Having our own swimming pool in the backyard is more than a childhood dream. It’s a landscaping feature and a stylish add-on to your home. It’s a place of entertainment for both kids and adults, and a natural way to keep cool in the summer. On the other hand, for a homeowner, a swimming pool can be a valuable investment, one that clearly returns on the home market value. Look through these points to see if adding a pool to your property makes sense investment-wise.
Lifestyle or future investment
Some people consider a backyard pool strictly as an investment into their lifestyle, something that will improve their way of life. For others, a home pool is an investment which will make the property more attractive to renters or increase the home resale value. Since your home is probably one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make, make sure you run your pool project by the professionals in the real estate business. They’ll be able to assess whether the amount you’ve decided to spend will pay off in the future.
Who are your target buyers?
Pools are especially attractive to families with older children. In addition, a pool is a great investment idea for a holiday home for rent. People will always be more attracted to a renting unit with a swimming pool when making their holiday arrangements. Busy career-people and property investors, however, will more likely prefer a property without a pool. Those kinds of buyers are primarily interested in a property that needs as little maintenance as possible. On the other hand, tenants might not be prepared and willing to take time and trouble for the extra responsibility.
Added value vs. cost
Whether your added property value will justify the cost depends mainly on what type of pool you choose and how well it integrates into your existing landscape. First of all, you want your pool to be durable. With their laminate construction and gel coating, contemporary fibreglass swimming pools are able to withstand all climate conditions and soil types in any location worldwide. First class pool installers offer 25-year structural warranty for their fibreglass shells. In addition, by working with the installers, you’ll be able to highly customize your swimming pool site.
Is your location pool-friendly?
If your property is in the neighborhood favored by families because of great schools, universities, sports facilities and shopping centers, a pool can make your home stand out even more in the listings. Suburban properties that are a few miles from the beach can also greatly benefit from a backyard pool. A holiday renter is likely to buy into such a convenience for the sake of those no-beach days. Finally, there is a question of your local climate. A swimming pool in an area with a lot of sunny days and hot weather is going to see a lot of use and ultimately justify the investment.
Not to overcapitalize
Just as with any home improvement project, it’s important to keep the closing costs to a minimum. If you spend too much money on installation, it might be hard to return the investment when you sell. While modern fiberglass pools come in all shapes and sizes, it’s important to choose one that fits your property as well as your budget. Perhaps the safest strategy would be to research similar home listings in your area and compare the homes with and without swimming pools. It will help you come up with a real-time budget without splurging too much money.
Apart from being a game-changing improvement for your family for those long summer days, a backyard swimming pool can also be an excellent investment. Whether you want to upgrade your family home for the resale, or you are purchasing properties for rent, with an abundance of options to choose from today, a favorable ROI is very possible.
Author Bio: Lillian Connors can’t resist the urge to embark on a myriad of green living/home improvement projects and spread the word about them. She cherishes the notion that sustainable housing and gardening will not only make us far less dependent on others regarding the dwellings we inhabit but also contribute to our planet being a better place to live on. You can check her out on Twitter and LinkedIn.
If you liked this article, subscribe to Rentometer's email newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest trends in rental housing.