It's that time of year! School is out, and summer is coming and it is time to get your Cape Cod Summer rental ready for your guests. Here are some tips for preparing your rental home this year that might make your life a little easier!

1) Keys / Access Control - Keys can be a problem for a summer rental owner, especially if your tenants lose them while spending a day on the beach our out fishing. Consider using wi-fi controlled automated door locks which can be managed through an app, and new codes can be assigned to each new tenant. These locks will pay for themselves quickly and guarantee a good experience for your renters.

2) Entertainment - Make sure to provide things to do on a rainy day, especially for guests with children. Consider having books available for both children and adults, along with some board games or playing cards. Your guests will appreciate the thought and the fun family time spent playing together!

3) Internet / TV - Clearly post wi-fi passwords for your guest to access the internet and use a wi-fi router with remote monitoring so you as the owner can confirm the internet service is working without having to be at the property. TV's should be simple to operate and should offer options for both live TV and streaming services for guests of all ages.

4) Safety - No one wants to let a safety issue ruin a great summer vacation here on Cape Cod. Owners should provide a complete first aid kit in each home and should clearly mark the location for guests. Bumps, scrapes and bruises happen, and a good first aid kit can allow quests to address these minor issues without having to leave the home. Owners should also provide and clearly mark the location of fire extinguishers, for inside the house and outside as well. If the property has gas grill, or fire pit, a fire extinguisher is a must and should be mounted outdoors in a visible location.

If you are looking for your Cape Cod Summer Rental - look no further! You can spend your vacation in a brand new REEF home, overlooking Barnstable Harbor! Click here to find out more! : REEF Summer Rental on Barnstable Harbor

May 22nd Update:   Add Dennis to the list of towns who have now adopted the Stretch Energy Code.  The town of Dennis voted to adopt the Stretch Code at the town meeting on May 7th, 2019.  The new provisions of the Stretch Code will be enforced for all new construction permits issued July 1st 2019 or after.

May 9th update! Add the town of Brewster to the list of Stretch Energy Code Towns!  The town of Brewster voted to adopt the Stretch Energy Code at town meeting on May 6th, 2019, and the new energy code will be enforced starting July 1, 2019 for all new construction projects! 

More towns on Cape Cod voted to become Green Communities in 2018, which means they have also approved adoption of the enhanced energy code know as the Stretch Energy Code. As of January 1, 2019, Yarmouth, Harwich, and Orleans will now be enforcing the Stretch Energy Code, which applies primarily to new residential construction in those towns.

what is the Stretch Energy Code? Basically it is an enhanced energy code that requires the highest level of energy code compliance for new residential construction and some major renovations. You can find more information here: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/building-energy-codes

Which towns have elected to participate in the Stretch Code Program?

On Cape Cod:  Wellfleet, Truro, Mashpee, Provincetown, Orleans, and Harwich, Yarmouth

How does it impact your project? That's easy, this program means that building a new home or undergoing a major renovation in these towns will cost you more money. Extensive building monitoring and testing is required, advanced insulation techniques must be used, and the total energy consumption of the home must be approved prior to issuing the building permit. This program also generally requires the highest efficiency heating and cooling equipment, can often limit the size and type of appliances to be used, and it may require green energy production such as solar or wind energy to offset the energy consumption in the home.

If you are considering building your new home on Cape Cod, please Contact Us today to see how we can help!

We are thrilled to be able to share these pictures of the beautiful custom home, designed and built by REEF Builders overlooking Barnstable Harbor. This custom home features 2200sf, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths with a large screend porch, and custom fire pit which is the perfect spot to spend a week with your family and friends. Bring your boat too! this house has great views of the inner harbor, and is right across the street from the free town boat ramp. Spend the day at Millway beach, or get a boat ride out to Sandy Neck.  The Hyannis Whale Watch boat is also docked across the street, a great afternoon trip for the kids!  Barnstable Harbor also has several charter fishing boats available, and you can cook your catch on the outdoor grill! Several restaurants and shops are  also within walking distance to this home and you could spend your Cape Cod vacation here and never have to get in your car!

If you are thinking of designing and building a custom home with REEF Builders, this is a great opportunity to live in one of our homes!

Here's a link to the summer rental listing! Summer Rental - The Cape House at Barnstable Harbor

May 9th update! Add the town of Brewster to the list of Stretch Energy Code Towns!  The town of Brewster voted to adopt the Stretch Energy Code at town meeting on May 6th, 2019, and the new energy code will be enforced starting July 1, 2019 for all new construction projects! 

More towns on Cape Cod voted to become Green Communities in 2018, which means they have also approved adoption of the enhanced energy code know as the Stretch Energy Code. As of January 1, 2019, Yarmouth, Harwich, and Orleans will now be enforcing the Stretch Energy Code, which applies primarily to new residential construction in those towns.

what is the Stretch Energy Code? Basically it is an enhanced energy code that requires the highest level of energy code compliance for new residential construction and some major renovations. You can find more information here: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/building-energy-codes

Which towns have elected to participate in the Stretch Code Program?

On Cape Cod:  Wellfleet, Truro, Mashpee, Provincetown, Orleans, and Harwich, Yarmouth

How does it impact your project? That's easy, this program means that building a new home or undergoing a major renovation in these towns will cost you more money. Extensive building monitoring and testing is required, advanced insulation techniques must be used, and the total energy consumption of the home must be approved prior to issuing the building permit. This program also generally requires the highest efficiency heating and cooling equipment, can often limit the size and type of appliances to be used, and it may require green energy production such as solar or wind energy to offset the energy consumption in the home.

