Moving Help: Pros and Cons of Moving into a Home with a Pool

Are you tossing around the idea of buying a home with a pool, but you are not quite sure how you feel about it? Maybe you have already closed on the house and you are getting ready to move, but you want to know the positives and negatives you have to look forward to. Even if summer is your favorite season and you are looking forward to spending every day on the water there are still some disadvantages you need to be familiar with.

Pros of Moving into a Home with a Pool

• Healthy – Swimming hardly feels like exercise, but it sure rewards you with a lot of health benefits. It improves your cardiovascular system, endurance, posture, muscle strength, and flexibility. It is also excellent for weight loss, and it conditions your entire body. Plus, when submerged to the neck your body bears only 10 percent of its weight, so it is an excellent exercise for those with fragile bones or stiff joints.

• Relaxing – Whether you sunbathe next to the pool or float around on a raft it is very relaxing. Soothing your mind for a little while helps relieve stress. Once again, this is a health benefit.

• Entertaining – Your home will be the popular spot to be all summer. So, if you love entertaining you will have plenty of time to do it. Backyard cookouts and gatherings with friends and family are always more fun with a game of Marco Polo or water volleyball. Also, if you have a family of your own you will be able to share a lot of special bonding time thanks to the pool.

• Convenient – There is no need to pack a cooler, drive to the beach, and deal with an overcrowded environment on the weekend just to cool off. Having a pool in your backyard is very convenient, especially on those hot summer days when the power goes out after a storm.

• Visual Display– A nice in-ground pool or an above-ground one with a deck does a lot for the overall look and feel of your outdoor living space.

Cons of Moving into a House with a Backyard Pool

• Expenses – Pools are not cheap to keep open. Whether you use chlorine or have a salt system, these products will need to be factored into your budget. Plus, you have to be prepared for an increased energy bill for the pump and vacuum. If the pool is heated it will be even more expensive to operate. Do not forget about the cost of routine maintenance or paying for repairs if something goes wrong.

• Time-Consuming – If you can afford to hire a professional to maintain your pool then this con will not apply to you. However, for most people, one of the biggest disadvantages is keeping up with the upkeep. If you neglect maintenance duties for even a week the pool’s pH balance will suffer and then you have to work even harder to get it balanced again.

• Safety – If you have kids or pets, you will need to make sure you install a safety fence. Even if you don’t have either you may still need to install one to make sure your neighbor’s child or dog doesn’t end up in it. Every year there are tragic stories in the news of drowning accidents. There is also the concern of one of your guests getting hurt. Due to these liabilities, you can expect your homeowner’s insurance to be more expensive.

• No Privacy – Sure, you love having everyone over for a swim, but it could start to feel like people think they are welcomed all the time. Sometimes it is nice to enjoy the pool to yourself, so don’t be afraid to put your foot down.