3 April What To Consider Before Getting A Pool April 3, 2023 By sma Home Inspection, Home Maintenance, Safety home exterior, landscaping, new homeowner, pool, real estate 0 WHAT TO CONSIDER BEFORE GETTING A POOL April 3, 2023 | Home Maintenance, Home Inspection, Safety | home exterior, pool, landscaping, new homeowner, real estate New homebuyers have so much to consider as they search for their dream home. Outside of architectural style, location, number of bedrooms, or whether it has a multi-car garage, homeowners need to be able to picture life within the house. Can they picture their kids playing in the backyard? Is this the type of place where they can see their family and friends wanting to come and visit? One amenity that has the ability to generate a great deal of excitement and ensure that a new home will be a gathering point for friends and family is the swimming pool. However, there are a lot of added responsibilities that come with managing and maintaining a pool. Whether you’re a homebuyer looking at a property with a pool, or you’re a homeowner who is thinking of making a dynamic addition to their home, here are a few things to consider before getting a pool. The Effects on Your ROI When making any major alteration to a property, homeowners should consider what impact that change will have on their property value. Even if the expectation is to stay in the same home for a long time, plans can change quickly! Although conventional wisdom might dictate that installing a swimming pool would considerably raise a home’s value, that isn’t always the case. Maintaining a swimming pool either means dedicating time or setting aside money to hire out for its upkeep. Due to the commitment, some home buyers might be immediately turned off from any homes with a pool. Additionally, if the climate limits the use of a swimming pool throughout the year, or pools just aren’t as common in the neighborhood, chances of a strong return on investment for a new installation are further dampened. Homeowners should go into the notion of installing a pool with the expectation of a net neutral impact on their ROI. For homebuyers looking to purchase a home with a pool, inspections are crucial for understanding the condition and age of the system. Especially in cases where a pool installation will eat up a large portion of a property’s backyard, proceed with caution! The Costs of Installation and Maintenance The costs of installing a pool vary from region to region, but real savings come from the type of pool. Even in the best of conditions, an in-ground pool will be substantially more expensive than an above-ground pool. While above-ground generally will cost a few thousand dollars, in-ground pools average around $35,000. From there, considerations for materials (either the customizable but more expensive concrete pools, or less customizable but more economical fiberglass), or added features such as lighting, fountains, and decking will add to overall costs. Yards that are particularly hilly or restricted with space additionally drive up costs and lengthen the excavation process. With a swimming pool in place, homeowners should also be aware of the costs associated with maintenance. Some liners require replacement periodically, chemicals need to be balanced and safe for swimmers, and there are also costs associated with annual start-ups and shut-downs. The Importance of a Pool Inspection Clearly, there are a large number of concerns associated with pool ownership, but a lot of these concerns can be assuaged with a pool inspection. Every homebuyer or seller should already order a home inspection to learn about the condition and history of the property, but many property inspectors can assist with a full pool inspection as well! Pool inspectors check into local safety standards to determine whether a swimming pool is in operable condition or whether repairs are needed. For example, a common standard includes perimeter fences of at least 5-feet high with self-closing doors and automatic locks. Even in cases where neighborhood kids sneak into a pool without permission and get injured, the property owner will be held liable. Cracking and staining are also common in swimming pools. With an experienced pool inspector, these small issues can be pointed out and evaluated to determine whether they are signs of deeper, structural issues. Swimming pools can be an exciting addition to a home, but prospective buyers should have a realistic understanding of what pool ownership realistically looks like for them. The National Property Inspections network consists of experts that span from coast to coast! To find a professional property inspector in your area, check out our website today! Comments are closed.