Tickscaping: creating a landscape that is a tick-free zone. With the release of a new report documenting that thousands of folks have undiagnosed Lyme Disease, preventing this tick-borne illness is getting lots of attention.  Lyme disease can invade and damage multiple organ-systems, the nervous system prominent among them. And summer fun means lots of outside time, with increased exposure to ticks. Prevention is the key.

Ticks love tall grass and dense vegetation. With a little effort, a tick-free landscape can be created and maintained. Cape Cod is too beautiful to let a few ticks spoil your fun!  Here are some tips from a couple experts on creating a tick-free zone.

Landscaping Tips for a Tick-Free Yard on Cape Cod

Center for Disease Control - preventing ticks

Landscaping Tips for a Tick-Free Yard on Cape Cod

Center for Disease Control - preventing ticks

Cape Cod has some fabulous neighborhoods steps away from the beach. Usually these area were cottage colonies many years ago, with tiny homes, and sometimes even tents. Now many of the homes are comfortable, year-around beach get-a-ways. But the lots of land are still very small.

REEF is proud of its work helping home owners replace worn out cottages with attractive homes. Because space is often at a premium, the outdoor living space is frequently squeezed into a corner or side of the property.

Fear not! Even the smallest space can be a sanctuary. Here are some great design ideas to help create a relaxing, pleasant space in the tiniest circumstances.

Small Cape Cod Deck Design Ideas

Small Cape Cod Deck Design Ideas

Have you ever wanted to walk out the door to the beach? Arrive at your home, and take off your shoes for a week? Step off your front porch and stroll down the lane to a beach on Cape Cod Bay? REEF can help make that happen.

Here’s a brief video illustrating the proximity to the beach of one of our current projects. Many existing beach homes are out dated, with small rooms, and systems that have reached the end of their useful life. REEF is expert at designing, permitting, and building homes to fit on beachside lots, offering all the modern comforts and amenities.

Call us anytime when you’re ready to make your piece of Cape Cod the retreat you’ve always wanted.

Brief video of REEF home steps from Cape Cod Bay

Brief video of REEF home steps from Cape Cod Bay

It is absolutely beautiful here on Cape Cod. This is the weather around which Cape Cod memories are made. Before the warm weather slips away, get your friends together for a casual porch party. Here are some great tips on how to keep your porch party fun with food place cards, cocktail ideas, and menu ideas like coconut shrimp and guacamole.

Just find a comfortable spot, add some friends, and make some Cape Cod memories!

Cape Cod Porch Party Tips & Ideas

Cape Cod Porch Party Tips & Ideas

It’s August…and time for the BEACH! It’s absolute sterling beach weather here on sunny Cape Cod. After spending some simply glorious hours on the beach this weekend, I want to make sure everybody who’s interested knows how to find the best beaches.

Many of our Customers are drawn back to the Cape after having enjoyed some part of their youth here. Always that has included happy memories of endless hours on the beach. And we are forever designing homes with provisions for those returning from the beach: easy access to outdoor shower, 1st floor laundry, etc.

So if you’re wondering where your next Cape Cod adventure will take you, check out these links.

And if you want to know about our secret beach hideaways…call any time: 508-394-3090.

Top 10 Cape Cod Beaches

Cape Cod Chamber list of Beaches

How will the new FEMA Flood Zone maps affect your Cape Cod home?

What types of renovation can I do without having to upgrade my home to current building codes?

How can I make my new home flood proof?

What is the Wind Borne Debris Zone? Does it affect my Cape Cod Home?

What types of measures, techniques and materials are used to ensure my new home is safe from flood and hurricane damage?

Answers to these and other questions will be shared tomorrow, Saturday, on the radio:

Saturday, 10AM on WXTK, 95.1 FM.

Matt Teague and Jim Hagerty of REEF Cape Cod’s Home Builder will share all kinds of great information on the Cape Cod Real Estate Show tomorrow, Saturday. Tune in, call in, and get your questions answered!

REEF on the radio Saturday 10-11AM

http://www.95wxtk.com/

We build dream houses every day. A huge part of our responsibility is designing the floor plan, interior spaces, and exterior elevations of the house around the lifestyle of the Customer. Here on Cape Cod,  the house design can be significantly limited by the building lot. There are myriad variables which may not impact houses in other areas, such as wind borne debris zones, flood plains, etc.

Many times we ask Customers to create “must have” and “would really like to have” lists for the amenities they desire in their new home. Our architectural design team is very skilled at including Customer requirements, while accommodating the regulatory, zoning, and building code limitations. Here is a great list of pitfalls often encountered by people who design their own home. It’s good information, even if you’re working with experts, like REEF.

Mistakes to avoid when building your Cape Cod home

Mistakes to avoid when building your Cape Cod home

Brewster on Cape Cod is a magical place. Here’s a short video of building progress on a beautiful Cape Cod style home. Jim Hagerty, REEF’s lead designer, created a wonderfully open floor plan and great curb appeal in a home that fits beautifully into the landscape and neighborhood. Wes Price, REEF’s field supervisor, is on-site ensuring that quality is in every aspect of the construction.

This beautiful home replaced a dilapidated old cottage. The site itself was challenging, but nothing that the REEF team hasn’t seen before. They are experts at working with challenging situations and exceeding expectations. 

REEF home being built in Brewster on Cape Cod

REEF home being built in Brewster on Cape Cod

Lumber! Not on the tip of everyone’s tongue, but it’s something that is vital to REEF homes. We’re constantly refining and upgrading our materials and techniques. Many modern products allow us to build a better, stronger house at the same cost, and sometimes deliver a savings. This a great example: presently REEF is building a home using a new Georgia Pacific (GP) lumber product.

GP’s new engineered lumber is more resistant to flaws like warping and absorption. It also allows more flexibility in the design, letting homeowners build bigger rooms with more intricate finishing, leaving a professional look, while reducing the number of beams required.

Here’s a short article from GP outlining the benefits of their new engineered lumber, and describing REEF’s involvement:

REEF uses new Engineered Lumber

REEF uses new Engineered Lumber

Super-storm Sandy and other recent water-based natural disasters have catalyzed action by the Fed’s. Last month the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released new maps of flood zones in the USA.  The new maps reflect better data about the effects of waves, tidal surges, storms, and other flooding events. Many homes close to coastal areas and rivers were affected: their projected risk to flooding was increased.

Here is our new report of concerning the new Flood Zone maps:

-New FEMA Flood Zones affect Cape Cod properties

The new flood zone maps will require many homes to secure flood insurance, and those homes moved to more severe flood zone demarcations will experience insurance cost increases.

• Will your property be affected?
• What relief, if any, will property-owners have if they are re-mapped up into a higher risk zone than they were in before?
• For properties that are re-mapped up, will there be major consequences?
• What if my structure is re-mapped up and I do nothing?
• How can I know for certain that I will be grandfathered?
• Does grandfathering end when I sell or convey my property?
• Is my grandfathered lower risk rate jeopardized if I change insurance carriers?
• My insurance agent has never heard of grandfathering of flood insurance risk rates. What should I do?

-New FEMA Flood Zones affect Cape Cod properties

Get answers to these and other questions with our report on the effects of the new FEMA Flood Zone Maps. If you have questions which the report doesn’t address, please don’t hesitate to call us any time: 508-394-3090.