If you are considering building your new home on Cape Cod, please Contact Us today to see how we can help!

Here's a groundbreaking opportunity to own a luxury Chatham vacation home a at a fraction of the total cost! REEF is proud to share this opportunity for the first time on Cape Cod. This stunning new home is being offered through collective asset ownership with the Lifestyle Asset Group. What does this mean?

With the collective asset ownership model, you could enjoy full use of this property for 3-4 weeks a year for as little as $253,750, plus taxes and fees. This would allow enjoyment of a property valued at $2.7M without the full burden of the maintenance and operation of a home that would otherwise be empty for several months of the year. The property is owned through an LLC and the asset is held for 8 years. At the end of the ownership period, the property is offered for sale, often times with significant appreciation on value. These collective asset opportunities are only offered in select vacation areas throughout the world such as Hawaii, Florida, California and the Caribbean Islands.

To find out more, here's a link to the offering with detailed information on the investment, pricing and frequently asked questions about collective asset ownership:

73 Rowland Dr. Chatham - Collective Asset Ownership Opportunity

Collective Asset Ownership - How Does it Work?

For More information about this property please email us at info@capecodbuilder.com

REEF Builders offers complete design build services, along with exclusive real estate services for customers seeking exclusive waterfront properties on Cape Cod. We specialize in design, permitting and construction of projects in complex environments and other environmentally sensitive areas. If you are looking for other real estate opportunities for your Cape Cod vacation home, please visit our Real Estate Services page.

Thinking of building on Cape Cod? you might want to download our Construction Cost Guide or our Waterfront Property Guide which are great planning tools if you are interested in building or renovating on Cape Cod.

Looking for a summer rental? Check out or latest summer rental offering overlooking Barnstable Harbor - The Cape House at Barnstable Harbor

Here is some recent video of one of our custom waterfront home projects in Chatham. This home features 3600sf of living area with 4 bedrooms and finished basement, along with a highly detailed shingle style gambrel exterior. This project is a good example of what we do here at REEF, as we specialize in design, permitting, and construction of projects with complicated and environmentally sensitive locations like this one.

If you are considering and investment in your Cape Cod home, or if you are looking for property to build your dream vacation home, the team at REEF is here to help.

If you are would like to know what your project might cost, you can download our 2019 construction cost guide here: Cape Cod Construction Cost Guide

If you are looking for waterfront property on Cape Cod or if you are considering a renovation project, or tear down and re-build if your existing waterfront home, click here to download our waterfront property guide: Cape Cod Waterfront Property Guide

Do you want to know what it is like to live in one of REEF's expertly built new homes?  Starting in Spring 2019 you could spend a week in one of our newest waterfront custom homes at Barnstable Harbor : REEF Summer Rental Home

It's been a year since our last construction cost guide was published, so we figured it was the the right time to provide our 2019 update. This guide provides realistic cost per square foot numbers that can be very helpful if you are planning on building your new custom home on Cape Cod. One important note: REEF Builders is a design / build company, and has been for over 30 years. So when we talk about construction costs, we are including all the important and necessary factors for an overall project. The REEF team will handle all site and architectural design services, engineering and survey, and complete construction services through landscaping and beyond if needed. We specialize in challenging sites, especially those involving wetlands, flood zones, or waterfront conditions that can initially appear to be a difficult barrier to building. REEF can help make the entire building process predictable, so you can make informed decisions about your new Cape Cod Home!

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

Here's our 2019 Construction Cost Guide!

If you are thinking of building or renovating your home on Cape Cod with the REEF team, you can stay in one of our new homes, now available for weekly rentals!

Cape Cod Summer Rental by REEF

Last year, Massachusetts adopted a new Short Term Rental tax, which will impact hundreds if not thousands of homeowners here on Cape Cod. Beginning on July 1, 2019, all short term rentals are subject to this new tax which varies by town and can exceed 14% of the total rental costs of a home. As of 2017, nearly 37% of the homes on Cape Cod are seasonal, and many of those are rented during the peak summer months.

Here's a good summary of the new law and what will be required of homeowners from the Cape and Islands Association of Realtors: https://www.cciaor.com/shorttermrentals/

 If you are considering building a new custom home or remodeling your existing Cape Cod property, download our construction cost guide for current per square foot costs to build on Cape Cod:  2018 Construction Cost Guide

2019 will be an exciting year for building here at REEF, with several custom home projects underway across Cape Cod. There are hundreds of design and decor decisions to make when designing and building a custom home and we have found that picking the right paint color to complement the decor can be a tough decision.

This year, it looks like color trends are coming from the subtle cues provided by nature, with light tones such as muted grays, blues, and greens often seen along the beautiful shorelines of Cape Cod.

We are also seeing some bold contrast colors being used to define certain features of the home, such as darker blues, and black which can highlight features like kitchen islands and built-in cabinetry.

If you are looking for inspiration for your custom home project, renovation or addition, you can find out more about the 2019 color trends here: 2019 Color Forecast

Thinking of building your custom home on Cape Cod? Click here to download our Construction Cost Guide