Swimming Pools and The ‘For Sale’ Property – 5 Myths Busted.

Swimming pools can be a real joy. If you've got a young family they offer hours and hours of fun. The downside is that come sale time, too many home owners mistakenly believe that their swimming pool is a reason to set a higher asking price or will lure potential buyers in like moths to a flame.

No doubt about it, selling a home with a swimming pool can be a tricky job. The truth is swimming pools aren't for everyone. Some home buyers love'em, and some plenty hate ‘em.

So, if your ‘for sale' property has a swimming pool, here's the 5 most common  selling myths  - busted.

1. A pool will had value. I'm afraid that, as a rule, they don't.  When putting in a pool, you should be aiming to spend around 10%- 15% of your home's value. But that doesn't mean that your home will be worth 10%-15% more at the end of it. The best reason to put a pool in is because you want one and will use it, not because you want to add value to your property. There's an old rule of thumb for home buyers wanting a pool for the kids - buy a house with a pool. The reason? Well, first of all the hard work is done, but mostly it's because the pool is almost considered a free gift.

2. A pool will make my property more saleable. Yes and no. If you were to take a satellite shot of your neighbourhood that showed a lot of little blue dots all over, then yes, a pool may be a very saleable asset. But the one thing you can't get away from when it comes to pools is the maintenance. Maintenance means time and money and there are plenty of people looking to buy a new home with not a lot of either to spare. Word of warning; Sacrificing valuable yard space in an already small backyard, is a definite negative.

3. Upkeep isn't important if I'm selling during the cooler months. No matter what time of year you're selling, if you have a swimming pool you MUST keep it looking sparkling clean all year round. Rain, hail or shine. Ignoring pool maintenance at any time when you're selling will just let you and your property down.

4. Buyer's love a spa. Spas are the #1 home improvement that home buyers DO NOT CARE FOR. The truth is, you'd be better off putting a (portable) spa into storage, and giving your home back the space to be used in more practical ways.

5. Pools just sell themselves. There are few things in the world that simply sell a themselves. For your home's swimming pool to be a genuine asset you'll need to treat it like any other room in your house. Keep it clean and well maintained, then add some style to give a real sense of lifestyle. That will rev up that all important buyer appeal at your place - inside and out.

Have you got any thoughts on swimming pools and selling?