House, with pool

Photo: puhhha

The pros and cons of a swimming pool home

In the Okanagan Valley, many of us love the idea of owning a home with a swimming pool. 

Swimming pools are a luxury for some people, for others they feel like a common necessity. Relaxing with our kids in those long Okanagan summer days, and drinking and dining beside the water during lazy summer nights - but is it an investment that pays off?

If you've been thinking about buying a home with a swimming pool, here are the things you should know:

The Pros

It’s fun! 

It’s a great way to get a daily dose of exercise for you and your children.

It’s perfect for relaxing, and ideal for spending weekends under the summer sun. It can keep your children where you can supervise them, rather than out and about.

It’s great for birthdays, parties, and other fun and special events.

It may help you sell your property to a buyer who wants a swimming pool.  

The Cons

It can be dangerous with children around, or, for that matter, anybody who doesn’t know how to swim. Every swimming pool needs proper safety fencing and door locks installed. Make sure you are prepared to pay for these added items, plus appropriate insurance.

Be aware that if you install a pool, chances are very good that you will never increase the market price of your home enough to include what you spent on the pool unless you own the home for a very long time.

Pools require constant maintenance, care, and filtration. It’s not a “set it and forget it solution” – it’s a part time job, like most luxury items.

The ongoing maintenance is costly, and you must be prepared for the added cost of running a pool. The chemicals, heating, and water bill alone are well into thousands per year.  

If you add a pool to your home, be aware that it will be a long time before you get your investment back, if ever. If you buy a home with a pool already installed, you must realize that when you sell, there is a limited market for your home. In both scenarios, you will have a huge ongoing maintenance bill.  

Some buyers want to buy homes with pools, but a larger number won’t touch them. Resale wise, they aren’t a great investment, but enjoyment wise – they are the best.

So, if you are up to investing in a swimming pool for your home, or buying a home with a swimming pool, make sure the enjoyment will outweigh the costs.  

Either way, here’s wishing you happy and pleasant summer days ahead!

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.