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!

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!

This weekend our Director of Sales and Marketing, Jennifer Jinnette, set out to explore some of the best activities for the active family in and around two of our communities. First up was Pocahontas State Park, which is located less than 10 miles from Pennwood Estates, now selling its final phase. It was a beautiful day for kayaking, so my family and I loaded up our kayaks and drove out to this 12.68 square mile State Park. We happened to go on free parking day, but parking normally is around $7. While there are a multitude of activities to enjoy in Pocahontas State Park, on this day we focused solely on kayaking. You can bring your own kayaks or rent them there, as well as paddle boats. The sky was blue and the air was fresh and clean. We saw wildlife such as cranes, egrets, and fish jumping out of the water, plus a multitude of various size turtles sunning themselves on this gorgeous day. There’s plenty to do at Pocahontas State Park for the avid fisher, biker, hiker, runner, and so much more. While closed for the season, the pool looked like a lot of fun featuring large slides. The restroom facilities were clean and the park was well marked. We will definitely be back to explore this park more! On Sunday, we spent the afternoon enjoying one of Brickshires' many amenities, golf! Plenty of people, from right here in our community or from Richmond and Williamsburg and beyond come to Providence Forge to play a round on our award winning Curtis Strange designed course. One of the great things about living in Brickshire is ALL of the amenities right at your doorstep, including golf for those who want to play! On this particular day we only played 9 holes, but you can play 9, 18, 27 or 36! You will find residents forming their own tournaments and comradery forged by neighbors who become friends. When you're done playing golf, come to the clubhouse for a nice dinner, enjoy live music on the lawn Friday nights, or just a quiet night at home on one of our peaceful homesites. For more information on these communities, or any of our Richmond area developments, visit our website - www.shurmhomes.com.

When you're looking for the perfect community to call home, what are the main things you're looking for? Lot size? Amenities? Curb appeal? For me, when I was moving to Virginia from North Carolina in 2016, I was looking for the perfect community for my only child to grow up in. Amenities, space to play, new friends, beautiful homes, all while trying to get the best bang for my buck. I found all of that and more in Brickshire. Nestled along I-64 in between Richmond and Williamsburg in New Kent County, Brickshire features gorgeously constructed homes on over 1200 acres of rolling hills and woods. When shopping for a new home 5 years ago, I visited communities from Richmond to Williamsburg. None gave me the sense of home like Brickshire did. From driving past the entrance sign perfectly landscaped all year long, passing by the amenities including swimming pool, tennis courts, fitness center and jogging trails, and seeing beautiful homes of various architecture and design, I knew from the moment that I first visited Brickshire that I wanted to call it home. We enjoyed a fun last few weeks of summer when we moved here, and while I was happy with our choice, our first Halloween really solidified that this was the perfect place for us. The kids aren't the only ones who get into the Halloween fun! From "You've Been Booed" secret front porch drops leading up to the day, to adult only parties at the owners clubhouse, Brickshire residents love to celebrate! But we don't stop at Halloween! Christmas light competitions, Hanukkah parties, New Years Eve celebrations, socially distanced COVID Easter Parades, the list goes on and on! Santa even makes a special stop at the clubhouse on a firetruck to greet all of the neighborhood kids (and some of the big kids too). Don't forget about physical fitness! One of the best things about living in Brickshire is how active you can be! From a 24 hour fitness center, to miles of walking trails, Brickshire is the perfect place to walk, jog, bike, blade, play basketball, soccer, kickball, tennis, pickleball, golf... really the list goes on and on. We even have an annual 5K that benefits New Kent County Schools! Not only has living in Brickshire been amazing, but choosing a location that is in between two wonderful cities has opened up opportunities for work, play, and recreation! You're only 30 minutes from downtown Richmond and Williamsburg! Explore the sites of the Historic Triangle; visit Jamestown, Yorktown, Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens or Water Country USA to your east. Or, go west and enjoy the magnificent food, drinks, and outdoor activities that surround the James River in downtown Richmond. Want to stay closer to home? New Kent County is home to 4 wineries, a brewery, golf courses galore (including our very own Brickshire Golf Course), Colonial Downs/Rosies, and plenty of restaurants! We are so excited to be able to bring our collection of gorgeous homes and 20+ years of experience to Brickshire. With several homes about to close and more under construction, our homes in Brickshire are quickly becoming a favorite. We have 7 homesites currently available to choose your floorplan and build on. Click here to view our floorplans and learn more about Shurm Homes in Brickshire! Need something quicker? Our Potomac and Cordova will be ready late 2021! Ready to learn more? Contact us at sales@shurmhomes.com or call us at 804-552-3858.