If you’re looking for ways to increase the resale value of your home, you might have considered installing a swimming pool. After all, who wouldn’t enjoy a dip in cool water after a long day at work or an afternoon of gardening? In truth, however, a swimming pool can actually decrease your chances of selling your home, so think about your motivations carefully before calling around for quotes.
Safety Issues
Families with young children would probably enjoy having a pool in their backyard so their kids could learn how to swim, but these conveniences are far outweighed by the safety issues involved. In fact, putting in a swimming pool can actually decrease the resale value of your home in communities with lots of young families.
There are just too many ways children can injure themselves or even drown with a swimming pool so readily available. Parents are increasingly concerned about having such liabilities in their own backyards, so think twice about this new addition. If you do decide to add a swimming pool, however, make sure that it is enclosed behind a fence with sufficiently narrow bars to keep young bodies out.
Upkeep & Maintenance
While a swimming pool might potentially increase the resale value of your home, this is lessened by the promise of hours of maintenance and upkeep. Swimming pools require constant monitoring and are expensive if something goes wrong, such as a crack in the concrete or a broken filter.
The last thing potential buyers want to do in this market is purchase a home with a pool—at a higher price than one without—then spend hundreds of dollars to maintain it over the next twenty years. A swimming pool might increase the resale value of your home, but it won’t necessarily lure buyers.
Community Pools
Why does anyone need a pool in their backyard when they have one right down the block? Most community pools—particularly in the south and southwest areas of the country—are crowded every day with mothers and fathers who bring their children to play. Not only do they have the benefit of a sparkling pool, but also the companionship of the rest of the neighborhood.
It is doubtful that installing a swimming pool will increase the resale value of your home if a neighborhood or community pool is available to residents as well. The benefits of this convenience simply aren’t justified in the cost and headaches involved.
Desire for Landscaping
A swimming pool reduces the amount of space available in your backyard for decks, landscaping and playful pets and children. Home owners like to have control over what to do with the land they own, and they don’t want to be encumbered by something as large as a pool. Plants, trees, decks and patios can easily be removed, but pools are far more permanent.
There are far better ways to increase the resale value of your home without installing a swimming pool, particularly if you have no intention of enjoying it yourself. Renovating the kitchen, bathrooms, family room or landscaping will accomplish this feat in a far more efficient manner, and you won’t have to worry about leaving your home on the market for two years, waiting for a buyer.
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Published by Steve Thompson
Steve is a full-time freelance writer. In addition to the more than 3,000 articles he s written for AC, he has also written articles and other materials for more than 100 happy clients. He enjoys writing abo… View profile
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