There are a lot of things to think about when you consider buying a home. The location, the budget, the size of the house, and the work you might need to do to it all matter. So do the amenities you get with the house and the surrounding neighborhood. So, should I buy a house with a pool? It’s a fair question, and one that doesn’t always have a definite answer. There are so many pros and cons to pool ownership that you’ll want to carefully consider whether it’s right for you. If you have children, the choice may be even more difficult. Here are 10 things to consider, so your choice can be made more easily.
1). Is the house well within your budget?
Buying a house that’s easily within your budget can be one of the best ways to make your home and all of its potential amenities affordable. Pools cost money to maintain and repair, but there are other cost factors to consider, too. The time it takes you to care for the pool is time you can’t spend doing something else, and you also want to remember that your property taxes and your homeowners insurance will generally be higher if you have a pool at your home.
2). How much will the pool cost to maintain?
Maintenance costs of the pool will depend on several factors. The age and size of your home’s pool both affect its maintenance costs, as does how well the pool has been cared for by the previous owners. You’ll also want to consider the chemicals and equipment you’ll need to buy, or how much a company will charge to do the maintenance for you.
3). Do you still have a usable backyard?
One of the things to look at when you’re buying a house and you have children is giving them some outdoor space to run and play. If the pool takes up the entire backyard, your children don’t get the opportunity for the space they may want and need. That can cause them stress, and can keep them indoors and underfoot, even on nice days, if they aren’t in the pool.
4). How old are your children?
Very young children may not be able to swim yet, and wouldn’t be safe around a pool. They may also slip away and out of your sight more easily, and that can put them at risk. Even if your pool is fenced and gated, you want to keep in mind the current ages of your children, so you can make the right choice for your family’s safety and security.
5). Can your kids swim well?
If you have children who are a little bit older, or who have taken swimming lessons, that can be a big benefit if you want to buy a house with a pool. While it’s still not a good idea to leave your children unattended while they swim, having good swimming ability will help protect them. You can also use the amount of time they have spent swimming in the past to gauge whether they will be likely to use the pool, since you don’t want to buy a home with a pool if it’s not really going to get much use.
6). Is there a public or community pool nearby?
If you and your children will have access to a public or community pool that’s close by, you may not want to buy a home that also has a pool. You can reduce your costs and keep your children a bit safer by not owning a pool, and they will still have a chance to go swimming close to the house when they want to. That can be a winning situation for everyone involved.
7). Do your children spend time at home alone?
Along with the purchase of a home there are a number of considerations, and one of them is whether your children spend time there on their own. They may come home to an empty house after school, or be home alone for a while in the evenings or on the weekends, depending on what kind of work schedule and other obligations you have. You may not feel comfortable leaving them home alone with a pool right in the backyard.
8). Will all their friends want to swim?
If you have a pool, it may not be just your children that you have to worry about. Their friends might want to use the pool as well, and that can open up a lot of risk and liability for you if someone gets hurt. Other parents may also not feel safe sending their children to play, and that can hurt your kids’ ability to make friends and spend time with their peers.
9). What kind of climate do you live in?
If you live in a colder climate with short summers, having a pool may not make a lot of sense. It wouldn’t get used that much, so you would be spending a lot of money for something that would mostly sit empty. There may be better ways you can provide something fun for your children to do, that they can enjoy all year round.
10). Are you near a lake or other body of water?
If you live near a lake, a river, or the ocean, that can give your children a place to swim without the need for a pool in your backyard. There’s nothing wrong with owning a pool, and they can be a lot of fun, but it’s very important to consider how much it will be used versus the cost of it and the risk to your kids. Living near water but not quite as close as your backyard can be a good, safe compromise.
2 Point Highlight
There are so many pros and cons to pool ownership that you’ll want to carefully consider whether it’s right for you.
Even if your pool is fenced and gated, you want to keep in mind the current ages of your children, so you can make the right choice for your family’s safety and security.
