I. How Does A Pool Affect the Resale Value of Your Property?
When you install an inground pool, you should do it for your own pleasure. When you sell your home, do not expect to recoup even some of the cost of the pool installation and maintenance. In fact, a pool can actually harm the resale value of your home, and you should consider an inground pool removal. The impact of the pool on your home’s resale value depends on your location, the size of your property, the pool condition, the financial capacity of your potential buyers, and other subjective factors. And the money you spent on maintenance and pool operation, insurance, and fun stuff like furniture and toys? Forget about it!
Unless you live in a warm state like Florida or an upscale neighborhood where trophy pools are not uncommon, you probably will not find many buyers who really want a house with a pool. Even a buyer who is receptive to having a pool will not want to pay extra for a house that comes with a pool. Moreover, a pool that is in poor condition will assuredly negatively affect your ability to sell it.
Before you try to sell your house with the pool in place, you will need to make sure it shows beautifully, complies with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and can pass a home inspection. Take a hard look at your pool. Is it going to help or hinder your ability to sell your home? If the pool will hinder your sale, you should consult with an inground pool removal contractor about removing your pool.
II. Why Your Pool Could Be the Reason You Cannot Sell Your Home
Home buyers come in all shapes and sizes. You only need one to fall in love with your home enough to make an offer that is acceptable to you. The pool can be a major hindrance, especially in a buyers’ market like most areas of the country have experienced during the last ten years. Why are buyers worried about a backyard pool?
1. Cost
Buyers in the average income range are stretching to buy a house that has enough room for a growing family. Their budgets simply cannot accommodate the expense of maintaining and operating a pool. Unexpected repairs and extra insurance costs associated with a pool make it an unacceptable financial risk.
If your pool needs a major overhaul, you could go ahead with these very expensive repairs. It will cost you a pretty penny, but it may soothe the anxiety of potential buyers. However, you have no guarantee that the money you spend to bring the pool into tip-top shape will overcome buyers’ concerns. You could spend the money and still find the house sitting on the market for months, or longer, because no buyer wants the risks and expense of a pool.
2. Hazardous Condition
A pool, however well-maintained, is still a hazard. When filled with water, it is inviting to people, especially young children. Tragic accidents happen every year with unattended children in pools. Pool conditions that do not conform to applicable rules and regulations also create possible liability for the homeowner in the event of an accident. The pool has too much potential as a source of liability for the homeowner. Many buyers simply do not want that responsibility.
3. Insurance
Insurance companies are well aware of the hazards and expense associated with pool ownership. The cost of insuring against these risks and liabilities is prohibitive for many people. Your potential buyers are aware of these costs. If your home is in a community where backyard inground pools are the exception to the norm, your pool will limit the number of potential buyers and make it difficult for you to sell your home quickly.
III. Consult with a Pool Removal Contractor
To sell your house, you should seriously consider an inground pool removal. Unless you are a building contractor with access to heavy equipment, you will need professional help to do the job properly. In selecting a pool removal contractor, take time to meet with the project manager and discuss the services his company can provide to help you sell your property.
You have two options for inground pool removal: Partial removal and full removal. Partial removal is less expensive than complete inground pool removal. Partial inground pool removal is sometimes described as filling in the pool. With partial removal, your contractor will drill adequate drainage holes in the pool bottom. He will remove all or part of the decking and the top 18 inches of the pool walls. The debris will be placed in the empty pool along with gravel and dirt fill. At the surface, the contractor will cover it with soil and sod if you want to reclaim it as yard space.
When you sell the house, you may have to disclose the existence of the debris filled pool. You should discuss this with your real estate agent and make sure to comply with applicable laws concerning disclosure.
Full removal is the most expensive option. Full inground pool removal means that the entire pool is demolished and removed. The hole is then filled with gravel and soil. When the job is completed, nothing of the pool will be left in the ground. Most building codes require full removal if a new structure will be built on or near the site.
Whether you elect partial or full inground pool removal, make sure the contractor is experienced, licensed and insured, and knows the local codes that govern pool removal. With a qualified contractor, your inground pool removal can be quick, professional, and hassle-free.
