YOUR NEXT TEXAS HOME!

Does a pool add value to a home? No. And yes. In general, building a pool is not the best way to add value to your home. You’re better off making physical improvements to your actual house instead of adding a pool to your yard.

However, a pool can add value to your home in some cases:

• If you live in a higher-end neighborhood and most of your neighbors have pools. In fact, not having a pool might make your home harder to sell.

• If you live in a warm climate, such as Florida or Hawaii.
• Your lot is big enough to accommodate a pool and still have some yard left over for play or gardening.

Still, that’s no guarantee you’ll get a return on your investment. At most, your home’s value might increase 7% if all circumstances are right when it comes time to sell. Those circumstances include the points made above, plus:

• The style of the pool. Does it fit the neighborhood?

• The condition of the pool. Is it well-maintained?

• Age of the pool. If you put a pool in today and sell in 20 years, you probably won’t recoup your costs, especially if the pool needs updating.

• You can attract the right buyer. Couples with very young children may shy away from pools because of safety issues, but an older childless couple may fall in love with it.

But only you, the homeowner, can determine the true return on investment. A pool can add value to your quality of life and enhance the enjoyment of your home. You can’t put a price tag on that.

But we can put a price tag on how much a pool costs to build and maintain.

The Cost to Build a Pool The average cost in the U.S. to install, equip, and fill a 600-sq.-ft. concrete pool starts at $30,000.

Add in details like safety fences (most states require them), waterfalls, lighting, landscaping, and perhaps a spa, and you’re easily looking at totals approaching $100,000.

Costs also depend on the type of pool you choose.

Gunite is the most popular in-ground pool. Gunite is a mixture of cement and sand, which can be poured into almost any shape. It has replaced concrete pools as the sought-after standard.

Fiberglass shells and those with vinyl liners fall on the lower end of the budget scale, but the liners typically need replacing every 10 or so years. Changing the liner requires draining the pool and replacing the edging (called coping), so over time, costs add up. Most home buyers will insist that you replace a vinyl liner, even if it’s only a few years old.


Source: HouseLogic -Does a Pool Add Value to a Home? by Julie-Sturgeon.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/pools-spas/ what_to_consider_before_building_pool/

Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®