- (1) Understand what you are getting into
- (2) Remember to maintain safety
- (3) Properly maintain pools to add resale value
When looking at the homes in big cities like Johannesburg or Cape Town, most of them have pools and of course, everyone loves a pool.
What is better than relaxing in the cool water with a cold drink to get out of the hot South African sun?
They are a great way to entertain adults and kids alike whenever there is a party. But many people only see the pros and not the cons of buying a home with a pool. Whilst everyone loves a pool, not everyone likes having a pool.
The first thing that should be understood is that a pool is an added expense to your monthly bills. It might not be as much as you are thinking right now, but it is an item that uses a lot of water, requires a lot of maintenance during the month and does cost a serious penny to keep it at a decent standard!
And if you don’t want to maintain it yourself, you have to pay a pool cleaning service to do it for you.
This is not always a deal breaker for people; many homeowners want a pool in their yard. Before you make up your mind, here are 3 basic things you need to know about owning a home with a pool:
(1) Understand what you are getting into
Homeowners need to remember one important thing when it comes to buying a home: it is an investment that needs to make money once it has matured.
Will you get out what you have put in over the course of a few years? You might not get out what you think the pool is worth when you decide to sell.
If you are going to buy the house with a pool purely for your own enjoyment, then having it as a resale element might not even be a big deal to you.
When you buy a home with a pool, you buy the pool secondhand.
People don’t often think that way because they see the pool as a feature that comes with the house.
The pool is not brand new and you need to determine what the condition of the pool is before you buy. Determine how it was maintained, how often it was cleaned, when it was installed, and how much it is going to cost you to maintain it.
All these aspects need to be identified before you buy a home with a pool.
(2) Remember to maintain safety
If you have children or pets you might have to put up a fence and a gate around the pool area to ensure their safety.
If you are the only one in your area with a pool, you can count on your kids bringing other kids and maybe even their parents over for a swim.
Make sure that you adhere to the safety regulations and that you are insured for in case something happens. This way you can rest easy knowing that you have done everything possible to ensure the safety of your family and friends.
(3) Properly maintain pools to add resale value
There are two types of buyers: those that want a pool and those that don’t.
You might find a buyer that only realizes he wants a pool when he sees the house for the first time with a manicured backyard and a well-maintained pool.
This is the type of buyer that can easily be attracted by a pool and that will put an offer in because he sold the image of your own beautiful home.
Keep your home, pool, and entertainment area well-maintained so that you can swing the opinion of those sitting on the fence.
