REEF Custom Builders has been awarded Best of Houzz for exceptional customer service for the 4th year in a row!

Over 40 Million Monthly Unique Users Nominated Best Home Building, Remodeling and Design Professionals in North America and Around the World

On January 13, 2017 – REEF Builders of West Dennis, MA  was awarded  “Best Of Customer Service” on Houzz®, the leading platform for home remodeling and design. REEF's custom home, design- build team was chosen by the more than 40 million monthly unique users that comprise the Houzz community from among more than one million active home building, remodeling and design industry professionals.

"We could not have won this award without the exceptional, talented and versatile team here at REEF who work every day to take our customer's vision for their Cape Cod Home, and make it a reality.  We would also like to thank our customers for working with the REEF team , and their confidence in our capabilities,  and creativity" said Matt Teague and Jim Hagerty, principals at REEF.

The Best Of Houzz is awarded annually in three categories: Design, Customer Service and Photography.  Customer Service honors are based on several factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2016.  A “Best Of Houzz 2017” badge will appear on winners’ profiles, as a sign of  their commitment to excellence. These badges help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals in every metro area on Houzz.

REEF has been in business now for over 30 years and has completed over 1500 new home and renovation projects here on Cape Cod.  So why do people choose REEF to design and build their new Custom Home?  We here at REEF could give you several reasons, but sometimes it's best to hear what our customers have to say. 

Click Here to to read some recent reviews of our work!

Fall 2016 has been a very busy time for the design and construction teams here at REEF! This is tradionally our busiest time of year for the construction team as many of our custom home projects begin after Labor Day.  Our design team has also been busy, working on several new projects from Bourne to Truro.  Currently, we're seeing strong demand for not only traditional cape-style homes, but contemporary home designs as well. Contemporary design styling affords a lot of flexibility and versatility for a custom home plan.   If you want to see what we're working on - follow us on Instagram - click here to see our latest work

We are also starting a few exciting custom home projects in select waterfront locations.  After several monts of design and regulatory review, we're excited to begin these new homes!

If you are considering designing, building, or renovating your Cape Cod home and want a custom design and building team, please consider the team at REEF!

"You've been coming to the Cape your whole life, isn't it time you stayed?"

     The State of Massachusetts is going to adopt a new building code starting in January 2017.  Since 2010, the building code has changed several times and many of those changes were dramatic and have resulted in significant increases in the cost of new homes, remodeling and additions throughout the state.  Designing and building on Cape Cod was further impacted by the adoption of the "Windborne Debris Zone" which required the use of impact resistant windows  and doors or storm shutters for all homes within 1 mile of the shore.

   The changes that are forthcoming with the 9th Edition of the Massachusetts Building Code (780 CMR) in 2017 are not quite as dramatic for new custom homes, and some of the changes serve to reduce the cost of design and construction. For instance, the "Windborne Debris Zone" will now be eliminated, and the geographical areas requiring impact resistant windows and doors will be substantially reduced.

There are some things that will add costs.  The 9th Edition will require more stringent design and construction methods for homes located in flood zones.  The new mapping available, allows officials to clearly determine a "Coastal A" flood zone, which is subject to wave action of 1.5-3'.  The code will now require design and construction of homes resistant to wave action in this zone, which can dramatically increase engineering and construction costs.   The State is also slated to adopt the "Existing Building Code" which will have substantial impacts on the design and costs associated with renovation and remodeling projects, as it provides different thresholds which can trigger other improvements not required in the past, such as insulation, mechanical systems, or structural systems, which were previously considered "grandfathered" or "non-conforming conditions.  2017 is the first year this Existing Buildng Code will come into play and we will wait and see where the true impacts are of these new regulations.

If you are considering designing or building a custom home on Cape Cod, this code change is something you will want to pay attention to these code changes as they will definitely impact the final cost and design of your new Cape Cod Home!

Here's a good summary of the pending code changes from the Board of Building Regulations and Standards: Summary of 9th Edition Building Code

Interior trends are changing quickly, and we are fortunate, as a designer and builder of custom homes, that we get to see broad spectrum of styles and selections in the new homes we build.  There are some exciting trends in color, materials and style this year and we came across this blog as we were doing our research. Natural fabrics, neutral colors, and simple style are the consistent themes this year.   Click Here  to Check out the latest for Fall 2016 Interiors 

When designing and building your Cape Cod Home, the interior selections are one of the major items that should be considered early on in the process.  A coordinated plan, with tasteful selections, furnishings, and paint colors can create that timeless style that is quintessential Cape Cod!

As you might know, much of Cape Cod has been under a moratorium for new gas services for the last year or two.  This week, National Grid provided an update on their construction plans!  National Grid will begin construction on new pipelines in 5 towns as early as November 2016, and are looking at a completion date of early 2019.  

Currently, if you live in Dennis, Chatham, Brewster, Orleans, Easthan and Harwich, you are unable to connect to existing gas mains for new homes or additions, with the exception of new connections for outdoor grills or emergency generators.  This has been difficult for builders, and homeowners alike, as many people have had to install large above ground or underground propane tanks on their property.  

Bottom line - it looks like things are underway and the end is in sight!  

We're gearing up fpr another busy year here at REEF, and we wanted to show you some of the projects we are working on! We have a few waterfront homes in the design stages right now and it looks like our design team is having some creative fun with these new home designs! Let us know what you think!

 

Can't wait to see this custom design built in Chatham this fall #designbuild #capecodbuilder #chatham

A photo posted by REEF Custom Builders (@thecapecodbuilder) on Jul 28, 2016 at 2:39pm PDT

 

Our next cape cod beach house in the planning stages #capecodbuilder #beachouse

A photo posted by REEF Custom Builders (@thecapecodbuilder) on Jul 28, 2016 at 2:19pm PDT

It is great when a plan comes together! This time of year is very exciting for our team here at REEF.  We get to see all of our hard work and effort come together in the beautiful homes that we get the privilege of building here on Cape Cod!  Here are some pictures of a new custom home we are finishing up in Chatham. This is a waterfront home, with very tight restrictions due to our proximity to the water.  Our team of designers, engineers, and contractors really came together to produce fun, open, and tastefully designed  home that meets the owner's spacial needs while still taking advantage of the sweeping views.  Enjoy!

  Investing in the stock market can be risky!  Especially when you consider what is going on globally. If you are waking up today and seeing the impacts of the Brexit vote on your stock portfolio, you might want to find another way to diversify your portfolio. A great investment to consider is Real Estate, especially on Cape Cod.  Market demand is high, for both existing homes and new construction, and with the Baby Boomers swiftly moving into retirement, we are seeing a steady stream of home buyers in the Cape Cod area.  We have also seen high demand for waterfront and waterview custom homes in almost every town on Cape Cod.

When compared to the stock market, Real Estate provides a much more consistent and predictable return on investment.  If you are considering investing in Real Estate, or Building, Renovating, or Buying a home on Cape Cod, give us a call to find out how REEF can help!

Early summer is our busiest time of year!  As you might imagine, many of our proejcts are finishing up now so our customers can enjoy the summer in their new custom home!  Given how busy we are, it is important to take the time to stop and enjoy the craftsmanship that shines through in our homes.  Right now, simple finishes are in demand, especially with waterfront custom homes, where our design team is trying to focus on letting the natural view serve as the focal point, not the finishes.   Here are some pictures of custom homes that we are completing now... Hat's off to our hard working team of builders and craftsmen and women who make this all happen!