Energy efficiency is a component of every home we build. Some of our Customers are very interested in minimizing energy consumption. Frequently we incorporate a passive solar energy feature in the design. “Passive Houses” are gaining popularity: essentially buildings which use very little energy for heating and cooling, while providing a high level of comfort.

Europe is leading the charge in designing Passive Houses to harness natural energy for heating and cooling. The houses implement the latest in insulation technology, triple-glazed windows, balanced energy recovery ventilation and limiting thermal bridging. Here’s a concise and comprehensive introduction to incorporating passive energy efficiency into your next Cape Cod home.

Passive Energy Houses trending for future on Cape Cod

Passive Energy Houses trending for future on Cape Cod

Thanksgiving is a special time on Cape Cod. Walking on a secluded beach with the chill wind in your face, you can almost feel the challenges lived by the early settlers. There were hard, bitterly cold winters, lack of food and medicine. Very difficult times.

Now on Cape Cod, family celebrations abound. It’s a peaceful time, with much to appreciate. Much for which we are Thankful.

Here are some images from Cape Cod to help you celebrate this Thanksgiving.

Fun Facts about Cape Cod Thanksgiving

Winter is here! Right now it’s raining on sunny Cape Cod, but the freeze is coming.

Preventative maintenance is the key to keeping your Cape Cod home in tip top shape. Ben Franklin said “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” That certainly applies to preparing your home for the onslaught of winter.

Here’s a handy and comprehensive checklist for getting your home ready for winter:

Winterizing your Cape Cod Home

Winterizing your Cape Cod Home

Cape Cod is a pretty healthy place. But how do you ensure that your Cape Cod home is as pleasant and healthy as possible?

Feng shui is an ancient art and science developed over 3,000 years ago in China. It is a complex body of knowledge that reveals how to balance the energies of any given space to assure health and good fortune for people inhabiting it. 

Feng means wind and shui means water. In Chinese culture wind and water are associated with good health, thus good feng shui came to mean good fortune, while bad feng shui means bad luck, or misfortune. 

Here are some easy tips on how to make sure your home, or office, is full of good vibrations, good feng shui.

Feng shui in your Cape Cod Home can improve your heart & health

Feng shui color tips for your Cape Cod Home

Feng Shui Kitchen Tips for Cape Cod Homes

Do you have a story about building a home?

Have friends shared with you their nightmare of trying to get a house built on Cape Cod?

Are you considering renovating your home, or building a Cape Escape?

Hear the testimonial of Tino & Elaine Kamarck as they describe their experience. This short video lets you peek into the world of custom home building, walking distance to the beach on Cape Cod.

With renters booked for the whole summer, will the home be finished? Will the job cost run over the budget? Screaming matches with the builder? Stress everywhere? Watch the Kamarck's describe their experience...

Cape Cod Beach-Side Home Customer Testimonial

Cape Cod Beach-Side Home Customer Testimonial

The Best of 2013 is here!

Everything from the best food processor to new refrigerators that dispense sparkling water, advanced faucets, goof-proof grout, really quiet stove hood fans, speedy dishwashers, dual-flushing toilets, excellent toothbrushes, porcelain faux-wood planks, cool tools…you name it, the Best of 2013 is here!

This Old House does a great job with their annual round-up of great products that will enhance your house and life. They’ve done lots of testing, and some of their selections are sure to surprise you. There are some great gift ideas here too.

Whether  you’re building a new home on Cape Cod, planning a renovation project, or just want to know about the best new ideas, check out this link:

Best New Products for your Cape Cod Home

Best New Products for your Cape Cod Home

We’ve survived the Great Recession.

The market on Cape Cod and throughout the Northeast is coming back.

Desirable shore front areas have benefitted from strong demand, even multiple Offers on homes for sale. What does the market look like going forward? How are banks viewing this market? Can we expect lending to loosen up a little? And what about the outlook for retirees and second home buyers?

Here is some great insight from two bankers and a regional real estate company. It’s a quick read with some very good information:

Cape Cod 2013 Housing Market Discussion

Cape Cod 2013 Housing Market Discussion

Cape Cod Life and Cape Cod Home magazines are great vehicles to share REEF’s new projects, craftsmanship and even philosophy with the world. The homes that are featured in Cape Cod Life and Cape Cod Home are fine examples of the Cape Cod lifestyle.

Cape Cod Life & Cape Cod Home magazines

Recently the Editor of the magazines gave us the opportunity to feature one of our newly-built custom-designed homes in an upcoming issue. Of Course! So last week Dan Cutrona, who is a top-notch photographer, and Irina MacPhee, designer extraordinaire and Owner of Pastiche here on Cape Cod, got together to stage and shoot the house. We enjoyed great weather, and had a blast working together. Really fun.

And we got to eat the shmores and fruit after the shoot!

Here’s a page of photos I took of Dan and Irina working their magic. Stay tuned for the feature article on the beautiful ocean-view home built by REEF Cape Cod’s Home Builder.

Cape Cod Life photo shoot of new REEF Built home

The Oysterfest is right around the corner! Wellfleet is the center of the oyster universe with a weekend of festivities, October 19 & 20.

This two day event brings together locals and visitors alike for a weekend full of hometown flavor and big time fun! The 'Fest is produced by a non-profit organization devoted to fostering a greater understanding of the town's shellfishing industry and made possible through collaboration with the Town of Wellfleet, the support of many generous sponsors, the area shellfishermen and a dedicated group of volunteers.

It's a great time. Here's the link to the calendar of events. Plan your Oysterfest weekend now!

Wellfleet Oysterfest on Cape Cod

• Over 75 artisans, 16 food vendors, 12 raw bars and 13 community organizations
• Live Music performed by Crabgrass, Sarah Swain and the Oh Boys, The Rip It Ups, Link Montana and The Incredible Casuals.
• Family Fun Area featuring educational activities, crafts, moonbounces, clowns, face painting and performances geared for the young at heart!
• Educational programs including a locally filmed documentary about shellfishermen, Barbara and Clint Austin
• Culinary programs, Taste the Terroir and Merroir; Cooking demo and Book Signing by Phillip Hunt of Winslow’s Tavern and John Carafoli author of Cape Cod Chef’s Table in which Winslow’s is featured.
• Recreational activities such as nature walks, oyster reef tours, road races, a dance party and a skateboard competition.
• Free ocean beach parking and shuttle bus transportation into town
• And of course, the Annual Oyster Shuck-Off competition

 Wellfleet Oysterfest on Cape Cod

“We’d like to have a house with 3 bedrooms, and 3 bathrooms. Our lot is 7,405 square feet. “

That’s a lot of living on a very small footprint. But it’s not an unusual request here at REEF. Many of our Customers own property in beach communities, where the parcels of land are very small. But accommodating friends and family, and enjoying a comfortable, year-round lifestyle, are very important. So we design and build highly efficient living in what are sometimes very tight quarters.

The photo below is a REEF built home, with 1,789 Square Feet of living space, 3 bedrooms (including a Master Suite), 3 bathrooms, and a beautiful, open floor plan. The Before photo is the outdated Ranch that had seen better times.

Cape Cod is not the only community with space challenges. Here are some interesting designs and solutions to accommodating modern living in tight spaces around the country.

Building designs for thin lots like those on Cape Cod

Building designs for thin lots like those on Cape Cod