Why I NEVER Recommend Installing a Pool

I know this sounds a little ironic because we are installing a pool in our own home, but I never recommend installing a pool to my clients.

Why Do I Not Recommend Getting a Pool:

The bottom line is that the ROI (return on investment) isn't financially worth it. Let me give you a few scenarios to paint this picture.

Scenario 1: Depending on the size, a pool can cost anywhere from 35k to 100k to install. But when you sell your home, the pool only raises the value of the property 20% give or take. Say you buy a home for $500,000 and you install a $60,000 pool. Then, some unforeseen events cause you to sell and move. You would have lost $48,000 on just the pool alone.

Scenario 2: Say you are one of my buyers and I am showing you houses in the area you'd like to buy. We have narrowed it down to 2 options. For the sake of simplicity, let's assume the 2 homes were comparable (same sqft, the same number of bedrooms and bathrooms, lot sizes are comparable, etc.) except the only difference is that one listing has a pool already installed and the other listing does not have a pool.

As your REALTOR, which one would I recommend (assuming you wanted a pool)?

The one with a pool. Why?

1) Odds are the purchase price is only 10k-20k more. For starters, it seems like a no-brainer to spend 10k-20k more on a home than save 10k-20k on the purchase price to turn around and spend 60k to install a pool.

2) Let's talk about the loan aspect of a pool. If you spend 10k-20k more on the purchase price of a home because it has a pool already installed, that would only raise your monthly mortgage payment by $50-$100. If you were to purchase a home without a pool and got a loan to install a 60k pool, you'd easily be paying $500/month on that pool loan.

3) The price of construction/installation of a pool will always continue going up. In the last year pool prices have increased 20%. In the last 3 years, they have almost doubled. Granted, that has a lot to do with the recent economy, COVID, stimulus checks, employment/laborers, materials on backorder, etc. However, the principle remains the same, these costs will continue to increase. I bring this up because if you buy a home without a pool and wait even a year, your cash out of pocket (or loan amount) for a pool will climb beyond your current cost expectations.

The moral of the story is if you want a pool, buy a home with one already installed.

When I DO recommend getting a pool:

I would only recommend installing a pool to my buyers in the two following scenarios:

1) If you feel VERY confident you'll be in the home for 4+ years, then a pool might be worth it. Will you get a full return on investment? No. But we do know your home will grow so much in value over 4+ years that it will help offset the cost of the pool. If you really want a pool but want to make sure you won't still owe on your pool loan upon selling the house, then this timeline should allow for safe decision-making.

2) I would also recommend a pool if you could care less about ROI and you just want to build fun family memories and have the cash and/or solid income to do so! Haha. For some people, that's totally worth it!

My Thoughts Exactly...

If you've been following me for even a minute, you know I am all about updates to a home. But I only recommended updates that will give you a return on your investment. A pool is just not one of them. This is all not to mention the maintenance... $$

When I hear my buyers mention they would like a pool, I always walk them through the pros, cons, and costs, then I typically advise we look at homes with a pool already built in. Knowledge is power! If you are thinking about getting a pool, reach out to me and I can walk you through some general numbers to see if it's financially worth it for you and your family. I can also give you some very affordable and trustworthy referrals :)

As you go through your decision-making process if a pool is right for you, here are two other blog posts where I walk you through 3 Reasons I Did NOT Want a Pool, and the backstory of our Decision to Get a Pool!

Lastly, don't forget to follow along for our pool installation progress! The landscaping is officially out and they are marking the ground next week for digging! EEK!

Sincerely,

Jessica Doberneck of