6 Tips to buying a new house with a pool.
There are nearly 250,000 UK homes that have a private swimming pool and approximately 2,500 are being installed every year.
If you are looking at a property with an existing pool, here are six things we highly recommend you consider. They will help save you money, and running costs and ensure the pool is safe for you and your family.
What type of pool is it and how do you want to use it?
Everybody's requirements for a home swimming pool are extremely different, and one particularly crucial consideration is the annual maintenance costs.
For example, an inexpensive and simple-to-maintain above-ground pool might be enough for those who just want to have a swimming pool at home for family fun. However, if you wish to regularly swim 50 laps every morning an indoor in-ground pool might suit you better.
Does the pool have a heat pump
How often is it maintenance checked
What chemicals are regularly used in the pool
Does the previous owner know what it cost to run the pool monthly
2. What is the current condition of the pool?
When you first look around the property it can be incredibly exciting to find a home with a pool. But before you start imagining summers by the pool there are a few observations and questions to ask your agent and/or the previous owners.
How well have the present owners maintained the pool:
Is the liner damaged or is the pool water green? This is a sign of it not being maintained regularly.
When was the pool liner replaced?
When was it last serviced/maintained are there any records?
What is the history of the pool? Has there been anything repaired, refurbed, broken, or replaced? Or are there any ongoing problems they need to make you aware of?
If it’s not possible to get answers from your agent or previous owners we would highly recommend a swimming pool survey.
3. Pool Maintenance
What does it take to maintain a swimming pool?
A great place to start is getting clarification on the size of the pool and the minimum height and what is the minimum height the pool should be filled to.
Maintenance duties:
Purifying water
Powering the pump
PH testing and chemical management/dosing
Filter changes and back-washing procedures
Your heating systems, for example, a pool with a gas or electric water heater will generally cost you more to run than a pool that has a heat pump generating heat for the water.
4. Pool Safety
A pool's safety is incredibly important, particularly if you have small children or pets at home. For example:
Do you require safety gates and locks?
What type of pool cover does the pool have?
If you have small children can you see the pool and will they be able to access it easily?
Can you store chemicals safely?
Is the surface area and pool access safe to walk around on or climb out of the pool with?
5. Warranty and Insurance
Not to mention, you must get a home warranty and insurance that will pay for various issues years after the new house is purchased. If you intend to purchase a home with a pool, make sure the pool is covered, it will help you save a lot of money on repairs.
6. Get an Independent Opinion
Sometimes you are unable to get the answers you need from the previous owner and sometimes it’s peace of mind especially if you are a first-time pool owner to get a professional survey done on your pool.
Home surveys 99% of the time do not include your indoor or outdoor pool and with 7-20% of your purchase price being the pool it is worth getting a full understanding of what you are taking on as an investment.