San Tan Valley Homes | To Swimming Pool or Not to Swimming Pool
To add swimming Pools or not to swimming Pools?
With summer fast approaching. I often get asked about having swimming pools. How much value does it ad? Is it a smart investment? The answer is pretty complex. When it comes to having a pool you really need to ask yourself some tough questions.
Question 1: How much time are you gonna spend in the pool. If you have not ever had a pool, you might have visions of pina coladas and warm summer days. You and your family in the pool. The reality is a bit different. You have to get the kids all ready and covered in sun block. You have to make sure the family pet doesn’t drink the water or potty in it. Sometimes a day in the pool can be a real hassle.
Question 2: Who is gonna take care of the pool. When my wife and I were looking at pools we went with salt water and self-cleaning. The reality of that is that it is not maintenance free. You still need to brush it weekly (Daily during the monsoon season), ad chemicals, clean out filters and skimmers. Having a pool is not all fun in the sun. If you are like me and don’t want the hassle, you can get it taken care of for a fee. On average weekly pool maintenance will run you around $100 a month. That includes all the basics. Not annual filter cleanings. Or major issues like a bad pool pump. Those may be covered by a home warranty. Which of course is extra also. A good home warranty that covers pool equipment will run you around $500 a year.
Question 3: What is the return on investment? That is one of the toughest questions to answer. Some appraisers will add anywhere from 3 to 10 thousand dollars in value for a pool. From what I have seen the more elaborate the pool you buy the more you will lose. A modest pool will run anywhere between $20k to $30k. Depending on the features and surface. I highly recommend a pebble surface it seems to last longer and be more forgiving when dirty. That being said having a pool can make the difference of your home selling or not. If you don’t have a pool and someone is looking for homes with one. Your house will not even appear in their search.
So in the end is it worth it? That is really up to you. With me all the hassle is worth it just for those great times that my wife and I have had in the pool. You can’t put a price on memories.
For more information about Big Mike or RE/MAX Home Expert Realty, please visit www.DownHomeAZ.com or give Big Mike a call at (480) 720-0730
