In the summertime, it’s no joke when almost everyone says “I wish I had a pool,” especially if you live in area that gets hot beginning in late spring and continuing through early fall. While pools have many benefits such as easy summer entertaining, cooling off, staying active, and avoiding paying monthly premiums at a community pool or gym, there are some things you should consider beforehand.
Homes.com sat down with insurance, home value and pool experts Lori Strickland, David Stasie, and Michelle Sbabo, to help provide advice and give guidance if you’re considering buying a home that has a pool or installing one yourself. These are the first five questions any potential pool owner should ask themselves before finalizing on the decision.
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Are you prepared for the upkeep and costs of maintenance?
Having a pool can be a blast but it’s also a lot of work and can be costly between the daily upkeep or even having a pool maintenance professional come out every once in a while to make sure things are running smoothly. You have to ask yourself if that time investment is truly worth it.
Read: Can Adding a Pool Increase Your Home’s Value?
Are you properly insured?
At the end of the day, if an incident surrounding the pool happens on your property, you can be on the hook for it – especially if you are using your home with the pool as an investment property. Whether it’s your own family or even your friends enjoying your pool, Stasie advises you to make sure you are covered.
Do you know what it means to maintain a pool?
Sbabo advises listeners to talk to someone in the area who already owns a pool to gain real, authentic insight on what the day-to-day upkeep of having a pool looks like and the expenses associated as well.
Read: Tips for Landscaping Around a Pool
Do you want a pool?
In this part of the search process, she likes to ask her clients if having a pool is on their list of wants and if it will add to their quality of life. If a homeowner is usually indecisive, or says they’re unsure, it might be best to avoid finding a home with a pool or installing one, as it could mean you’re not ready for the potential costs and upkeep that are associated.
Do you have small children?
Lori’s clients number one concern is whether or not a pool is right for their family. If you have small children, you need to ask yourself how you plan on keeping them safe around the pool or if having a pool in your backyard is really the best option for you at the moment.
Source: homes.com