On February 14th the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards voted against requiring mandatory fire sprinkler systems in homes.   Many of the professional building organizations had opposed this change based on the expens, risk and other problems associated with this change. 

  See the attached article from FireEngineering.com to see the reaction from the fire safety community.

Reaction to Fire Sprinklers

    We found these interesting and innovative building and home designs. Great inspiration for your next project, although we will acknowledge that they are a little over the top!  Enjoy

http://villageofjoy.com/50-strange-buildings-of-the-world/

     The real decision makers, when it comes to home design, style and functionality. We have found that men are great with the "big picture" but women prefer to focus on the details.  Things like functionality of living spaces, smart use of storage and seating areas, good bathroom design are all areas at which women excel.  We found some helpful tips in the 10 Commandments of Woman-centric Design.  See below:

   The National Association of Realtor published its updated sales numbers last week and the results were great.  There was 4.3% increase in sales last month, and inventory is down to 2005 levels. With a 6 month backlog of inventory, the housing market seems well on its way to recovery.  The only bad news was that the large volume of foreclosures would still hold prices down.  Of course that is bad news for sellers, but still great news for buyers.   Locally we have seen activity pick up substantially over the last few months, with more and more requests to renovate or remodel newly-purchased homes.

Click here to read the whole article from the Chicago Southtown Star: Housing Market Looking Up

     Remodeling has been in high demand this spring!! Many people are choosing to make smart investments in their existing homes with either a kitchen addition, master suite upgrade or new spaces over their existing garages or basements. It is good to see the market picking up, and we are happy to see the positive impact on the jobs market.  See this article from Businessweek for more information

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-23/construction-jobs-rebound-amid-pick-up-in-u-s-home-remodeling.html

      Having a home office is a great idea, especially with the flexibility offered by remote access to office computers, and other mobile devices. Many of the new homes and renovation projects we do, have  room set aside for just this purpose.  Built-in cabinetry can be tailored to meet almost any need for your home office, and along with some structured wiring, and a few furnishings, almost any room can serve as the home workspace.   Here is a photo gallery from This Old House with some ideas.

This Old House- Home Office Ideas

If you are thinking about creating your own home office space, please click below for a free consultation.

       People often ask us what a renovation of a home might look like.  We found this article in Southern Living with a gallery of a recently renovated cape-style home.  There are some great design ideas in this article, and even though the home is located in the Atlanta area. You can really see their New England and Cape Cod styles shine through in their final results.

Cape Cod Renovation-Decorating Ideas

   The mild winter has really been great this year on Cape Cod, and everyone has spring fever! Not bad for mid February.  Generally in our area we wait until at least late March to start landscaping, but this year might buck that trend. We have looked around for some new and exciting landscape features to work into our new home and renovation projects, and found some from Better Homes and Gardens.   They have put together a slideshow of the top landscape trends for 2012 and some of them are really great.... take a look!

Landscape trends for 2012

If you have questions about your next new home, remodeling or renovation project, click below to ask one of our experts!

The latest foreclosure statistics came out yesterday and there was a significant jump from December, nationwide.  Massachusetts saw a 57% increase.  This might be a perfect opportunity to purchase that Cape Cod Home at a substantial discount, and still leave money available to renovate or remodel so you can have the house of your dreams. Foreclosures may also be great candidates for a tear down and rebuild project, as the cost basis and location may merit a substantial investment. 

Here is the complete article from Builderonline.com: Foreclosures Up In January

If you are thinking of purchasing a foreclosure on Cape Cod, and you would like a free assessment of the remodeling or renovation potential of the property, click below to schedule a free consultation.

   Here is a good slideshow and article from Builder magazine about new product that provide a lot of style, without a lot of cost.  Think about using some of these on your next remodeling, renovation, or new home project. Enjoy!

High Style at Low Cost