West Palm Beach, Fla., is the largest city in Palm Beach County. Noteworthy for its miles of waterfront property, West Palm Beach is separated from adjacent Palm Beach by the Lake Worth Lagoon.
Downtown West Palm Beach features two main districts, Clematis St. and Rosemary Square, both of which have several quality restaurants boutiques, bars, and clubs. Near downtown, the neighborhoods of El Cid and South End provide residents with a convenient location to the city’s shopping, dining, and entertainment.
Institutions like the Norton Museum of Art and the Kravis Center for Performing Arts make West Palm Beach an excellent place to live for lovers of the arts. The vibrant and artsy downtown scene is the place to be for all sorts of people, some of whom live in the condos that make up the city’s skyline.
The residential neighborhoods near downtown brim with energy, palm trees, and beautiful architecture combining historic and modern design. Some of the most valuable properties are waterfront estates, and the farther you search from downtown, the more calm and private the luxury properties. Overall, the West Palm Beach community has a universal appeal with its relaxed lifestyle and city amenities.
It’s also a launchpad for the affluent and ultra-wealthy. Neighborhing Palm Beach is home to
Billionaire’s Row, one of several such streets worldwide (others are found in Malibu, Manhattan, London, and the Hamptons). Properties in and around West Palm Beach regularly sell well into the millions, with some exceeding $100 million in value. In such a desired area, your home can glean high offers and sell for significantly more with a few select choices on your part.
For the most part, we’re going to focus on remodeling projects you can enjoy while living in your house and that will ultimately increase your house’s value in such time as you choose to move. Here are a few tips.
Integrate smart-home technology
Technology not only advances but accelerates with each passing year, and these days, the best luxury homes incorporate all manner of advanced connectivity. You have a smorgasbord of options at your disposal. For example, refrigerators can track your stock of groceries and send you a shopping list while you’re at the store. You also can talk to your pets remotely via monitoring systems.
However, the most vital technology you can install comes in the form of security cameras, smart doorbells, and intercom systems. Safety is first, especially if you’re considering the types of projects in the rest of this blog. A sleek intercom system can give your home the feel of a gated estate and sell homebuyers on that lifestyle.
Augment your outdoor living space
The Florida Coast is ideal for outdoor living, so why not extend your home outside to the backyard or sideyards? The goal here is to allow the warmth and aesthetic of your home to flow outside. And because you’re in Florida, most buyers will be expecting a pool.
Make no mistake: no matter how many of them you see on Instagram, you absolutely don’t need an infinity pool. It’s a nice feature, especially if your property abuts a natural body of water. The difference between no pool and a basic pool is still greater than the difference between a basic pool and a tricked-out luxury pool.
The key is to surround your pool with a great supporting cast. Add an outdoor kitchen, swim-up bar, dining area, and sound system. With the surfeit of fresh seafood in Florida, grilling and barbecue remain immensely popular, so check out steel appliances like grills and refrigerators. Complete the ambiance with decorative string lights and maybe a pergola with vines for shade.
Finally, if you prefer a deck to a pool (or want both), consider a
composite deck built to survive humid climates, or a screened-in porch to keep out bugs. Composite decks are made of eco-friendly materials that contribute to a lower carbon footprint, and they’re very low maintenance. They look exactly like real wood and are available in many colors, from deep cherry wood to blond “Scandi” wood, rich walnut, light birch, oak, and pine, to name a few.
Specialize your rooms
You’ve probably heard that bathrooms and kitchens are the two main areas homebuyers scrutinize in their buying decisions. Chances are, though, if you already own a luxury house in West Palm Beach, its kitchen and bathrooms are up to snuff. The next words in opulence are specialized rooms like home gyms, theaters, and wine cellars.
Exercise and catching a movie are completely different activities that complement each other perfectly. Who doesn’t love plopping down on a sofa and streaming episodes after a challenging workout? Ideally, though, you watch your movies in a different room than you keep your kettlebells. The larger point here is to have dedicated space for certain favorite activities.
Exercise space
Your home gym might resemble a full-fledge fitness center or simply include a few mats and a great outdoor view for daily yoga. Depending on the space available, you might choose instead to install a basketball court, raquetball court, or even a virtual driving range for rainy days.
Movie space
With the rise of streaming platforms and the consequent decline of brick-and-mortar theaters, more luxury homeowners and buyers insist on a home theater. The classic cave has evolved from the glorified dive bar of midlife crises into a visual and auditory entertainment center for the whole family and all manner of guests. A home theater may sound complicated, but its components boil down to screen size, sound system, lighting, and furniture.
Work space
More people work from home than ever before. Even nominally retired homebuyers understand the value of a dedicated workspace. The details you prefer depend on the nature of your work and are outside the scope of this blog; at minimum, consider elements like functionality (Wi-Fi, ergonomic furniture), aesthetics (blue for creatives!), and organization.
Miscellany
As a West Palm Beach homeowner, you have near-infinite combinations of remodeling projects at your fingertips. Here are a few more suggestions for inspiration.
-
Flooring. Like bathrooms and kitchens, your flooring is probably in decent shape. All the same, the aesthetic of West Palm Beach lends itself well to eccentric choices like bamboo or Brazilian cherry wood. You also can decide to install heated flooring (usually a bathroom upgrade, but theoretically possible for surfaces in any location).
-
Spas or saunas. Level-up your bathroom by installing a steam shower, pebble floor tiling, and a bidet. The humid weather outside deserves an indoor counterpart.
-
Aquarium. Nothing says Florida quite like a well-kept fishtank. Choose freshwater or saltwater and have the aquarium work double-duty as your living room centerpiece, bed headboard, or kitchen island base.
-
Environmentally-friendly features. Ways to give back to Earth include low-flow water fixtures, native landscaping, and
Tesla solar panels.
Ready to list your Palm Beach Home for sale?
Local real estate agents are experts in the area and are full of wisdom when it comes to ideas for upgrading your Palm Beach home so you can earn top dollar when you sell. When you’re ready to take the next step, reach out to
Samantha Curry for assistance. Samantha routinely represents sellers of
the most distinctive properties in West Palm Beach — penthouses, estates, waterfront homes, private residences, and more. With a career sales volume of over $750M, she understands what it takes to get the most for your property, from your first consultation to the negotiating table.
Contact Samantha today and get started with your exciting sale.
