Wild Dunes · Isle of Palms, South Carolina

Imagine the Possibilities10 Waterway Island Drive

One of the most desirable lots in Wild Dunes, with open marsh and Intracoastal views. The house is well built and well kept, but its finishes date to the 1980s. These concepts show what thoughtful updates could look like.

Built 1985
Size 3,134 sq ft
Lot 0.49 acres
Setting Marsh & Intracoastal views

5 concepts

Front Exterior

Keeping the existing home rather than starting over has real advantages: an easy entry with very few steps and a first-floor primary bedroom. The exterior reflects its mid-1980s roots, and some well-chosen updates could go a long way toward a fresh, current look. Here are five different directions, including the aerial view at the top of this page.

Larger reimagining with dormers, a three-bay garage and a covered front porch — **A bigger reimagining.** Dormers, a covered front porch, and an expanded garage. This is the most ambitious direction and goes well beyond a refresh, so it would need the most study.

White board-and-batten exterior with carriage-style garage doors, striped awnings and layered gardens — **Crisp white cottage.** White board-and-batten siding, carriage-style garage doors, and generous plantings along the drive.

Front exterior at dusk with a reworked garage entrance and metal roof — **Reworked garage entrance.** One way to update the front and the garage. Not drawn to scale, but the garage modification alone could be worth exploring, even without adding living space above it.

Soft cream exterior with stone base, wood front door and native coastal landscaping — **Stone and native plantings.** A warm cream palette with a stone base and low-maintenance coastal landscaping.

2 concepts

Rear Exterior & Pool

The home sits close to the property line, which keeps the land in front of it open toward the views. A thoughtfully designed pool could complement that setting while preserving the sense of openness. The pool idea has not been submitted for approval, so we can't say whether it would be feasible as shown.

Pool and wide deck at sunset under a live oak, looking over the marsh — **Pool and deck.** A pool set into a wide deck under the live oak, facing the marsh.

Watercolor-style rendering of the rear of the house with tall windows lit at dusk — **Marsh side.** The rear elevation with refreshed siding and its walls of windows facing the water.

3 concepts

Kitchen

Most of these concepts keep the existing floor plan. The kitchen ideas range from a cosmetic refresh to a reconfigured space with a center island.

Kitchen with vaulted beamed ceiling and existing layout — **Vault the ceiling.** Same layout, with the ceiling opened up for a brighter, more open feel.

Reconfigured kitchen with large center island, pendant lights and vaulted ceiling — **Add a center island.** A step further, reconfiguring the space around a large island with seating.

1 concept

Living Room

The living room keeps its footprint and its wall of windows on the marsh. This concept brightens it with a vaulted, paneled ceiling, an updated fireplace, and built-in shelving.

2 concepts

Primary Suite

The first-floor primary suite is one of the home's best features. These ideas keep the floor plan and update the flooring, paint, finishes, and bath.

Bright primary bedroom with a sitting area surrounded by windows and a window seat — **Primary bedroom.** Light floors and soft coastal colors, with a sitting area that looks out over the marsh.

Primary bath with double floating vanity, glass shower and soaking tub — **Primary bath.** A double vanity, walk-in glass shower, and soaking tub in warm, natural tones.

6 concepts

Guest Rooms

Updated flooring, paint, décor, and baths for the guest rooms and upstairs landing. One idea worth exploring is a private bath for the bedroom now used as an office. That might make the most sense if living space were added above the garage, or if dormers could open up the space under the eaves.

Bedroom with large marsh-view windows, king bed and light wood furniture — **Bedroom 3.** Light, quiet finishes that let the marsh view through the big window do the work.

Bath with tiled walk-in shower, white Shaker vanity and brushed nickel fixtures — **Bedroom 3 bath.** A walk-in glass shower with a lit niche and a new white vanity.

Upstairs landing with shiplap walls and wood and metal stair railing — **Upstairs landing.** Shiplap walls and a new wood-and-metal railing at the top of the stairs.

Twin guest room with rattan furniture and a sliding door to a marsh-view deck — **Twin guest room.** A relaxed coastal guest room opening to the deck and the marsh.

Guest bedroom with two beds and a barn door opening to a bath — **Fourth bedroom.** A guest room shown with an adjoining bath behind a sliding barn door.

Shared bath with white vanity and walk-in shower with fluted tile — **Shared bath.** A walk-in shower and clean, light finishes.

Renovate or build new

The Land

Waterway Island is the most prestigious address in Wild Dunes, and this lot is why. It fronts protected marsh that can't be built on, with long views across to the Intracoastal Waterway.

Estimated land value $2.9M Our estimate of what the land alone is worth, above the asking price for the land and the house together.

Buildable land 81% more than 5 Waterway Island, which sold as a teardown.

10 Waterway Island≈ 21,340 sq ft

5 Waterway Island≈ 11,760 sq ft

How we got there

5 Waterway Island, down the street, sold as a teardown for $1.7 million three years ago. Nearly half of that lot is marsh that can't be built on. With appreciation since the sale, it would bring roughly $2.0 million today. 10 Waterway has 81% more buildable land (about 21,340 sq ft vs. 11,760). Even valuing that extra land at a steep discount puts this lot near $2.9 million.

Whether you renovate or build new, the price reflects the land. The house comes with it.