woud you buy a house with a pool? (homeowners insurance, how much)

[angelawongme]

would a pool increase or decrease your home value? I heard that will depend on the climate and where the house is located.
We are from out of the state, and will be moving to this area. SO I am asking you guys..
will a house with a pool be harder to resell in the future? I am very interested in a house with a pool lately. it does not cost more than an equivalent house without one. so I am intrigued.
THANKS for any input

[whynot?]

Do you mean in-ground pool or above-ground pool? They're very different beasts.

[Erin1264]

Yes, I think a house with any pool (or body of water - been there, done that) is harder to resell. Concerns from parents with small children and your homeowners insurance is higher.

We bought a home with a beautiful pond in front and that place was a BEAR to sell! Never again!

On the other hand, yes, I would buy a house with a pool! Would help if it was fenced securely.

[seanpecor]

If you're sure you'll make use of the in-ground pool and maintain it properly, then the pool is a valuable asset for your family. Good times! In my opinion, buyers who are turned off by a pool are replaced by buyers who _desire_ a pool. We would definitely purchase a home with a pool, provided it was an in-ground pool, with a safety fence, and the pool didn't require repairs or significant up-front maintenance.

Sean

[whynot?]

That was kind of the essence of my in-ground ("permanent") v. above-ground ("semi-permanent") question. I agree with Sean, the "nevers" are pretty much balanced out by the "must-haves!"

I also thought that the market truism about pools is that they neither add nor detract from a home's value overall. Of course that would've been the old market -- before everything blew up. We have two homes with in-ground pools. The one in Virginia is seasonal, of course, and the other is 12-month. Hands down, the 12-month is much easier to maintain and actually less expensive on a monthly average. (The Virginia/seasonal pool is a good bit larger, though, to be fair.)

If you've never had a pool in Virginia, consider how much your family will use it and how many months, weather-wise, it's reasonable to keep it open. Heating it will extend the season a bit, but at a cost, of course. The day-to-day maintenance isn't bad, but when something goes wrong it's really a bummer to look at green water until it's fixed. There's a definite learning curve with chemistry, water temperature, weather, etc., but they're lots of fun and a great place to gather.

[Cdshiflett]

Before I became and agent. We bought a home and decided that we wanted a pool. Common sense at the time told me that if we ever needed or wanted to sell that an in-ground pool may or may not be a good thing. We elected to put in a nice above ground pool with deck and finish it off nicely. That gave us many more options now that we are selling. If the purchaser does not want it, we can sell it, or take it with us and redo the area or extend the patio whichever is prefered.

[angelawongme]

THANKS FOR THE REPLIES.
the house I saw has a in ground pool with secure fence around it.
It has been on market for a long time. I was wondering if the pool drags the feet of the house

[Eeeee22895]

I wouldn't buy a house with a pool just because I'd have to maintain it, I'd worry about accidents, and I just don't care enough...in addition to the insurance and difficulty in selling.

When my neighbor put one in, I thought it was a big mistake. But they have used it as a social vehicle for their kids for years. Hosting parties and whatnot. So in the end, it was probably a good move for them. They did end up selling their house, but at a lower price.

Bottom line, if you really want it, get it.

[seanpecor]

In my opinion a pool wouldn't be the prime reason why a property hasn't sold in a long time. It could be overpriced compared to other houses on the market. There are obvious things, like the house might need some moderate to significant updating (WOW, a Pink Kitchen!?! How, Nice, Seventies Paneling EVERYWHERE!). There are also less obvious things, like some scary things turned up by a home inspection. If you want to see some scary things turned up by home inspectors, check out the home inspection horrors section on my website Inspectopia.com:

Inspectopia.com: Home Inspection Horror Photo Gallery - Page 2

LOL

Sean

[EasyLivin]

I would definately buy a house with an inground pool. Looking at one now but it only has an acre of land and we need more than that but it is tempting to me. physical fitness and entertainment--worth the extra in insurance and upkeep, IMO