Swimming Pools: Cool Feature To Most

At last! To the joy of every child (and most adults) you know, your Pelican Bay or Bay Colony home has a swimming pool! Whether you just bought the property or have recently installed a pool yourself, this is a feature that’s not only a pleasure to look at, but also a true centerpiece -- a magnet for socializing and relaxing throughout the hot summer months. 

  Also true: that pool carries a few drawbacks, as well. You should consider both when it comes to writing an offer or selling a home with a pool

 Pro 1: Boost Your Property's Value

 In today's super-competitive housing market, it’s good to stand out from the crowd. Whether you add your property to the local home listings next week or plan to do so in the future, a pool will boost its overall value. My summer buyers’ ears always perk up when I mention the next home listing we will visit has a pool. 

 Pro 2: You (and Future Buyers) Will Enjoy Your Pool

We’ve all had the blissful summer afternoon experience – floating around, colorful beverage of choice in hand.  The truth is, you will enjoy your pool: friends will come over, you’ll host great BBQs, you’ll look forward to unwinding after difficult workdays. It’s hard to put a price on any of that.  Buyers influenced by the summer heat will have the same vision of entertaining and relaxing with friends and family. And the extra attention drawn by local home listings that mention a pool is unquestionable. 

 Con: Not all buyers want a pool. While some may avoid them because of small children, dogs, and generalized safety concerns, others may shy away from extra maintenance issues, both real and imagined. Monthly pool service, higher water bills, higher electricity and gas bills, potential for repair of pool mechanical equipment, pool re-surfacing (which can hit the $10k neighborhood!), pool leaks, replacing diving boards, pool covers…if they have had a pool before, or are merely responding to second-hand tales, the unknowns can seem daunting.  The brave do-it-yourselfers who choose to monitor a pool on their own will be taking on the task of checking chlorine levels, watching algae, measuring chemicals and above all else keeping that pool blue! 

  Nevertheless, the truth is that pros and cons accompany all local home listings. Every household is unique --the balance between challenges and rewards is what makes it so. If you’re having that “colorful-beverage-in-hand” vision and relish the idea of making it a reality, I’m always happy to show you the home listings that best fit your specifications.  You can even ask me what to do if the water turns green!