So, you have decided to sell your home with a pool. Will your pool help the sale of kill the deal?

Spring is on the way and so is the time move your family into a new home.  A swimming pool is a great addition to any home.  It gives years of entertainment, exercise and serenity for family and friends, it can also be the most beautiful part of an outdoor living space.
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Who are your potential buyers?
Home buyers can be categorized in many different ways.  They can be young growing families, professional couples with or without kids, empty nesters or retirees.   Your realtor will have much better advice on how to handle those buyer categories. 
I’d like to talk about three simple buyers.   Buyer number one is the one who has no interest in a home that has a pool.  You don’t even need to worry about this one, no matter how perfect your home is for them they just are not going to buy a home that has a pool. 
Buyer number 2 is the buyer who is specifically looking for a home that has a pool.  This buyer is more likely to be an emotional one who loves the idea of a pool and all the benefits that it offers.  It’s been in their dream and they can see themselves enjoying the pool and outdoor space.   
Buyer number 3 is the one who isn’t necessarily looking for a home with a pool, but is open to the possibility of your home if is what they are looking for. This buyer knows and likes the benefits and that a pool offers and is more likely to be a logical thinker.  Logically, they will balance the benefits of each home being considered, in order to make the decision that fits their needs best.
 
Why should this matter to you as the seller?
Everyone who buys a new home has some kind of vision of giving their home a personal touch.  It may be simply painting a bedroom or a complete gut and remodel.  Most anyone can walk through a big box store and understand what it could possibly cost to remodel a kitchen, for instance.  They can calculate the cost of kitchen cabinets, a gallon of paint, 100 square feet of ceramic tile and a new faucet.  It’s also possible that in a previous house they have experienced a remodel and its cost.
 
A pool is not the same as the home
 The average home owner doesn’t have a clue how much is will cost to resurface the interior, replace the tile and coping or a vinyl liner.  Worse yet, is the pool is leaking?  Will a $5.00 fitting and a little labor fix it?  Or does it need to be completely re-plumbed including removing and replacing the concrete deck or brick pavers to get access to the pipes underground? 
 
Then there is the concern of safety
Do you know that a deeper pool DOES NOT make a safer diving pool?  Do you understand how someone can get electrocuted by an un-bonded handrail?  Do you know what a safety ledge in the deep end of the pool is, and how unsafe it really is? I’m not asking these questions to make anyone feel bad if they don’t know the answers.  The truth is that the typical home owner has no reason to know the answers.  I’m only pointing out that in recent years building requirements have changed and that we still see a lot pools that are by today’s standards considered unsafe.
 
A pool can be a deal breaker.
A pool, like anything will age and need to have some repairs or updates done on it over time.  Not all repairs, maintenance, and updates are expensive.  However for someone who doesn’t know how much it could cost they are probably not willing to take the risk for an unknown expense or repair.  If your home has a pool that looks like a potential project, it will probably kill the deal.
 
So, how can you prevent losing the sale?
I don’t believe that you should just throw money at your pool to make it look new again.  Doing that you could end up spending tens of thousands of dollars that you will never recover from the sale.  You should have the pool inspected to find out what needs to be done, what can wait and what isn’t an issue.  If you do this, you will greatly increase the odds of a fast sale and possibly bring more money on the sale.  Contact Doyle Pool today to learn more about how we can help you make the right decisions and not spend a bunch of money.

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