America’s favorite handyman and Home Improvement star Bob Vila, 77, has put his waterfront mansion in Florida up for sale for $59.2 million as he and his wife plan to downsize.
The 0.84-acre estate is located on Everglades Island, just off West Palm Beach, and measures 6,300 square feet with seven bedrooms.
The home also features approximately 50 feet of water amenities including a pool, hot tub and private dock.
Vila and his wife Diana Barrett, a former Harvard University professor, bought her late mother’s house for $6.1 million after Barrett’s parents bought it in 1975 for $375,000.
Bob Vila has put his 1949 waterfront mansion in Florida (pictured) up for sale for $59.2 million
Bob Vila (pictured) is known for helping others renovate their homes and hosting TV shows such as This Old House, Bob Vila’s Home Again, and has had a cameo on Tim Allen’s Home Improvement
The backyard pool of the mansion (pictured) is surrounded by palm trees and overlooks Lake Worth
Chris Vila, the real estate agent and the couple’s son, told the story The Wall Street Journal that the house was originally built around 1949 and has a formal H-shaped floor plan.
Vila and Barrett began minor renovations in 2005 when they hired a general contractor and landscaper to give the house a “very old Florida” feel.
They started by installing a new electrical system, new roof and windows. With each renovation, the couple tried not to change the authentic design of the property.
On the east side of the house there is a loggia, a covered outdoor corridor, which is set on a black and white marble floor and opens onto the pool terrace.
The couple then added a guest wing to connect the detached cabana to the main residence.
The kitchen has also been renovated with a huge cooking island and a large hob with extractor hood. It also flows seamlessly into the large family room and dining room.
The living room features large pocket glass doors that offer views of the pool, private doc and Lake Worth.
One of the bedrooms is decorated with red details, white walls and a large amount of natural sunlight streaming in through white blinds.
Vila and Barrett have renovated the kitchen (photo), complete with a large island and a hob with extractor hood
One of the seven bedrooms (pictured) is finished with small red accents, white walls and plenty of natural sunlight streaming through white blinds
The room right next to the pool (pictured) is scaled with black and white marble tile floors and large glass pocket windows
Barrett said that although the house looks like an “unassuming brick home” from the outside, she loves that visitors can experience the impeccable water views as soon as they enter.
In addition to the home improvements, the exterior showcases Vila’s talent for gardening, as he said the grounds on the property are mixed with tropical plants, an orchid garden and native plants.
Vila also revealed that the grounds are full of royal palm trees dating back to the 1950s, along with Ylang Ylang trees.
Vila built his brand helping others upgrade their homes on shows like This Old House, Bob Vila’s Home Again and even visited the set of Tim Allen’s 1990s sitcom Home Improvement.
Both Allen and Vila competed in a trivia contest and other races and Allen appeared in a cameo in Bob Vila’s Home Again.
While Vila is no stranger to home improvements, he said the small improvements to his Florida mansion have shaped the home, but also become a chore for him alone.
“It’s an older house, so there’s always something going on,” Vila told The Wall Street Journal.
Vila (left) was known for his appearances in Tm Allen’s 1990s sitcom Home Improvement (right)
In addition to the water views, Vila has also found a talent for gardening, as the house is mixed with tropical plants, an orchid garden and native plants.
Vila’s wife Diana Barrett (left) said the idea behind the house was to make it feel “very old Florida”
The pool area is equipped with a pool, hot tub (pictured) and on-site doctor
He and his wife have their sights set on downsizing to a small house in Palm Beach, since two of their children live nearby and their third lives in California.
Barrett said the couple had a “15-minute flirtation” with the idea of moving into a new apartment complex in West Palm Beach, but they were quickly turned off when they realized the glass walls wouldn’t be able to hold their artwork.
Another reason the couple decided to put their beloved Florida home up for sale is because of the booming housing market.
Redfin reported that the average sales price of a home in Palm Beach was $1.65 million as of September 2023, and homes in the area are selling after 172 days of listing.
