“Many factors influence the value that a swimming pool has on your property, including your own enjoyment.”
If you’re thinking of adding an inground swimming pool, you’re probably wondering if a pool adds value to your home. In other words: If you sell your home, will the selling price cover most or all of the costs of a pool, or will you take a bath on your investment?
It may be that you and your family get so much enjoyment and satisfaction from your pool that recouping your investment is a moot point. Hard to put a price on summertime splashes and smiles. There are several factors that can help you determine if a swimming pool will add positive value to your home:
In warm climates, such as Arizona or Florida, a pool can be an attractive feature for potential buyers.
If you live in a neighborhood where many of your neighbors have swimming pools, your investment is probably solid. In fact, in those circumstances not having a pool might decrease your home’s marketability.
If you’re in a real estate market where houses sell quickly, a pool might not be a deterrent to a prospective buyer.
Doing the Calculations
Real estate experts estimate that an average 14×28-foot inground concrete pool potentially adds 5 to 8 percent to the real estate value of your home. If your property is worth $400,000, you’ll realize a boost to the value of your property of about $20,000 to $32,000. But the average cost of installing a 14×28-foot inground concrete pool is about $50,000, which means you’ll only recoup a portion of your original pool investment.
Several other factors influence the added value of a pool. If you’re selling a house with a pool that’s been well-maintained, nicely designed, has amenities such as adjacent decks, patios and shade structures, and the surrounding area is attractively landscaped, a swimming pool could fetch more value. On the contrary, if the pool is in need of repair, isn’t that attractive or has been shoehorned into a small yard, its added value to your property likely will be diminished.
In-Ground vs. Above-Ground Pools: Pros and Cons of Each
Budget, surroundings and resale value are just a few factors that you need to consider when deciding what type of pool to install in your backyard. Compare in-ground and above-ground pools to see which one if right for you.
Factoring in Ongoing Costs
In addition to the face value of installing a swimming pool, there are annual costs associated with a swimming pool that can influence its value to your home — and your time.
Annual maintenance for pool cleaning and adjusting chemicals runs $500 to $1,000 per year if you do the work yourself, and the cost varies depending on where you live. If you’re in a warm climate and use your pool throughout most of the year, you’ll have more upkeep. In colder climates, you’ll probably shut down your pool for most of the year.
Professional pool services will clean your pool and filters and adjust chemicals for $80 to $150 per month, depending on the size of your pool and how detailed the services are. Pros charge $150 to $300 for opening up a pool at the beginning of the swim season and the same amount for closing down and winterizing your pool at the end of the year.
Electricity costs for running a circulating pool pump costs about $300 per year. Heating a pool can add $500 to $800 to your annual utility bills.
Homeowners insurance typically covers “other structures” such as pools, but if you plan to install a pool you should check with your insurance agent about increasing your liability coverage. You can mitigate insurance costs — and add a significant measure of safety — if your pool is protected by childproof fencing and locked gates.
- Pools are made up of many parts but it’s the sanitization systems that keep the water clean and healthy. Saltwater and chlorine systems are two of the most common pool systems
- When you opt for a saltwater or saline pool, your pool’s filtering system comes with a chlorine generator. You add pool-grade salt to the water and the generator converts the salt into chlorine, which is then sent back out to the pool to sanitize the water. In the end, even with a saltwater pool you are swimming in chlorinated water — but it’s a lot less chlorine than you would have with a traditional chlorine system. The water will have a softer quality than water in chlorine pools.
- There are several pros to a saltwater swimming pool system, mainly due to the decreased amount of chemicals needed.
- One of the major benefits of saltwater systems is that they have significantly lower levels of chlorine than traditional chlorine systems and don’t require harsh chemicals. As a result, the water is gentler on your skin, eyes and hair, and it does not fade swimwear or towels the way that chlorine pools do.
- Saltwater pools are much lower maintenance than chlorine systems and thus more user-friendly. You don’t need algaecides because the system naturally helps prevent algae from growing on the walls or in the water. The chlorine generator does the work for you.
- While there are many cost benefits to maintaining a saltwater pool, the upfront costs are significant compared to chlorine pools. Purchasing and installing a chlorine generator can cost anywhere from $500 to $2,000 and up, and the equipment will likely need to be replaced in three to seven years.
- Chlorine systems have very few upfront costs compared to saltwater systems. There is no need to purchase expensive equipment such as a chlorine generator, and you can perform all water tests and chemical balancing on your own without the need for a professional.
- Owners may also find maintaining a chlorine pool to be more cumbersome since you must perform weekly tasks such as checking the chemical balance, adding chlorine tablets and “shocking” the pool.
- If you’re looking for options beyond saltwater and chlorine systems, you may want to consider a UV system to sanitize your pool. This system relies on UV bulbs to kill bacteria, algae and viruses in your water.
- Another option is an ozone system, which uses ozone gas to destroy bacteria, viruses and other contaminants. The system is typically used in tandem with chlorine or saltwater systems, but it requires fewer chemicals and less overall maintenance.
Generally, a pool can add 5% to 7% to the value of a home. However, this is not guaranteed and depends on several factors, including the location, climate, style and condition of the pool, and the local real estate market. In some cases, a pool might even decrease a home’s value, especially if it’s poorly maintained or detracts from the overall property.
