Considering a Home with a Pool? Tips for Testing the Waters First

Picture this; you’re in the market to buy a new home this summer. As you trek from showing to showing, the summer sun is blazing down on you and you are sweating bullets. Then, you see it. It’s the picture-perfect new home; and, it also happens to have a beautiful swimming pool in the back yard. Immediately, you wonder if the owners would mind if you took a dip.

In this situation, the thought of buying a home with a swimming pool seems like an incredibly wise one. But, if you hadn’t previously given a swimming pool home a thought, before you dive into that big plan, you may want to consider the “extras” that come along with pool ownership. You know, maintenance and chemical costs, an increased flow of visitors and various safety concerns, to name only a few.

To help you decide if buying a new home that has a pool is something that you should dive into or tread lightly around, we’ve waded through a list of pool pros and cons to help you make an informed buying decision.

While we’ll let you decide which ones are pros and cons in your book, here’s a splash of what we found:

1. Health Benefits – Owning a pool means that you have easy access to an enjoyable exercise option just by taking a walk into your back yard, which is something that could benefit the whole family. If you have children, swimming is a great way for them to spend their time during summer vacation. With a pool, you can be sure they won’t be staring at the TV or video games with eyes glazed over. Swimming also requires a good amount of energy, so parents can bank on happily tired kids who are ready for bed; hence, mom and dad have more time to relax after bedtime!

2. Safety Concerns – You may know how to swim, but your children, neighbors or other visitors may not. Guess what? As a pool owner, you are responsible for the safety of those who have access to your pool. No, you’re not going to need to hire a lifeguard to sit poolside. But, to keep everyone safe, you may need to install safety features like a pool fence or child-proof locks on your home.

3. Insurance – Going hand-in-hand with safety concerns is insurance. Typically, owning a home with a swimming pool will cause homeowner’s insurance to rise. While this may not influence your home-buying decision in a major way, you may want to calculate that increased payment into the mix when you’re deciding on a swimming pool home.

4. Entertainment – When you own a home with a swimming pool, you’ve instantly got a great entertainment option for party hosting. Whether you’re planning your children’s birthday parties or you just love hosting neighborhood BBQs, the pool is an excellent way to keep your party guests entertained.

On the opposite end of this entertainment spectrum, pool ownership means that you may have friends and family stopping by to enjoy the pool a little more frequently than you might like. Frankly, we all love to know someone that has a pool and when you’re that person, you may often be playing host for summertime fun.

5. Summer Glow – While proper skin protection is a must, we know that many people still crave the sun-kissed glow that only a nice, even tan gives. What better place to obtain that gorgeous glow than by relaxing in your very own backyard oasis? With a pool, you can enjoy the sun’s warming rays and cool off when the heat becomes too much.

6. Maintenance – Keeping a pool swim-ready is no easy task. If you don’t already know how to properly balance the chemicals in your pool or how to clean it, you may need to hire a professional to help you make sure it is always ready for a quick splash. Of course, there are certain costs involved in keeping that pH level just right and hiring a professional is sure to enhance those costs.

7. Utilities – Speaking of maintenance and other basics, you’ll have to pump some extra money into your utility bills in order to keep your pool running, too. If you choose to have it heated, that will cost even more. You can find energy-efficient equipment to offset some of the costs, but don’t go off the deep end when you notice the pool increasing your monthly utility payments.

8. Yard Space – If you’re on the fence about a pool and you enjoy spending a lot of time in your back yard or you like to keep a garden, consider the space that owning a pool may take away from other outdoor activities. Does having the pool outweigh having less yard space?

9. Installation – If you’ve always wanted a pool, it may be in your best interest to find a home that already has one, rather than plan to install it later. Installation costs can reach thousands of dollars. However, if you find a swimming pool home that you love, you likely won’t pay thousands of additional dollars for the pool. This point definitely can be seen as both a pro and con; because, in many cases, pools do not increase home resale values as much as owners would like them to.

10. Pool Season – Finally, when you’re considering a home with a swimming pool, don’t forget to take into account just where you are buying that home. In some parts of the country, you may only be able to use the pool for three months each year. In your mind, is the amount of usable pool time worth the overall purchase?