Buying a Home with a Pool: Smart Investment or Hidden Expense?

For most homeowners, a pool is a lifestyle purchase rather than a financial investment. When your family is at their happiest outdoors, having a pool and backyard oasis could be the answer. Family gatherings around the pool with delicious BBQ and nothing but relaxation on the agenda feels good. If you’re undecided about wanting a home with a pool, keep reading to learn more about if this home addition is a smart investment or a hidden expense for you and your family.

Choosing a Pool Lifestyle

Three motivators for having an in-ground pool include:

1. The convenience and privacy. Public pools have crowds, set hours of operation, and mean you need to travel to wherever the pool is located. When you have a pool in your backyard, you are steps away from swimming whenever you like—daytime or nighttime under the stars. If you don’t have a super large family, you won’t have a long wait to use the slide or be concerned about bumping into people while swimming laps. 
2. For lifestyle and recreation. There are all forms of exercise and swimming is a top choice for staying fit. Swimming builds muscle strength, cardiovascular endurance, and burns calories while being low-impact. Regular exercise like swimming can lead to better sleep quality and improved mood as well as be a tool to reduce stress and anxiety.
3. Increased property value and curb appeal. When the comparable homes in your neighborhood have in-ground pools, this increases the desire and appeal of your home should you plan to sell your home.  Some real estate professionals estimate having an in-ground pool can increase your home’s value between 5-8%. A well-maintained and landscaped pool area is eye-catching and will stand out in home listings, especially in competitive markets.

Realistic Pool Expenses

Owning a pool comes with on-going expenses such as:

• Pool chemicals such as chlorine, pH balancers, or algaecides.
• Routine cleaning whether you do this weekly yourself or hire a professional pool service.
• Year-round maintenance equipment services and added water-checks during heavy usage periods.
• Fluctuating utility bills to match the running of pool pumps, filters, heaters, and pool lighting.

Overtime, there can be expenses come up when the pool or its equipment ages and needs replacement or repair. These long-range expenses can include anything that is structural around the pool, the repair or replacement of major equipment as well as increased insurance premiums. 

Sara’s Checklist: Is a Pool Right for Your Home? 

Still unsure if a buying a home with a pool is right for you and your family? Use this checklist to think through the numerous factors:

• Consider how often you’ll use the pool daily, weekly, monthly.
• Review your budget and determine if you can comfortably afford the necessary upkeep and regular maintenance along with increased utility bills that cover the energy costs necessary for running the pool equipment.
• Consider if you have the available time to regularly check the water levels and keep the water clean or if you would need to hire pool professionals to do this.
• Will the pool’s condition need any necessary repairs or maintenance in the near future?
• For families with children, does the pool/yard area have safety features such as a fence or gate with a lock?

Whether you’re Team Pool or Team No Pool, the Houston metroplex has an assortment of homes listed. Give me a call and let’s start the conversation around what you’d like in a home. It’s my honor to serve you and help you find the right home for your lifestyle. 

Since 2004 Sara Lyn Nguyen continues to bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise about buying and selling real estate around the Houston area to those she serves. Sara is a multi-year award winning REALTOR® and relocation specialist where her clients trust her to have up-to-date information on the real estate market. She has been one of Gary Greene’s Multi-Million Dollar Top Producers, and citywide was the #2 Top Producing agent in 2020, #3 in 2021, #2 in 2022, #5 in 2023 and 2024. When it’s time to buy, sell, invest, or relocate speak with a trusted professional knowledgeable in the homes and neighborhoods of Fort Bend/Sugar Land and the surrounding region.