Can An Inground Pool Removal Decrease Home Value?

If you are considering removing a swimming pool from your property, one big question you may be asking is how it will impact the value of your home. While many people believe that having a swimming pool raises the value of a property and that removing one must therefore reduce the home’s value, that is not necessarily the case.

Factors That Influence A Pool Removal’s Effect On Home Value

Like many other aspects of real estate, there are no hard and fast rules about precisely how much a swimming pool will impact the value of the home as it all depends on a range of circumstances that relate to the house itself, the neighborhood, the yard, the local weather and several other factors.

However, most real estate agents will tell you that the key to selling a home and attracting a lot of offers is appealing to as many buyers as possible. That often means that not having a swimming pool is more desirable. People who do not want a swimming pool are less likely to look at homes that have one because of the cost and hassle of removing it.

However, those who do want a swimming pool will often look at both homes that have existing pools and those that have enough space in the yard to install one. Therefore, it is hard to go wrong in most cases by removing the pool.

Here is a look at some of the factors that can influence the impact pool removal will have on the value of your home.

How Much Space The Pool Takes Up In The Backyard

One big factor to consider is how much space the pool occupies in the backyard. For example, in a home that has a very small backyard, even a standard-size swimming pool may take up a good portion of it, leaving very little, if any, yard space for other outdoor pursuits.

In these cases, removing the pool can increase the value of the home because many buyers are looking for homes with usable yard space for entertaining or gardening. Not everyone enjoys using a swimming pool. Some home buyers who are not particularly interested in a pool may not mind having one if there is still plenty of extra yard space, but many are not willing to give up the bulk of their backyard to have a swimming pool.

How Many Other Swimming Pools There Are In The Neighborhood

If your home is situated in a neighborhood where most, if not all, homes have swimming pools, removing it could have a negative impact on the value of the home. However, it is still a good idea if you do not expect to use the pool, do not wish to keep up with maintenance, are looking to reduce expenses, or are worried about safety and liability.

This is one of the few instances where removing a pool can decrease the home’s value, but the market conditions at the time of the sale will influence just how much this reduction is.

The Number Of Months In The Year That Are Considered Swimming Weather

Another factor that plays a role in determining how a pool removal can impact your home’s price is the amount of time that homeowners will get to enjoy the pool each year. If your home is situated in a geographic area that has less than three months of what can be considered swimming weather, removing it is very unlikely to decrease your home’s value and may even increase it.

The Current Condition Of The Swimming Pool

If the swimming pool on your property is more than 30 years old and needs repairs, removing it is often the smartest choice, not only from a practical standpoint but also from the home value perspective. This is because potential buyers will not be able to enjoy the pool until it is repaired, and many buyers balk at the idea of needing to repair a swimming pool as such repairs can be very costly. Many pools this age need to be replaced entirely.

In this case, it is better to simply have the pool removed and leave the yard looking nice so that prospective buyers can do whatever they want with the yard. Giving them a blank slate from which to work is ideal, and many real estate agents report that home buyers value having a lot of yard space.

Swimming Pools Don’t Raise A Home’s Value Significantly, Even In The Best Of Circumstances

Keep in mind that having a swimming pool on your property can only boost your home’s value by around 7%, according to estimates from HouseLogic, and this is only when a set of very specific conditions have been met.

These include living in a higher-end neighborhood where most of the neighbors also have pools, having a pool that takes up less than one third of the yard, living in a warmer climate such as Arizona or Florida where the pool can be enjoyed year-round, and having a style of pool that fits in well with the home and neighborhood and is well maintained.

Many families are advised to think of having a pool as an investment in their lifestyle rather than their home because of its questionable impact on the home’s value.

If you are still uncertain about whether you should remove the pool, it may be a good idea to talk to a real estate agent for advice. Another exercise that may be helpful is getting estimates on removing the pool and repairing it, if applicable, and comparing it to the price difference that your real estate agent believes the pool’s presence or absence will make to the home’s value.

Get In Touch With The Pool Removal Experts

If you are considering having an inground pool removed from your yard, reach out to the experienced pool removal team at Dirt Connections. We can advise you on the best approach to take to remove your pool and leave your yard prepared for future use. Our professional Northern Virginia pool removal services can address pools of all sizes and conditions at competitive prices.