Many of the national security companies, and even Comcast have been advertising new capabilities for home security and home monitoring.  Some of these systems also integrate home controls such as lighting and HVAC.  One of their biggest features is home monitoring with video cameras.  These systems are relatively inexpensive, and in a new home or renovation project, they are very easy to install.  But who wants to look at a bunch of cameras hanging all over a house?  Well, we found some unique cameras that can be "hidden" inside or outside a house which are really cool!.  Here is the full article from Decoist.com: Hidden Cameras

     Last week we talked about the Death of Stainless Steel in your kitchen, and this week, I guess we can talk about another dying feature... the Dining Room.  Rarely over the last 10 years, in either Custom Homes, or Remodeling have we built or even designed a true formal dining room.  Maybe it is a trend towards more multi-function space, such as the typical large great room, eating area, kitchen area that you see in most modern homes.  Part of the reason that dining rooms have declined in popularity, is that they only serve one purpose, and after you put the dining room table in there, there is not much room left for anything else.  There are creative ways to design a formal dining space that still can serve many purposes, and doesn't waste space in the home.  If you are thinking about Building  a New Custom Home, or Renovating your existing Cape Cod home, contact us today to find out how we can help!

   In our years of experience, we have become all too familiar with the results of poor or improper home maintenance in the fall.  Whether you are in an existing home, New Home or have recently completed a Renovation or Addition, you should make sure you complete these tasks at a minimum to avoid problems during the winter and next spring:

1. Drain your outdoor shower - every year we get calls for damaged pipes, walls, carpets, and flooring resulting from a frozen shower valve outside. These repairs are expensive and time consuming.
2. Blowout / Drain Lawn Sprinklers - Have a professional drain and blow out your lawn sprinkler heads to avoid costly repairs and leaks from frozen heads and pipes
3. Remove & Store Screens - We always recommend removal and storage of window and porch screens for the winter. They collect ice and snow and can easily rip in high winds. Clean the screens as your remove them and store them in the basement and they will be ready to go for next year.
4. HVAC Service - Your HVAC system should be serviced at least annually to ensure effiency, safety and proper function.  And at a minimum filters should be changed monthly during the peak heating and cooling seasons
5. Clean Gutters / Drains - Leaf-clogged gutters are one of the major contrubutors to ice dams and water leaks in homes. The gutters need to be checked and cleaned regularly

These simple steps can really save you time and expense over the winter.  If you have questions or need help with these types of items, you should contact our Small Projects Division by clicking below:   

    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: