Thinking About Installing a Pool?

The following contribution is from another author.

For many of us, the dream of suburban bliss extends way past just having a nice home on a tree-lined lane, and in recent times, a home has become far more than a brick-and-mortar building. It’s become one of the most stable and predictable ways to transfer wealth and preserve it.

So, it makes sense then that increasing the value of our home through improvement or remodeling will over time, add to the ultimate sale value of the property when it’s time to sell, refinance or use the home as collateral to access lines of credit.

One of the most popular ways of doing that is installing a swimming pool and with hundreds of styles, types, and designs, you can spend a million dollars on designing your special pool. Well, for most of us that’s probably not going to be the case, so if you’re thinking about installing a pool in your home, we’re going to help you unpack a few things to consider before taking the plunge. Pun intended.

Research suggests that a pool can add between 5 – 7% worth of value to your home, while some estimates put that figure at 8%. That’s not nothing and when you start getting creative with your landscaping, outdoor showers, water features, and a cabana house (if you have the space), you can add a couple of percentage points onto that number. 

But you must remember that this value is only a transferable or bankable value based on when you plan on selling the house. In other words, you’ll only see the value of this once your home has gained enough equity to justify the cost of the pool. So if you’re planning on listing your home soon after installing your pool, keep it simple, or you may well be out of pocket overall.

MAIN POINTS TO CONSIDER

So, you’ve made up your mind – you’re getting a pool and that’s great. You can look forward to endless summer days, wonderful family times, and fabulous pool parties, but there are some important things to consider.

First, you want to know what the zoning laws are in your area (if applicable to your area) and how these may have an impact on your building expectations.

Secondly, (the most fun part), is to figure out the type and kind of pool you want. Fiberglass, cement, or concrete, or tiled. Not all pools will work for all types of terrain or climates, so you need to discuss this with your pool contractors. Try 3D pool design online for free, to play around with a few ideas.

Then, think about maintenance. Once you’ve decided on the type of pool you want and considered shape, design, and so on, have a conversation with your contractor about how much maintenance your pool is going to need. These days it’s easy to outsource pool maintenance, but in an increasingly cash-strapped consumer base, you may want to learn how to do this yourself.

There’s no doubt about it, a swimming pool instantly adds appeal to your home, but it’s also a great way to keep your family together, share some wonderful summer days, and create some awesome memories.