Do In-Ground Pools Improve Tredyffrin Real Estate Value?

With more than two feet of snow blanketing our main line area, I have been dreaming of warmer days and summer fun! As real estate professionals, one question we often get from buyers and sellers is; does a pool add value or help sell a home faster? Our answer often is depends on the buyer. Not surprisingly, online studies tend to have conflicting numbers and stats.

One-site realestateabc.com (home buying) states “Swimming pools do not provide as much added value as they once did. Safety issues about families with younger children have become more publicized than in the past, so families with small children tend to avoid homes with pools. As a result, having a pool may actually reduce the number of potential home buyers when you try to resell the home.”

I scrolled down to another article on homeowner.net (pool_value) and find some newer information that states; “Consistently, across the country, pools proved to be positives. In fact, the study found, in-ground pools can increase the value of a residential property from 8 percent to as much as 15 percent.”

Here’s how the study breaks it down in our region:

• In the Northeast, a pool adds 4 percent to 6 percent to a home’s value.

Locally, along the main line, when appraising value on a single family home having a pool would be considered an amenity. The pool can provide an added value of $5,000-$10,000 for a home similar to having the amenity of a garage or deck/patio. What we do see consistently is that certain buyers expect a pool at higher price points in the region. Higher end buyers in the seven figure range tend to want a pool with they’re luxury property. Therefore, it is our professional opinion that in this immediate area having a pool does not negatively effect on selling price.

On average owning a pool does require some maintenance and cost money especially one that requires heaters for Spring & Fall months here along the Mid-Atlantic States. With regards to safety, it is important that each pool is updated with state and local regulations that provide better protection for worry-free ownership. When I ask most new homeowners with a pool what they think? Often the answer is that the enjoyment outweighs the perceived burdens.

One thing is for sure, if you are in the market for a new home and a pool is on the list – then it is a far better value to buy a home with a pool than to pay to install a new in-ground pool after you move in.

Happy summer dreaming and house shopping in the days ahead!