Things to Look for When Buying a House with a Swimming Pool
Hidden Repairs
Oftentimes when preparing a house for sale, homeowners will do makeshift repairs to make things look perfect and functional, but these repairs can often be an illusion. When looking to purchase a house with a swimming pool you should contact a pool inspector to test the equipment and pressure of the pool to ensure everything works properly and to avoid any leaks or issues. If there are repairs necessary then you should have those estimated ahead of time so you can factor them into the purchasing price.
Warranty Coverage
You should always check to see if your pool is covered under warranty. Sometimes the pool company will have gone out of business or maybe something else happened to terminate the warranty; if this is the case, then you should contact an insurance agent to find out how much a warranty would cost you monthly. Buying a pool without a warranty can add surprise monthly expenses, so you need to do research beforehand to make sure you get a fair price.
Impact on Insurance
Beyond warranty, pools also have an impact on your insurance as well. The value added to your home by a pool can vary significantly potentially impacting your premium, so you want to contact your insurance agent to get an estimate on what your monthly insurance will look like with a pool. Luckily, pools are less susceptible to damage in comparison to houses so homeowners should not worry too much about pools and their impact on insurance.
Pool Design
Probably the utmost question to ask yourself when buying a house with a pool is: do you like the design of the pool? You can always pay for a pool remodel, but if this is your plan then you should think a remodel through ahead of time to ensure you are prepared for the costs. Last thing you want is to end up with a pool, which you find distasteful, stuck in your backyard due to a lack of funding for a remodel. While the pool design and appearance should come second in priority to the house, you should still seriously consider the design of the pool and factor in any future remodels into your budget.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Pools are not just a one-time purchase and done type of ordeal – pools requiring cleaning and maintenance and, while these costs are not expensive, they need to be considered prior to purchasing.
Don’t get us wrong – buying a house with a pool is a blessing. However, we just want to make sure that prospective homeowners are prepared for what a pool entails and make sure that they get the right price for the home they purchase. Buying a pool should add value to the home, but the extent of this value can only be sometimes be overvalued. This is why all prospective homeowners should check these items and make sure they factor them into their budget before making the decision to buy a home with a pool.
Nothing would turn away a potential buyer faster than a dirty pool or one that is covered up by a pool cover. When you are looking to put your house on the market you should be keeping your pool as clean as possible. Additionally, you want to ensure you especially clean your pool before an open house and take your pool cover off to show off that beautiful pool that is the centerpiece of your backyard.
If you are selling a property with a pool then you should put the house on the market around the beginning of summer. You want the weather to be warm causing your buyers to possibly desire a pool more than they would during the winter months. Plus, nobody wants to buy a pool when it is cold and raining outside. With this being said, if you are in a rush to sell your house then a pool in the winter is not a game changer – it just may prevent you from achieving the maximum value your estate could reach.