When people think about designing a new bathroom, or remodeling an existing one, the last thing they consider is how to bring technology into the space.  Well, today, high-tech is becoming a smart choice for bathroom fixtures an accessories, from LCD TV's in your bathroom mirror to showers that can be pre-set for temperature and flow for various individual users. There are even toilets available with automatic, pre-heated seats!

Here are just a few of the tech items available today for your bathroom, so if you are considering a New Home, Renovation or Remodeling Project, you might want to investigate some of these products: Bathroom Technology

   Looks like Eastham is on track for another strong year of Real Estate sales.  The 2nd quarter numbers are in, and they seem to be typical of recovering market after the slower summer season.  Certain indicators like a reduced inventory and steady sales above past years are all good signs.  Did you know, for instance, that there are still 23 residential lots available for sale in Eastham, starting as low as $125,000? If you are thinking of Building, Renovation or Remodeling in Eastham, now is a great time to take advantage of low prices, and great interest rates. 

Here is Bob Sheldon's Eastham Real Estate Update: Eastham Real Estate

   Well, you can't talk about Custom Homes, Renovation, or Remodeling every day.  So we thought an appropriate topic for today might be Pumpkins and the creative ways you can carve or decorate them for Halloween!  Now, we would recommend NOT showing some of  these to the children in your lives, unless you have vast experience in carving, several hours of free time, and an unlimited supply of pumpkins to practice with! These ideas are really great and some of them are extremely creative!  They would look great on the front doorstep of your Cape Cod Home!

Here is the link: 100 Pumpkin Carving Ideas

   The Commerce Department released it's September statistics for new home starts and building permit activities.  New Home construction was up 15% from August, and building permits are rising at the same level.  The level of activity in September signifies an 82.5% increase from all time lows seen in 2009! So what does this mean for your New Home, Renovation, or Remodeling project on Cape Cod? Well it means demand for qualified and experienced contracting services is on the rise, and that material prices will be on the move as well.  Since last year at this time, REEF has witnessed an 8% increase in construction materials prices for the average home.  So if you have been thinking of Building, Remodeling or Renovating on Cape Cod, now is a great time to start and take advantage of still low costs and low interest rates! Here is the full article from Yahoo Finance: Construction Starts Up

If you are thinking of starting your project click here to see how we can help:

   Today, when people think of countertops for their New Kitchen or Bathroom project, they think of Granite, Corian, or other solid surfaces.  Formica and other laminates are really a thing of the past, and the variety of styles, colors, and options available with solid surfaces provide unlimited potential.  So what are the next trends in countertops? How about things like recycled glass, reclaimed wood, stainless steel or even pewter.  Freshome.com has put together a top 10 list of the latest and greatest countertop materials that you might want to consider for your New Home, Renovation, or Remodeling project.  Click Here:  10 Hottest Countertop Trends

   Glass has served it's traditional role in homes for hundreds of years.  Whether as a window or door, Glass has proven itself as an effective weather barrier and inexpensive way to let natural light into a space.  Over the last 20 years, advanced glass materials have been used as cook tops and even counter tops, but this is not the end of the line for this material.  Corning is working on new advanced types of glass that will provide unimaginable options for your new home in the future.  In the very near future, you will see things light light-sensitive glass that can shade a room on a sunny day, or even glass countertops that can serve as a display for your computer or smart phone.  Here is a video we found from Corning that gives you a peek at what is next for Glass...It is not just for windows anymore, and if you are thinking of building a Custom Home on Cape Cod, you should take a look!

   Fall is a great time to take care of those necessary, but not so fun home maintenance tasks to get your home ready for winter. Here are a few things you should be thinking about:

1. Check smoke detectors and replace batteries
2. Have your chimney cleaned
3. Have your heating system and hot water heater serviced
4. Change HVAC filters
5. Repair or replace damaged screens and windows
6. Clear leaves around your foundation and flower beds.

MSN Real Astate has a thorough checklist for each season, and you can click here to see what they recommend for October: October Home Checklist

If you have things that you need done around your home, and need some help, REEF has created a small projects division that can handle these repairs for you! Click below to see how we can help you:

   When building a New Home, or Remodeling your existing home, a big part of the design process should focus on the heating and cooling systems.  New building and energy efficiency codes are requiring performance of both the mechanical systems and the building envelope that are far exceed anything seen in the past. The Department of Energy recently held the Building America Technical Update meeting in Denver and discussed current issues and future trends in building mechanical systems. It looks like there will be systems available in the future that could reduce overall heating and cooling energy requirements by as much as 90%. They also discussed innovative ideas like radiant floor cooling? Sounds interesting, and it is definitely something we here at REEF, Cape Cod's Home Builder will continue to investigate.

Here is the full article from builderonline.com: Energy Efficiency Update

Universal design is a popular concept in home planning.  It was known over the years as "aging in place" or "accessible" design.  The Universal Design program takes a more broad approach to dealing with issues associated with an aging population. Considerations range from hallway and door widths, to kitchen layouts and appliance selections. The bottom line is this: with some smart planning for your new home, or renovation project, you can have a space that will be liveable for every stage of your life.  Here is an article from housingzone.com that discusses the new trends and ideas in universal design: Universal Design

If you want to find out how Universal Design ideas might work in your new home contact us by clicking below:

Stainless Steel kitchen appliances have been a popular trend for at least 25 years.  Most of the kitchen projects we do here at REEF, Cape Cod's Home Builder have stainless appliances, but recently we have seen a move towards other colors. Black and white appliances are becoming popular again, and some manufacturers are even attempting finishes like aluminum, copper and oil rubbed bronze.  Here is an article from MSN Real Estate that discusses these new trends.  Some of these finishes might be a little wild for your taste, but the article does shed light on what the kitchens of the future will look like.

Here is the full article: Death of Stainless Appliances?