Even though a pool has exceeded their wildest dreams, many pool owners cringe at the thought of how much money they’ve wasted on it.
So before you go and search for “homes for sale near me with a pool,” let us give you a friendly warning: never buy a house with a pool that you might regret later on.
Pools Are Expensive
Pools Hike Up Your Electric And Water Bills
Is having a pool expensive? Needless to say, your energy bill will go up if you buy a house with a pool or build a pool in your backyard. To keep your pool pump running alone, you must shell out upwards of $300 annually. The pump is in charge of the pool’s filtration system and is thus critical to its upkeep.
The cost of filling a standard 15,000 to 30,000-gallon pool with city water is in the region of $120 each time, so those who want a house with a pool should be aware of this.
Heating the pool can cost you $.80 per hour using a heat pump, $7 an hour (or $200 to $400 a month) for a gas heater, and if you want to heat your pool with solar energy, you should budget anywhere from $50 for solar pool blankets and rings to $4,000 for solar panels explicitly designed for inground pools.
Pools Hike Up Your Homeowners Insurance Premium
Did you know that insurance companies use the phrase “attractive nuisance” to describe pools? Because of the increased number of swimming pool accidents, buyers will almost certainly need to enhance their liability coverage.
With more money at stake for the insurance company, you should expect to pay more each year. You may also want to rethink the idea of building a diving board in your swimming pool. For this reason, pools featuring diving boards and water slides are often excluded from standard homeowners’ insurance plans.
Pools Hike Up Your Property Taxes
Pools need permits, which can raise your property value in the eyes of the county tax assessor. This will exacerbate the tax burden on homeowners.
Your property taxes will go up if you acquire a house with a swimming pool since it is deemed an expansion. The size of the pool and the sort of market in which you operate will impact this decision.
You should also be aware that unless you meet specific criteria, it is impossible to deduct the cost of a swimming pool from your property taxes. A swimming pool is an expense subject to sales tax since you classify it as a recreational buy. Health and well-being should be your primary considerations while taking advantage of tax relief. Expert tax law advice may be necessary for this situation.
Pools Require a Ton of Costly Fixes
You bought a house with a pool, now what? An attractive pool may be a terrific selling point (especially during Houston summers), but keep in mind that pool upkeep is a running bill.
It takes time and effort on the homeowner’s side to maintain a pool – from the chemicals they use to how they clean the surfaces. Otherwise, the PH levels in your pool water might grow out of whack, causing issues like algae and bacteria that take a toll on your health.
Is pool ownership too much work for you? Because there are so many pool care businesses to choose from, you won’t have a problem keeping your pool in top shape! There is a wide range of prices for pool service professionals, from $50 to $150 weekly.
With regular maintenance, you’ll need to hire a company like this to take care of your pool multiple times a month. Also, above-ground pools require a new liner every four to eight years, while in-ground pools need a new liner every 15 to 20 years. Cement pools need to have their plaster reapplied every six to nine years. The bottom line is that owning a pool means you’ll bring in the pool specialists every week and every couple of years.
Pools Can Invite Unwanted Accidents
Pools Can Be Dangerous for Homes With Children and Pets
The number of pool owners who are unable to swim or have children who cannot swim may surprise you. Tragedy might ensue in each of these circumstances. If you can’t swim, your kid has only a 13% chance of learning to swim too. When a person’s life is at stake, these are hardly ideal odds.
If you ever face the conundrum: should I buy a house with a pool? These figures might help you make a decision – according to the CDC, about 350 children and 5,000 family pets die yearly from unnecessary pool drownings.
Among children ages 1 to 4, drowning is the largest cause of injury-related mortality, and among children ages 1 to 15, it is the second highest cause. You and your family must take all the required measures when buying a home with a pool in mind. Safety methods include:
- constructing a fence around the pool;
- locking entrances to the pool,
- training your children to swim early;
- establishing family pool rules;
- provide code-compliant covers for drains; and
- install alarms.
Poolside Fun Can Result in Injury & Fatality
We mentioned that there’s a good chance that insurance companies may raise premiums or refuse to pay for diving-board accidents altogether. Diving boards are a serious safety hazard. Accidental landings on swimmers by divers, striking the diving board when doing stunts, and falling while mounting the ladder are all major causes of injury.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a precocious adolescent diving into the water head first or a neighbor who’s had a few too many drinks: a pool may be an invitation to the type of pool play that can end in serious injuries or even the loss of life. Due to the significant risk involved, it necessitates an enormous level of responsibility and reflection on your part: should I buy a house with a pool?
Conclusion
Despite the expenses and care necessary to pool maintenance, many property owners will tell you that it is well worth the effort to have get-togethers and parties that family and friends will remember for a long time during the warm months. Having a pool can be the most enjoyable feature of your brand-new home when combined with a glorious summer day and a tasty cookout.
Just remember to keep these potential snags in mind, and we strongly suggest that you discuss your options and
view a few homes with a Happen Houston real estate agent so that you can arrive at an informed choice regarding whether or not that house with a swimming pool is a good fit for you and yours.
