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While it’s a comforting scenario to have a pool to brag about, installing one can complicate your investment thus it’s highly recommended you proceed with caution.
Swimming pool installation is great for the following reasons:
Real Estate Value
Although this may depend greatly on your location, adding a swimming pool to your home may increase the value of your real estate property. There’s a possibility that a pool could increase your property’s value up to a maximum of 25%, considering you live in a high-end neighborhood with a warm climate, and that your pool is well maintained, working well with landscaping and other amenities. This is the golden requirement.
Quality Family Time and Socialization
A backyard with a pool is an amazing spot to have quality family fun or have a few friends come over for a quick dip while steaks are being grilled. If you have a teenage kid, this would totally up his game at socialization—think spring break. It’s a great place to host birthdays and important reunions too!
Aside from personal leisure, you can also make a few bucks out of your pool if you can have the place rented for private events.
Health, Fitness, and Relaxation
Pixabay
Regularly swimming laps are great cardiovascular exercise, and having 24/7 access to your pool will certainly decrease the hassle of going to public pools, not to mention the comfort of having one for yourself and your family.
Sitting in front of a pool has a genuine calming effect that can also help when you’re tired and weary, and simply need a quick vacation at the comforts of your own home.
Factors to Consider Before Installing a Swimming Pool
Climate and Location
A swimming pool is an amazing investment if it were to be installed in a high-end neighborhood with a humid climate. Maintenance is less costly, you don’t have to deal with seasonal changes, and the pool will most likely be used all year long.
It is, however, an entirely different story for residences under moderate or cold climates in mid to low economy zones. Pools in these areas tend to attract less buyers, ergo the decrease in value and negative ROI
Family size and members
It is also important to keep the members of the family in consideration before installing a pool. It is highly advisable to avoid the idea when you have a toddler or an old person living at home, who can most likely incur accidents via the pool.
Local building codes
Just like you can’t just build a house with random measurements, there also are strict pool building protocols in every state. It is prudent to brush up on this to ensure safety during and after installation.
Type of pool
Freshwater pools use chlorine that can be costly when compared to saltwater. However, when chlorine is added, it doesn’t diffuse well and may get concentrated in some areas. Skin irritation and red eyes occur when the pH level is not carefully monitored.
Saltwater pools, on the other hand, doesn’t taste and smell like metal because they are maintained at 4000 parts per million of salt, and the natural salt chemical is more stable, equally diffused and cheaper than chlorine. However, the pump needs to continuously run to sustain chemical stability and this incurs huge utility costs.
Above ground pools are extremely less expensive than in-ground pools. It’s easier to maintain because they have no underground pipes and it’s less of a hassle to open and close during cold and warm seasons. It is highly suggested for temporary purposes because you can easily drain it and take it apart when the need arises.
In-ground pools incur a ton of costs, from installation to maintenance, yet has a more luxurious feel and lasts longer than above ground pools. This is the type of pool you install in order to get a bang for your buck when you sell your property.
Read more: In-ground pool costs
Installation and long-term costs
According to The National Association of Realtor’s online magazine, it takes $30,000 on an average to install, equip and fill up a 600 square feet concrete pool. Add the costs for a pump and heater utility fees, fee to hire a professional during seasonal opening and closing of the pool, and monthly maintenance depending on the type of pool you have, the total could range up to $3000 every year.
Swimming pools are luxury amenities of the home and require a consistent maintenance.
Hiring a credible long-term pool contractor
In order to get the best experience out of your investment for a swimming pool, having the perfect contractor to install and maintain is one of the most important things you have to consider. Although it might be a pain to browse through a lot of pool companies in your area, it also helps to browse online for references from friends or client feedbacks before you book an appointment with a contractor.
Make sure you do your assignments first before diving into a contract with pool installation services. This is to ensure that you have a basis for hiring an expert, not just some regular poor quality DIY job, and that you don’t get ripped off by con artists.
Gauge their customer service skills. You do not want to be working with a grumpy contractor who does poor pool installs for cheaper pay. That’s why before entering into a contract with them, it is highly advised not to simply decide over the phone but meet them personally.
Insurance
Just to save yourself anxiety over the tens of thousands of possibilities—drought, typhoon, hurricanes, and whatnot, that can harm the slim potential of ROIs from your pool, you need to make sure your homeowners insurance covers pools.
You can also inquire with the contractors you hire whether they offer insurance or not because you never know when something’s not done well unless you experience the damage yourself, and obviously the contractor’s responsibility for any immediate pool problems after the install.
Check also if the insurance covers accidents that may involve the pool.
It’s wise to check with your homeowner’s insurance for particular requirements to merit the insurance. Some may refuse pools with diving boards or slides, and some may require a fence around the area.
What’re you waiting for? Having a pool in your backyard can boost your home’s ROI. If you’re thinking of installing one, use this article as your guide.
Written by Raffy Marabut. March 24, 2016
Raffy Marabut is a passionate freelance copywriter and blogger. He graduated from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. More of his work can be found on copybyraffy.com, and he also founded lifeandmoneyhacks.com.
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Great article.