Our outdoor living spaces are warm-weather locations for get-togethers all over the world. But sometimes those hot days can be unbearable. As a homeowner, you have to wonder what could be added to help everybody cool off more when you’re outside.
Installation of a pool can, in most cases, add value to your home. The average return on investment of a pool is 7% to 9%. This value will vary depending upon whether you install an in-ground or above-ground pool.
As someone who has had both an in-ground and above-ground pool, I can tell you some of the benefits and disadvantages of getting one installed at your home. I can also tell you some of the benefits of having a pool to enjoy.
Pools Are a Great Way to Keep Cool During the Summer
Pools are fantastic things to have during the hot months of the year. And where I’ve lived, that’s MOST of the year. There is nothing like getting done with yardwork or exercise and ending your day in the swimming pool to cool off. I especially loved playing some music and just floating around the pool after taking a good dunking.
For kids, it’s great! We taught our kids to swim in pools that were safe for them. We could be in control of their lessons and make sure they were coming along well. We had absolute confidence that when they left us, they knew how to swim when they were with other people. And when you live near a lake, that’s a load off of your mind.
Pools Can Be a Wonderful Meet-Up Place for Friends and Family
Nothing brings your family and friends around more during the balmy summer heat than having a pool in your yard. I’ve had friends from nearly an hour away travel to my house because they knew I had the pool. Add to that my habit of making sure we also had plenty to eat and drink and a very relaxing outdoor atmosphere, and my friends and family were over whenever they could make it.
The kids could play or do chores, we adults might be handling yard work or building something new to add to the house. And we were all happy to do things like that, even in the summer, because we knew at the end of the day we could get our bathing suits on and cool off at the pool.
Do Pools Add Value to Your Property?
On average pools add about 7% – 9% to the value of your property. But that’s conditional. As much as I loved having a pool, I was so very happy that in both instances our house came with the pool and we did not deal with the headache and cost of adding one.
For one thing, it is very difficult to get back good value other than entertainment value from an above-ground pool. They tend to not last as long and their addition of value to the property honestly depends upon what kind of material it’s made from and how well you can dress it up. Our above-ground pool actually wound up not adding any value to our home when we sold it, even though it had a wrap-around porch and storage shed.
But an above-ground pool is inexpensive to install compared to an inground pool. You can even get DIY kits and just have the pool there for enjoyment without having to worry about the added value to the property at all. Your value is simply in the enjoyment and refreshing cool you get from using it.
If your pool is overly dramatic for the house, or your home is not considered to have a high market value, to begin with, you could be wasting your money. The cost of an inground pool can be anywhere from $25,000 – to over $65,000 depending upon what it’s made of and the area you are building it in. If the value of your house is less than $300,000 you could end up losing money on this installation.
The cost to maintain a pool needs to be considered as part of the disadvantages of having one. Maintenance, whether it be cleaning, chemicals, replacement supplies, accessories, and closing covers can run up into the low thousands yearly. If you hire someone to handle all of that for you, that costs money, too. And let’s not forget, you’ll need the electricity to keep the pump running and the lights going and if you have it – the heater going.
A lot of people are unaware that you also will need to look into insuring your pool. Your homeowner’s insurance will go up when you add a pool to your property. And where I live (as in most places) it is a law that you must have your pool enclosed by a fence. So if you don’t have a fence, guess what?
Should I Get a Pool?
I believe if you already have a pool on your property, then definitely use it during the summer months as a fun method for quick-cool offs while you and your family and friends enjoy your outdoor living space. I believe the cost of maintenance and insurance is worth it for the recreation.
If you are considering installing a pool, be sure to ask a real estate agent in your area about what value it would add to your home. Usually, real estate agents are the ones who can give you a real answer about this kind of thing because they are experts in home value in your area. Would the gratification of using the pool be enough to outweigh the cost of it?
Another thing to consider would be, how long you plan on living in the home you’re in. If you want to enjoy a pool, but you don’t plan on being there for a long time, maybe adding a pool just isn’t the best way to cool yourselves during the hot season? Maybe you need to find something less expensive and more effective for cooling everybody off in the summer heat.
"Growing up a country-girl means you enjoy the outdoors as much as possible, and no matter where you go in life, the outdoors is always part of you. I began doing research on things I wanted to do to make my outdoor space my own, no matter where we moved. And that research led me to write this blog to share with you!"
