So, you've got a property to sell and it's got a swimming pool. Pools can be a tricky sell. Not impossible, but it's unlikely that the pool will be what motivates prospective buyers to buy.
Still though, all hope is not lost. As a professional home stager/property stylist, it's my job to make the backyard swimming pool really count at ‘for sale' time.
Here are 10 of the fastest and simplest ways I know that will make your swimming pool one of your property's best assets.
1. Think of it as another room in your house. And like any room in the for sale property, it should be sparkling clean and user friendly, with just a dash of style
2. Add shade. Given the location of most backyard pools - in full sun, shade is essential. It makes the area look and feel comfortable and helps potential buyers to imagine themselves spending many hours poolside. There's no need to spend a bundle, just add an outdoor umbrella or shade sail for instant shade.
3. Create a dining area. Does luxury get any better? What could be better than a meal and a cool drink on a warm summer's day, surrounded by family and friends?
4. Make it safe. This is a no brainer. Make sure that pool fencing and gates are all in good condition and in perfect working order.
5. Add plantings. Add a little greenery and colour in either pots or in ground plantings to help to soften some of the hardness of the pool edges. Choose plants that are strong enough to cope with the harshness of the hot poolside environment.
6. Add soft seating for just lounging around. This is about making the area feel like another room in the house, so make it easy to relax in. Face sun lounges towards the house, unless the pool is draped in an otherwise fantastic view.
7. Add storage. Anyone who's got a pool will tell you, that you tend to accumulate a lot of stuff. A place to put it is an essential ingredient to promoting the positive aspects of having a house with a pool. Pack away the pool toys, cleaning equipment and anything else not in use. You can have a basket poolside for a few beach towels.
8. Uncover it and turn on the power. These days lots of pools have covers on them to prevent water loss and debris from getting in. That said, if your pool is covered, take the cover off, then switch on your filter or water feature. We humans are attracted to moving water.
9. Add a pool house or cabana. I realise this may be a big ask, but hear me out. Providing a pool house would be one heck of a way to stand out from the competition. You can even find ready built pool houses (or something that could be used as one) in kit form at your local hardware.
10. Sell when it's warmer. Look, don't get me wrong, the best time to sell is when it feels right for you. But if you at all can, there's no easier time to sell the benefits of having a swimming pool to potential buyers than on a warm summer day. But even if a summer sale isn't right for you, any of the above hints will put you well ahead of the competition.
Obviously you scale the size of the pool house to the home's asking price. You're right, lots of people do view a pool as nothing more than an attractive nuisance and they can be a tough sell in some areas (as I said at the start of the post). Adding simple and useable spaces that will ultimately allow for year round use, is just one way to go about playing down that sort of thinking.
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