A pool can be a backyard escape from the heat and a plus at resale, but upkeep and resurfacing add real costs you should plan for.
It’s hot here, and there’s a lot to like about cooling off in your own backyard instead of heading to a water park or a friend’s house. Owning a pool also means paying for upkeep every month and planning for a resurfacing bill down the road.
Pools are fun and help at resale. Beyond the fun factor, pools are great for resale. Plenty of buyers have a pool on their wish list, so it can work in your favor when it’s time to sell.
Plan on monthly upkeep and maintenance. A pool isn’t free to maintain. Whether you hire a pool service or handle it yourself, you’re looking at something to the tune of $100 to $200 a month. The size of the pool and the age of the pool and its equipment decide where you land in that range.
Sun damage can force a resurfacing. Once a pool surface starts cracking, it needs to be resurfaced. With this much heat and sun, surfaces can bake and break down faster than they’re really meant to.
“A pool isn’t free to maintain, so weigh how much you’ll really use one.”
On an older pool, watch for cracks or what looks like rust coming up through the surface. That rust is the rebar starting to get exposed, and at that point the pool really needs a new surface. Resurfacing runs anywhere from $8,000 to $15,000, and the size and age of the pool set the price.
Weigh how often you’ll use it. Pools come with plenty of pros and plenty of cons, and the deciding factor is how much you’d actually swim. If you want one that badly, go for it, and if you don’t, it might be better to steer clear of pool homes.
Whether you have questions about pools, buying or selling a home, or what it might cost to build a pool of your own, I’d love to help. Call me at 602-501-9352, email me at sam@thebrokery.com, or visit samlevyhomes.com. I’m happy to walk through whether a pool home makes sense for you.
