Do Swimming Pools Add Value to Your Home?

I've often been asked "how much value does my swimming pool add to my home?" I think it does add value. The traditional wisdom is that the pool doesn't add a particular amount in value, but rather makes the home sell quicker.

I'm calling it "wisdom," but it doesn't make a lot of sense. If a home sells quickly then it sells for a better price than it would if it sat on the market. So that would logically mean that the pool directly added value.

My experience in selling homes with pools is that they add to the emotional appeal. Buying a home is an emotional purchase for most of us. We see the sparkling, shiny swimming pool, and imagine a life with pool parties and laughing splashing children.

Marketing a home with a pool is always a pleasure. It's pretty, photogenic and makes a wonderful amenity to feature in a brochure. The pool will grab your attention.

I have a new listing in Alamo that is a perfect example. It has a spectacular pool that transforms the whole backyard: It feels like a resort with the waterfall and beach entry to the water. See the virtual tour. On a hot day, a sparkling pool is very inviting, and may make it easier for buyers at an open house to picture themselves living in the home.

There are always some buyers that "do not want a pool." They have small children, they don't want the worry. Or they don't swim, and don't want the overhead. There are plenty of good reasons not to have a pool, but the buyers that draw the line and require a home without a pool are very rare.

Most buyers, in my experience, either "don't care, will take it or leave it" or they really want a pool. Maybe all the pool-lovers gravitate to me, but I have met more "must have pool" buyers by far than the occasional "must NOT have a pool."

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the three most popular states for homes with pools are California, Arizona and Florida. The National Association of Realtors says an in-ground pool adds about 7.7 percent to the home's market value. However, in colder climates, a pool may add no value.

To that point, and speaking of colder climate markets, RealEstate.com said, "In one study of similarly priced houses in the same community, homes with pools stayed on the MLS an average of 76 days, while homes without pools sold in an average of 53 days." 

Happily, we live here in Danville and Alamo, where the weather is fine and having a pool in your backyard is a common amenity and plus, when you are selling.

However, all bets are off if the pool is in disrepair. Buyers need to see the pool as fun and frivolous — the minute it looks like work, the magic is gone.