Captivated by the beauty of Stonehouse-Now for sale…

April Guminsky knew she wanted to build a family home in Stonehouse as soon as she drove in.

“We looked at a lot of places before we found where we wanted to build,” said April, a pediatrician. “Then we drove into Stonehouse and found the most beautiful development we had ever seen. The crepe myrtles were breathtaking. We knew we wanted to live there.”

Beautiful and Welcoming on the Outside.
April and her husband, Michael, who works at NASA, found the perfect lot, and began working with their builder to design a 2-level, 4-bedroom/3.5-bath home. Their first consideration was how the house was sited. “It was important to us that we have plenty of space between our neighbors, and that we have some quiet space,” April noted.

April wanted her new home to have strong curb appeal. “We wanted brick, and we wanted the house not to be shaped like a block, but to have lots of nice shapes and angles.” They designed a brick and frame home with steeply peaked roofs and double dormers in the front, a blend of Ranch and Cape.

The couple also wanted “a nice front porch with a bench,” and since they moved into their home in 2005, that porch has been a well-loved feature. “We are set back a bit from the sidewalk, but there are plenty of friendly neighbors to yell to,” April laughed.

In the back of the house is a covered deck that has become April’s favorite space. “It’s so great for sitting with a cup of coffee. When there’s a cool breeze you can hear the trees rustling and it’s almost like when you go camping. At night, you can just sit and look out at the stars and listen to the rustling of the trees.”

The deck overlooks a flat backyard that’s perfect for a friendly game of cornhole or tossing a football. April’s boys, who were in 4th and 6th grades when they moved into the home, even had a trampoline. A sprinkler system helps keep the yard lush, and the couple has extend the mulched areas of the yard into the woods behind them, creating a more manicured look.

Open and Airy on the Inside.
It was essential that the couple’s home house have plenty of natural light. “That was important to us, so we had huge windows installed across the back of the house,” April noted. A tray-ceilinged kitchen sitting area that overlooks the backyard has become her go-to spot. “There’s lots of sun there; it’s a great place for reading!”

April and Michael chose an open floor plan that is ideal for entertaining. “We have a very large family and it’s easy to circulate in a circle,” April explained. “You can go through the kitchen and back out, so it’s just easy to migrate, and there are plenty of places to sit. The layout is great for buffet- style entertaining.”

That entertaining is made easier with a gourmet kitchen featuring cherry cabinets, granite countertops, and a new, 5-burner gas cook top. “The cook top is pretty handy,” April said, noting she makes a lot of Italian dishes. “And, we have a beautiful, large dining room with detailed woodwork that we’ve used for many family dinners. We have had many good times around that table.”

The home has 2 bedrooms plus bonus room on the second floor, and 3 bedrooms on the main level, including a master bedroom suite. “That layout has worked great for us,” April noted. “Our two sons use the bedrooms upstairs.”

One modification the couple made to their original home plans was to add storage space. A second floor bedroom
accessed walk-in attic space about the size of a bedroom. But they found a way to gain more attic space through a closet in the same bedroom. “We added a door at the end of the closet to take advantage of the big attic space on the other side of the wall,” April explained. “Now we have so much room to stack stuff. It’s a fabulous house for storage.”

Storage space is also available in the home’s oversized garage, which fits two cars and a motorcycle (Michael loves to work on cars) plus space to store tools.

An All-inclusive Community.
Stonehouse is a social community, with many opportunities for residents to get to know each other.

“A big selling point for the neighborhood is that it has a golf course which is challenging and has gorgeous scenery,” April noted. “The golf club has community dinners every other week, so it’s easy to ‘meet and greet.’ And, the food is excellent.”

Planned social activities range from Oktoberfest and Mardi Gras celebrations to a community bowling league. “Mike and I belong to the bowling league, which meets once a month at a local lane during winter months,” April said. “Before bowling we go out to Old Town Pizza. It’s a very social place.”

Neighbors also rub elbows at the Residents’ Center, which includes pools and a fitness center. “Both of my boys walked to work at the golf course and they were lifeguards at the pool and swam on the swim team,” April said. “It’s a very friendly neighborhood, very dog friendly. It’s a very inclusive lifestyle.”

The community also features huge, open fields. “Across from the Residents’ Center we always see people playing flag football, kids learning to bat,” April noted. “We also have a community garden.”

Stonehouse is not gated, but it has a security booth at its entrance. “I feel very safe here,” April said. “The guard stays on site. He drives around the neighborhood, helps you if you need it.”

Convenient location. 

The master planned community just outside Williamsburg is within a mile of the highway. “You can get to almost everything in 25-30 minutes,” April said. “And, being on this side of Williamsburg we are close to Toano, an old Norwegian town with antiques and shops that we go to frequently.”

Time to Downsize. 
With their children older, April and Michael are ready to downsize. “We plan to rent for a year and have an adventure,” April noted. They have asked John “Mr. Williamsburg” Womeldorf to help them sell their home after finding his name on the Stonehouse website. “We knew he was familiar with the neighborhood, and we wanted someone who knew the house and the community.”

Why the stories? Because these aren’t just houses, they’re homes.

For more info on this home click here or call/ text John at 757 254 8136  Offered for sale at $524k

Mr. Williamsburg knows that when yo u’re looking for a new place, you’re searching for more than just four walls plus amenities, you’re looking for that welcoming refuge we call home. That’s why we go beyond the standard “4 bedrooms, 3 baths on large lot” statistics, to share how others have lived in this house, to reveal the home’s unique personality, to help you decide whether this is a place where your family could thrive.

Likewise, we realize that you’re seeking not simply a development within a particular zip code, but also an opportunity to become part of a community. That’s why we share our sellers’ experiences as members of that neighborhood.

We trust these stories will assist you in finding your way home.

Want to tell your home’s story? Contact John “Mr. Williamsburg” Womeldorf at (757) 254-8136 or [email protected] and we’ll get you started.