Key Takeaways:
- Buying a home with a pool can cost more, but not more than installing your own
- The benefits may outweigh any risks or costs for most homeowners
- Carla Freund is available to help find the perfect Triangle area home with a pool
Doesn’t a pool sound like the perfect feature for your future Triangle area home? You’d have access to a cooling body of water whenever the weather warms up, and a pool is a great space to entertain friends and family. However, we want to make sure you’re entirely informed about what you’re purchasing when you buy a Central North Carolina home with a pool.
We love the idea of a home with a pool, specifically the years of fun and entertainment it’s bound to bring to your family, but we also want to make sure you consider all information as you shop. To help guide you on your search for a home with a pool, we’ve put together a quick list of things to consider before you submit that offer.
Homes With Pools May Cost More…
When searching for a home with a pool, you should expect to see an uptick in the base listing price. A pool is a sought-after feature for many homeowners, and the value of a property is more likely to increase with a pool already installed. Some estimates suggest that the value of a home can increase between 5 and 8%, though the state of the market will determine that.
…but Installing a Pool is Expensive
If you suspect you’ll want a pool at any point, you really need to take into consideration the cost of installing your own. Generally, buying a home with a pool is less expensive than buying a home without one and installing it later. You can spend, at minimum, around $30,000 to $40,000 for a new pool, and that’s for a basic install with no bells and whistles.
Insurance May Not Cover Your Pool
When shopping for home insurance, you have to ask whether or not your pool is covered. Inground and above-ground pools may be viewed differently, and one may have more coverage than the other. Other factors like the presence of a locked enclosure can affect your premium. Speak to your preferred insurance company for specifics on home coverage when you have a pool.
Your Utility Bills May Increase
From the running filter to lighting and possibly even heating, your utilities will look a little different in a Triangle home with a pool. If you have solar panels, they’ll mitigate the costs of running your filter drastically. Your water bill will also increase, as you’ll be filling the pool occasionally to prevent too much evaporation. How much everything will increase depends on the size of the pool and the type of filter pump installed.
There Are Ongoing Maintenance Costs
A pool isn’t something you can set and forget. You need to check chemical levels and ensure debris and algae don’t build up. Chlorine, PH balance, and other consumables are ongoing costs. Buying a home with a saltwater pool can reduce your maintenance costs some, but there will always be some increase.
You’re Going to Have Better Summers
The big payoff here is that you’re going to have at-home entertainment perfect for those hotter summer days. Everyone will want to come by and go for a swim, making your home the seasonal “place to be.” Whether you have children that will make use of it daily or you plan on sneaking in a morning swim as weather allows, a pool can sometimes feel like a necessity for a home to be complete.
Should I Buy a Home With a Pool?
Whether or not a pool works for your new Triangle area home is absolutely dependent on what you want out of your new property. A pool does add entertainment value and an appeal that homes without pools simply don’t have. You could buy a home with space for a pool and install it later, but the installation and material costs may put that project off for a long while.
If you’re curious about seeing some homes with pools in the Raleigh-Durham area, all you have to do is Ask Carla. Carla Freund is a Triangle area expert ready to help you find your new central North Carolina home with a pool.