Building A Pool vs. Buying A Home With One

Summers in Arizona are hot and nothing is more refreshing than having a pool ready for you and your family to relax in. But if you don't have a pool, and would like a nice in-ground one, you are faced with a dilemma.

Should you build one in your backyard, or buy a home with an existing pool?

If a pool is an important feature to you, it’s important to sit down and really understand the financial implications of buying a house with a pool, or adding one later. Go over the numbers and understand how costly the investment will be.

Option #1 is buying a home with a pool.

A pool is like any other part of your house: appliances, the roof, or the HVAC system. It wears over time. A pool will need more maintenance and eventually, it will need to be replaced.

Houses with old pools are going to be cheaper than new ones because they are worth less money. You need to think about the long-term implications of owning this type of pool. If you agree to buy the house, it is recommended to have a separate inspection of the swimming pool.

An inspection will check the pool's decking, pool surface, electrical systems, pump, age, and condition, ensuring you know the state it is in before you buy the home.

If the pool tile is old or the deck is cracked, you may need to get estimates from a pool company. When you have all the info you need you can decide if buying an existing house with a pool is a good deal.

Option #2 is building a pool (now or later).

A common problem happens when people find the perfect house, but it lacks a pool. They promised themselves that they would add it in the future, but when they get home and start pricing pools, they see how expensive it will be. The truth is that installing an in-ground pool can be expensive.

But while in-ground pools vary from reasonably low to very high in price, companies have gone to great lengths to make pool ownership more affordable so that people who are on tight budgets or those who don't want anything too large will still be able to access this fun activity.

There are fiberglass pool shells available, often costing a minimum of ten thousand dollars, or you could have the familiar concrete or gunite pools, which are around fifty thousand dollars minimum.

If you’re looking to buy a house that has no pool currently, but want one later on down the line - and don't mind spending money now - then make sure that before even putting in an offer for your dream home, you get quotes from several different companies who specialize in pools.

Once they know what kind of vision and size range you're after, they'll be able to give a much more accurate estimate as far as how much it will cost "someday" when actually installing the pool itself.

If you're looking to get an in-ground pool, and aren't sure which option is the best for you, talk to any of us at SB Property Team today!