Cold winter days turn our attention to energy efficiency. How can you make your Cape Cod Home energy efficient? It's surprising how much energy (and money!) can be saved by taking a few simple steps. Here's a great list of 5 simple projects that will increase the energy efficiency, comfort, and value of your home.

5 Simple Projects to Improve Your Home's Energy Efficiency

Bob Sheldon is a local Realtor who does a great job of analyzing the market in Eastham. The consensus is that markets are improving, and Bob’s quantitative work reflects that too. Numbers don’t lie: the Real Estate market is rebounding. If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, wondering about buying, selling, or building, prices and values are on the climb again.

Eastham 2012 Year-End Real Estate Report

    At REEF, Cape Cod's Home Builder, many of our projects are for second homes that are near or on any one of Cape Cod's fantastic beaches.  These Custom Homes, or Remodeling Projects, are meant to be a fun gathering place for friends and family throughout the summer months.  We came across an interesting article on Decoist.com that highlights the 3 "Must-Haves" for any beach house.  They are fairly simple concepts... but they do make sense:

1. A Sand Room
2. A wooden deck
3. Plenty of outdoor storage

There are also several other great ideas in this article, so click below to take a look:

http://www.decoist.com/2012-08-15/3-things-every-beach-home-needs/

  Many of our customers are selling their existing home elsewhere so they can build their dream home on Cape Cod.  One of the great ways to help in this process is staging. Staging is a method of decorating the home to enhance its appeal to potential buyers.  Buyers are often times rushed when viewing a potential home, and have limited vision of its decorating potential. A professional staging company can highlight the unique features of a home and give it some updated styling for a very reasonable price.  REEF, Cape Cod's Home Builder has staged some of the Custom Homes built in recent years and had great success. 

Here is an article with more details about staging from decoist.com:http://freshome.com/2012/08/08/why-home-staging-could-give-you-the-edge-in-the-property-market/

    Summer is basically here, and with all of the family planning on visiting your Cape Cod home, we thought it might be a good idea to look for some design ideas for summer living.  Designing a custom home is more than just lines on a page, and the end product is a comibination of spaces, colors and furnishings.  If you want to give you home that summer look, here are some ideas from Freshome.com

http://freshome.com/2010/07/10/5-easy-summer-decor-ideas-for-your-home/

Finishing your Cape Cod basement is one of those easy to justify home decisions that will offer years of use and enjoyment.  Here are our top eight reasons for opting to finish your basement.

8. COMFORT - A well insulated basement is usually the coolest place in your home during the summer months and the warmest in the winter months and can help reduce heating and cooling costs throughout the rest of the house.

7. ENTERTAINMENT - From simple TV rooms to more luxurious rooms, a finished basement is a place where many people will congregrate.  Pool tables, game rooms and lots of space help make a finished basement perfect for entertaining.

6 .INCOME - Finished basement space may be able to be used to produce rental income thereby helping to offset the the cost associated with construction

5.FAMILY - Whether accomodating them for a meal or a month, many people need more space to house extended family.  They can also make great playrooms for the kids and grandkids.

4.SPACE - Large, spacious rooms and ample lighting can make basements very beautiful and inviting.

3. RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT: According to Remodeling Magazine’s annual Cost vs Value Report, your basement project typically returns about 70 percent of the original cost. In terms of space and quality of living, you also get a huge return on your investment: If you own a 2000 square foot home and finish your basement, you may get 1000 square feet of extra space. That’s a 50 percent increase in space.  As a result, that extra space increases the market value of your home substantially and makes your home more attractive to potential buyers. A finished basement can improve the marketability of your home.

2.FLEXIBILITY - Unlike your main level, where often you only have a limited floor plan to choose from, the design of your basement allows a greater degree of design autonomy

1. VALUE - A finished basement offers the best value, per square foot of any other remodeling project

adapted from an article by http://www.upscaledownstairs.com

adapted from an article by http://www.integrityhomecontractors.com

If you are interested in finishing your basement, please contact our small project division by clicking below!

