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!

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!

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!

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!