People who have owned several homes over the years may or may not have owned a pool. If you never have, and are looking to buy a new home or have one built, you may be considering whether a pool is worth it. Here are some things to consider and some common objections people express when discussing swimming pool ownership.
- A pool is too expensive:
That depends on whether the house you are buying already has a pool. In neighborhoods where almost every other house has a pool like Phoenix, Arizona, a pool will not add too much to the home’s appraised value because it almost like having a house with an attached garage.
Building a new pool will definitely cost a lot especially if you are remodeling an existing landscape. The pool will be the focal point of the backyard and costs can easily exceed $100,000 depending on how many bells and whistles you include. You also have to factor in the cost of the landscaping surrounding the pool such as outdoor kitchen, fireplace, patios, walls, fences, plantings, irrigation and lighting.
2. I’ll spend more time maintaining my pool than using it:
There are many automated options that make a pool less time consuming including automatic chlorinators, robot cleaners, etc. Plus, you can always hire a professional to do the job. But if you find you don’t often use the pool, then why own one? The balance of actual use of the pool vs. the time spent maintaining comes down to individual lifestyle behaviors and your willingness to factor in the monthly maintenance costs as part of your household budget. Prior experience with swimming pool ownership will most likely effect your decision to own another pool in the future.
3. My electric bill will go up too much:
The cost of electricity will slowly increase every year regardless of state in which you live. Electricity is required to power the pool equipment, including pumps, filters and heaters. The more poignant cost factor is the cost to heat the pool. If you do have natural gas or use propane, the cost of gas to heat the pool can be quite high depending on how often you need the pool at a certain temperature and the time of year you want the pool warm enough to use.
4. My backyard will be ruined for the whole year:
The majority of pools are completed in just a few months but its not just the pool that will be under construction, its the entire landscape that is also being remodeled. So yes, it will take time, so you have to plan for a disruptive fews months of construction, workers, piles of debris and all the other issues that go along with the construction process.
5. I’m afraid of getting taken by a dishonest builder:
Just as in any building or home improvement project, you should always check a builder’s credentials, ask for references and visit completed pools.
6. Pools require constant care and upgrades:
Buying a home with an existing pool may avoid all the hassles of building a new pool in an existing home, but a pool that is 10 or more years old may have problems. An existing swimming pool included in a home purchase, should always have its own inspection as part of the due diligence. There are many things that can be very costly to repair in an old pool including filters, pumps and perhaps a leak that has never been fixed.
Outdated pools may have cracking decks, discolored plaster, waterline tiles that are caked with hard water deposits, etc. Most new pools are plastered with pebble finishes and owning a pool with a basic white plaster finish may trigger you to upgrade it since white plaster finishes typically need to be acid washed every 8 years or so.
7. I’m afraid of the risk of accidents or drowning:
Proper layers of safety such as fencing, door alarms, automatic safety covers, proper adult supervision, etc., make for an enjoyable experience. Some experts believe that swimming pool ownership save lives by teaching children how to swim at a young age. These are all the sales tactics a pool salesman will use to overcome your objections based on fear. Yet, you just have to look at the statistics of pool drownings to realize even if your pool is bullet proof, there can still remain that uneasy feeling while you are not at home.
8. Will my homeowner’s insurance cost more?
You should always check with your agent to get an accurate understanding of how a pool will affect your insurance.
9. I’m afraid financing will be difficult:
There are a variety of methods to finance a pool, but the most popular is a home equity loan, which also means more manageable monthly payments rather than a lump sum payment.
10. My home will be difficult to resell with a pool:
Contrary to popular opinion there are many studies that show pools will increase the resell value of your home.
See related article: Abandoning a swimming pool