Welcome to our monthly installment in our series on Locally Owned Businesses.

This month we are featuring West Bend Music, located at 314 Main Street in West Dennis, about 100 yards from our office at REEF.

"West Bend Music prides itself in its diversity in teaching students of all ages."  The talented and personable instructors/owners (from left to right below) Monica Rizzio, Demetrius Becrelis, Clayton March and Alex Becrelis offer private lessons in over 15 different instruments, including piano, violin, clarinet, banjo, ukulele, saxophone and mandolin. The instructors at West Bend also offer lessons in Music Theory, song-writng and voice.

West Bend Music is also home to Cape Cod's first and only Ukelele Shop. Seen in the picture below is a group of Uke students at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod.

You can visit their website at www.westbendmusic.org or call them at 508 394 8600

They can be reached via email at info@westbendmusic.org and are open Monday-Thursday from 2:00pm - 8:00pm

Enjoy the Music!

We recently completed a garage/breezeway addition on RT 134 in Dennis. The new garage was

designed and built with the intent to match the existing house.  This project took just under eight

 weeks to complete.

BEFORE

AFTER

Welcome to the first monthly installment in our series on Locally Owned Businesses.   

This month we are featuring clients Joe and Theresa Trombetta of Trombetta's Window Boxes. Etc.

   As owners and operators of

Trombetta's Flower Shop and

Greenhouses in Northborough,

Ma., Joe grew a large variety

of cut flowers and potted

plants. Theresa ran the full

service, for all occasions

flower shop, servicing

Northborough and surrounding

towns.

 After over 40 years in

business, Joe & Theresa semi

retired to Cape Cod where they resumed their talents with Trombetta's Windowboxes, Etc. 

Their offerings include plantings and containers for all seasons, and custom orders for both

residential and commercial customers.  Happy Spring

Joseph and Theresa Trombetta

Trombetta's Window Boxes, Etc.

East Dennis, MA

(508) 385-9367

Finishing your Cape Cod basement is one of those easy to justify home decisions that will offer years of use and enjoyment.  Here are our top eight reasons for opting to finish your basement.

8. COMFORT - A well insulated basement is usually the coolest place in your home during the summer months and the warmest in the winter months and can help reduce heating and cooling costs throughout the rest of the house.

7. ENTERTAINMENT - From simple TV rooms to more luxurious rooms, a finished basement is a place where many people will congregrate.  Pool tables, game rooms and lots of space help make a finished basement perfect for entertaining.

6 .INCOME - Finished basement space may be able to be used to produce rental income thereby helping to offset the the cost associated with construction

5.FAMILY - Whether accomodating them for a meal or a month, many people need more space to house extended family.  They can also make great playrooms for the kids and grandkids.

4.SPACE - Large, spacious rooms and ample lighting can make basements very beautiful and inviting.

3. RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT: According to Remodeling Magazine’s annual Cost vs Value Report, your basement project typically returns about 70 percent of the original cost. In terms of space and quality of living, you also get a huge return on your investment: If you own a 2000 square foot home and finish your basement, you may get 1000 square feet of extra space. That’s a 50 percent increase in space.  As a result, that extra space increases the market value of your home substantially and makes your home more attractive to potential buyers. A finished basement can improve the marketability of your home.

2.FLEXIBILITY - Unlike your main level, where often you only have a limited floor plan to choose from, the design of your basement allows a greater degree of design autonomy

1. VALUE - A finished basement offers the best value, per square foot of any other remodeling project

adapted from an article by http://www.upscaledownstairs.com

adapted from an article by http://www.integrityhomecontractors.com

If you are interested in finishing your basement, please contact our small project division by clicking below!

From fall whale watches with the family - to quiet, lazy summer days;

From an afternoon on one of the Cape's more than forty golf courses - to an early morning sunrise near one of the Cape's twenty or so Lighthouses;

From a day of deep sea fishing - to a few hours at one our amazing herring runs;

From dining on some of the best seafood in the world, at some of the best restaurants in the world - to enjoying a BBQ with friends in the comfort of your own backyard;

From dunes to dunebirds; From beaches to summer baseball;

Whatever your reasons for loving life here on Cape Cod, however far away you might be,

We look forward to helping you design and build your home, be it for vacation or year round enjoyment.-Request Info

Top Five Cape Cod Kitchen Renovation Must-Haves

If you have a kitchen remodeling project in your future and are looking to get the most out of your new space..., we have five features you won’t want to exclude from your home renovation. Compiled by a team of expert home remodeling contractors in Raleigh, NC, our Top Five list is sure to send chefs of all abilities into a joyous tizzy thinking about these sizzling kitchen remodeling must-haves.

