The Pros and Cons of Purchasing a Home with an In-Ground Pool

At the peak of summer, when the temperatures soar and the sun is shining bright, few things are as appealing or as refreshing as a dip in the swimming pool on your property. So appealing is a swimming pool that many new home buyers will actively seek out properties that have an existing in-ground pool. What you should take into account before buying a home with a pool on the grounds, however, is that the purchase will come with a list of pros and cons that should be carefully considered.

Cons

When you first walk into a home and realize that there's a pool on the property, your first thought is likely to be one of excitement. So enticing is a swimming pool that, for many prospective buyers, the concept of related risks and drawbacks don't enter their mind until it's too late.
• The Attractive Nuisance Factor – Insurance companies consider swimming pools to be an “attractive nuisance.” In layman's terms, that means that every kid in the neighborhood without a pool of his own will want to come take a dip in yours, regardless of whether or not you've issued a standing invitation. Your insurance premiums may be a bit higher when you purchase a home with a pool, so be sure that you budget accordingly.
• Drowning Risks for Small Children – Drowning is the number one cause of death among small children, according to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. When there's a pool on your property, it's important to keep in mind that small children, whether they're your own or belonging to someone else, can find their way to unsecured pools and drown. This attractive amenity can be a hazard masquerading as a property perk, so consider your family and your plans to add to it before making an offer on a house with a pool.
• Cost of Upkeep and Maintenance – From chemicals to keep germs at bay to routine repairs, there is some expense and an investment of time required to keep an in-ground pool up and running. Before you take the keys to a new home with a pool on the property, be sure that you're willing and able to see to the upkeep it will require.
• Loss of Viable Lawn Space – Unless you're blessed enough to have a massive budget, you may be forced to sacrifice quite a bit of viable lawn space in order to accommodate the existing pool on your property. Your dreams of a lush garden may be in danger if your budget only allows for a small to medium sized lot and the bulk of the back yard is paved for a patio or filled with water.
• Expenses Incurred to Properly Secure a Pool – Responsible homeowners know that to maintain a pool on the property, it's imperative to invest in fencing, locking gates and other security measures to keep wayward children from wandering into the pool area, which is dangerous if they're not supervised. That doesn't mean, however, that all homeowners are responsible. If you're considering a property with a pool that has not been fully secured, you will incur additional expenses on top of the purchase price to ensure that those necessary improvements are added to the property.

Pros

Some people see a home with a swimming pool as such an attractive idea that they never consider the drawbacks. Prospective buyers with a pessimistic bent, however, may only see those risks and hassles. Before you scratch a home off of your list based strictly upon the existence of a swimming pool, consider these attractive factors related to swimming pool ownership.
• Resale Value – The added value or lack thereof when it comes to swimming pools on the property is relative to the area in which you live and the demand for swimming pools on a regional level. One thing is for certain, according to the National Association of Realtors, though. The presence of a pool might add to your home's value, but likely not enough to justify the expense of installing it. For the homeowners that install the pool, that's bad news. For buyers of properties with existing pools, however, the tune may be a bit different. You could potentially reap the property value benefits when you sell your home in a way that the original owners could not, due solely to the fact that your incurred expenses at the time of purchase were less than the cost of installation provided that, in a healthy housing market, the value of such additions has risen.
• Entertainment Factor – Property values aside, the primary perk of having a pool on your property is that you're free to swim whenever you'd like. No more loading the kids up for a jaunt to a community pool of questionable cleanliness, and every backyard barbecue you hold is sure to be the hit of the season.
• Encouraging Exercise and Physical Activity – Obesity rates for kids and adults alike are rising across the country, due in part to a sedentary culture that champions watching television or playing video games over physical activity. Swimming, however, is great exercise and is so appealing to people of all ages that the presence of a pool can dramatically boost the activity level of the entire family!
• Building Strong Swimming Skills in Young Children – There's no such thing as completely “drown-proofing” a child, but strong swimming skills may reduce the likelihood. If you're willing to work with your little ones to help them hone their swimming skills, the pool on your property could help to make them safer and more able to handle themselves properly in the water.

Resources:
http://shine.yahoo.com/at-home/dive-7-things-consider-pool-203200550.html
http://www.pe.com/real-estate/company-news/20130529-pros-and-cons-of-buy...