fall, when residents of the 2 and 4 legged variety will call Riva Ridge home. If you are interested in finding out more about Riva Ridge, and how we can handcraft your dream home on 5-8 acres near the "Center of the Universe," sign up for our Riva Ridge VIP list at www.shurmhomes.com/riva-ridge.

It's been a busy 4 months in Pennwood Estates! We are sold out of Section 1, with the exception of 2 basement opportunities. As we prepare for the VIP Preview Event for the release of Section 2, join Melanie and Jennifer as we view the progress of Section 1. If you have not yet signed up for the Section 2 VIP list, be sure to do so today at www.shurmhomes.com/pennwood. Our VIP's will be the first to learn about lot releases, 2 new floorplans, and pricing, AND have the first opportunity to sign up for contract appointments for our new section. With record low interest rates and limited lots being released, you won't want to wait for this one!

What do you think of when you hear the word "basement?" An extra space for the kids to play? Additional storage for those items you just can't bare to part with? A refuge from storms when they roll through? The basements of your childhood have gotten a makeover! Long gone are the dark, drab spaces where Kevin McAllister did his laundry. Basements today are versatile and highly desired! They are also something that you don't find in every community, so your house can really stand out. Whether you want an additional hang out space for your family, a guest bedroom and bathroom, a virtual schooling space, or a theatre, we've got you covered with our basement homesites available in Brickshire, Dispatch Station. and Pennwood Estates. To find out more about the private basement homesites available in our communities, or learn more about building a basement home on your own land, email sales@shurmhomes.com or call 804-929-4297.

At Shurm Homes our employees are like family (and many are literally related). We are so excited to introduce you to one of the newest members of the Shurm Homes sales team, Demi! We asked Demi a few questions so you can all get to know her! What is your relationship with Shurm Homes? What do you love most about working with them? I am the new home sales assistant. I love working with Shurm Homes for many reasons, but most importantly, I love that it is a family business. There is something so sincere about being a part of a family business. My colleagues and I get to have a relationship that is more genuine than just rubbing elbows at a computer desk. That same level of caring and respect gets passed very fluidly to our clients as well, which is one of my “musts” when looking into working with an employer! Where did you grow up/tell us about your family! I grew up in an extremely close immediate and extended family! I am the oldest of three girls and we grew up in Midlothian Virginia. Although, my parents are from the West Coast and all of my family other than my parents live in Texas or Arizona. I consider Phoenix my second home, and I love it out there! – Go Suns! How do you spend your free time? Or What do you do to relax? In my free time I love to write. Creative writing has always been a passion of mine. I also play guitar, ukulele and piano. Whether it is music, or stories, I love to put a pen to paper and create. I also love trivia nights, interior design and fashion blogs, reality television, watching football/baseball/basketball/ hockey, video games, cooking, movies, and you cannot keep me away from a good pool party! What do you wish other people knew about Shurm Homes? How meticulously and thoughtfully every home is built. In the same way that every lot we build on may have a different floor plan and different features, we honestly see that every family has a different plan as well. We know that the process of building a home is not a “One-Size-Fits-All.” We will never see our clients as a number. We want to know you, your kids, your pets, how we can take any stress off you and smooth out every bump that you see in your way. From the time that you come into a meeting with an idea, to the time that we get to hand you the key to your new home, and all of the years after that, you are a part of this family too. We want this to be an exciting adventure for you because we don’t want to build you “a house,” we want to build you “YOUR HOME.” Tell us about someone you admire. One of the people that I admire more than anyone else on the planet is my mother. I know this seems like a cop-out—but stay with me. My mother is the most hard-working woman on the planet (I may be slightly biased). She went through college with three kids in her lap and graduated with the highest honors and a recognition by the governor at graduation. All the while ran the HOSA program at the school and was head of the Phi Theta Kappa honors society. The best part of all is that she still ALWAYS put family first, and never stopped being unapologetically herself! She is and always has been the most perfect model of a mother, student and employee that I could ever hope to have. What’s your favorite snack? Outshine popsicles in the “LIME” flavor! What is your favorite place of all the places you’ve traveled? Treasure Cay, Bahamas. If you want a beautiful, quiet beach destination, this is a 10/10 recommendation! If your life was a movie, what would your theme song be? “Into the Unknown” from Frozen Two, because I like to go through life throwing myself into the next adventure head-first! ….and honestly it’s really fun to scream the “UNKNOWWWWWWWWWN” part on the top of your lungs. You may see Demi, or one of our other team members in one of our great communities! To learn more about where we build, visit www.shurmhomes.com/communities or call 804-929-4297.