Does a Swimming Pool Add Value to a Home?

As the mercury rises, nobody can deny that it is a joy to have a nice cool swimming pool to jump into.  However, does it add value to your home? Certainly when it comes to our clients, a pool is a bit of a marmite moment i.e. they love it or loathe it! 

For some it is simply seen as a safety hazard and a definite no no and that’s without the financial considerations of heating and maintaining a pool.  A pool has been described as purely a pit to pour money into.  Estimates for heating costs seem to vary wildly but the figure could be as much as £10 per day and therefore could cost more to heat your pool in summer than your house in winter!  Be warned, as soon as you open up your pool in say May, it won’t work.  There is always something that has gone wrong over the winter which will need time, effort and cash to sort it out. 

On the other hand some clients won’t consider a house that doesn’t already have a pool or room to put one in.  One thing is for sure, if you have a pool it must be in tip top condition when you put your house on the market.  A sparkling well maintained pool could seal a deal where as a half full dirty pool with debris floating in it will immediately put potential buyers off and they place it on the “need to spend money on” list.

To put in a standard-sized pool costs £30,000 to £35,000 for a lined pool or £60,000 to £100,000 for a tiled pool so it’s quite an investment.   So does it add value to a home?  The short answer is no…but on a steaming hot day in the school summer holidays it’s priceless!