Top Five Cape Cod Kitchen Renovation Must-Haves

If you have a kitchen remodeling project in your future and are looking to get the most out of your new space..., we have five features you won’t want to exclude from your home renovation. Compiled by a team of expert home remodeling contractors in Raleigh, NC, our Top Five list is sure to send chefs of all abilities into a joyous tizzy thinking about these sizzling kitchen remodeling must-haves.

Must-Have #5 – Undercounter Sink

A kitchen remodeling upgrade that has come to be expected with most home remodeling projects these days.  Undercounter sinks come standard with most natrual stone (granite) and engineered stome (quartz)countertops.  Though integrated sinks in solid surface products like Corian and cultured marble are used often, they don't hold quite the same interest with buyers when it comes to a remodeling upgrade.

Kitchen Remodeling Must-Have #4 – French Door Refrigerator

Appliances always compete with upgraded countertops, as the most appealing part of a kitchen remodeling project, and of course, the refrigerator is the King Pin. As the appliance that will be used the most frequently and by the most people, the refrigerator must be functional and flawless to win your renovation a home remodeling award. A fridge can easily lure or deter potential buyers, and something about seeing those shiny side-by-side handles covering an expansive and easy-to-access chiller seems to call for extra dollars from buyers. A home improvement upgrade that doesn’t even need a kitchen renovation project to be implemented, French Door refrigerators are an easy and must-have upgrade that simply cannot be excluded if you are undertaking a kitchen remodel.

Kitchen Remodeling Must-Have #3 – Custom Tile Backsplash
Whether it’s natural stone, colorful or decorative patterns, your kitchen backsplash is a blank canvas that offers an opportunity for you to flex your artistic muscles and bring color, life and remodeling design to your space. Don’t let the opportunity to introduce interest to your kitchen remodeling project pass you by by overlooking your backsplash; instead, get creative and bring life to the most functional space in the house! Showing attention to this artful area will grab buyers’ interest and is sure to wow your guests…and you won’t get the most out of your kitchen remodeling project from buyers if you exclude an upgraded tile backsplash from your list.
 

 Kitchen Remodeling Must-Have #2 – A Free-Standing Island

Adding a free-standing island not only brings functional work and eating space to your project; it also means you’ve got a roomy kitchen that can accommodate a large fixture, which is a second great reason for potential buyers to love your kitchen. If you’ve ever turned on HGTV and watched shows featuring the best of kitchen remodeling projects, you’re sure to notice the award-winning remodels all include free standing islands (complete with pendant lighting & often a built-in cooktop…see above and note how our list has come full circle). It will offer additional storage and workspace, give the kids a comfortable and casual spot to pull up and enjoy their snacks, and help define your kitchen area if you’re lucky enough to have an open floor plan.

Kitchen Remodeling  Must-Have #1 – Quartz Countertops
Natural Stone Countertops are a popular choice of material when remodeling. Now, the latest and definitely greatest product on the market is engineered Quartz, which incorporates natural material with manmade products and results in the strongest and most durable countertop material on the market. With more variation in a slab than Corian but less than most granite products, engineered Quartz is a clean, contemporary and easy-to-look-at product that is winning over kitchen remodelers across the country. It is far less fragile than granite and won’t chip or fleck, and won’t scratch, stain or scar the way Corian or other solid surface countertops will. It’s practically indestructible and, for hearty cooks  everywhere, is the remodeling material of choice.

--Engaging our Services

adapted from GreyHouse Inc.  http://www.greyhouseinc.com/news/1/24/

  Here are some interior shots of a new home that we have been working on for a few months in Dennis, MA.  This week we are installing the kitchen, finishing the interior trim work, and getting ready to install the plumbing fixtures.  This home is located in our Dr. Stanton Rd. neighborhood, and has a traditionally-styled exterior, with an open floor plan, and some more contemporary styling inside. If you would like to see more of this home, please click here -Request Info