Must-Have #5 – Undercounter Sink

A kitchen remodeling upgrade that has come to be expected with most home remodeling projects these days.  Undercounter sinks come standard with most natrual stone (granite) and engineered stome (quartz)countertops.  Though integrated sinks in solid surface products like Corian and cultured marble are used often, they don't hold quite the same interest with buyers when it comes to a remodeling upgrade.

Kitchen Remodeling Must-Have #4 – French Door Refrigerator

Appliances always compete with upgraded countertops, as the most appealing part of a kitchen remodeling project, and of course, the refrigerator is the King Pin. As the appliance that will be used the most frequently and by the most people, the refrigerator must be functional and flawless to win your renovation a home remodeling award. A fridge can easily lure or deter potential buyers, and something about seeing those shiny side-by-side handles covering an expansive and easy-to-access chiller seems to call for extra dollars from buyers. A home improvement upgrade that doesn’t even need a kitchen renovation project to be implemented, French Door refrigerators are an easy and must-have upgrade that simply cannot be excluded if you are undertaking a kitchen remodel.

Kitchen Remodeling Must-Have #3 – Custom Tile Backsplash
Whether it’s natural stone, colorful or decorative patterns, your kitchen backsplash is a blank canvas that offers an opportunity for you to flex your artistic muscles and bring color, life and remodeling design to your space. Don’t let the opportunity to introduce interest to your kitchen remodeling project pass you by by overlooking your backsplash; instead, get creative and bring life to the most functional space in the house! Showing attention to this artful area will grab buyers’ interest and is sure to wow your guests…and you won’t get the most out of your kitchen remodeling project from buyers if you exclude an upgraded tile backsplash from your list.
 

 Kitchen Remodeling Must-Have #2 – A Free-Standing Island

Adding a free-standing island not only brings functional work and eating space to your project; it also means you’ve got a roomy kitchen that can accommodate a large fixture, which is a second great reason for potential buyers to love your kitchen. If you’ve ever turned on HGTV and watched shows featuring the best of kitchen remodeling projects, you’re sure to notice the award-winning remodels all include free standing islands (complete with pendant lighting & often a built-in cooktop…see above and note how our list has come full circle). It will offer additional storage and workspace, give the kids a comfortable and casual spot to pull up and enjoy their snacks, and help define your kitchen area if you’re lucky enough to have an open floor plan.

Kitchen Remodeling  Must-Have #1 – Quartz Countertops
Natural Stone Countertops are a popular choice of material when remodeling. Now, the latest and definitely greatest product on the market is engineered Quartz, which incorporates natural material with manmade products and results in the strongest and most durable countertop material on the market. With more variation in a slab than Corian but less than most granite products, engineered Quartz is a clean, contemporary and easy-to-look-at product that is winning over kitchen remodelers across the country. It is far less fragile than granite and won’t chip or fleck, and won’t scratch, stain or scar the way Corian or other solid surface countertops will. It’s practically indestructible and, for hearty cooks  everywhere, is the remodeling material of choice.

--Engaging our Services

adapted from GreyHouse Inc.  http://www.greyhouseinc.com/news/1/24/

Perhaps no other system within your new or existing Cape Cod home will prove to be as important to your sense of health and well being, as your heating and cooling system.  A poorly designed system can create a myriad of indoor air quality hazards.  While a properly designed system can offer lasting health and home care benefits.

The following link, from the U.S. Department of Energy, offers a brief overview of what to look for when considering HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) upgrades or HVAC systems for your new home.

http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12340

We continue to take the time to calculate the proper sizing of all our HVAC installations. Consequently helping to ensure you, your families and your Cape Cod home, longevity and comfort.-Request Info