Will a Swimming Pool Increase the Resale Value of Your Home?

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.