Backyard swimming pools as nice as they are when the weather is hot, aren’t necessarily a hot commodity across the country. The Phoenix Real Estate Guy was answering a question in his blog today. Questions like this are ones I deal with frequently when hearing about homeowners wish lists who are relocating to Colorado.
It is a natural tendency for people to want to have a home that is better if not equal when they move to a new place. Homeowners transferring to the Denver metro area often come with plans to have a nice back yard swimming pool like they had back _________ (fill in the blank).
Now there is nothing wrong to want to improve your homeownership position, an owner must consider that some things aren’t considered an "improvement" here. Swimming pools are often considered a negative amenity in the Denver metro area. Why?
Our season isn’t long enough to warrant pool maintenance for just a few months. Year round maintenance is very expensive. Pools take up a lot of space. Most neighborhoods have community pools, which are included in the cost of HOA dues therefore others take care of them.
Of all the reasons above, I do believe because of Colorado’s climate, pools just aren’t as necessary. When the sun goes down in Colorado, so does the temperature. The temps drop low enough to be refreshing, we don’t need to jump in a pool.
I have listed homes, perfectly lovely homes that did not sell until the in-ground pool was filled in. Homeowners seldom want to assume the cost of maintaining a pool. Finding a buyer that does is difficult to do in a timely manner, so the pool ends up being an albatross to the seller. It is easier to make it go away then to wait for a buyer who desires a pool.
Other parts of the country a pool is a huge asset. Two homes side by side, the one with the pool would sell sooner than the one without. Not so here in Colorado!
Once again this twist of reality proves that real estate is local. Moving to a new area takes more research than relying on what worked well in the past. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. It is always good to ask.
About the Author
Kristal Kraft
Kristal has been helping buyers and sellers in Colorado since 1984. She enjoys sharing her knowledge of the Metro Denver Real Estate market via blogging and in person while driving around the beautiful Rocky Mountain town of Denver! For fun, Kristal enjoys shooting things with a Canon. Visit Denver Photo Blog
Kristal Kraft
4 Comments
Swimming pools and real estate
To dig or not to dig, that is the question!Colorado is unlike many other places where having a swimming pool is an essential amenity in a home.
Glad to see someone else weighing in on the pool issue. I’m in CT and we have a decent water park in town and seller *still* like to think their dirty water will add $40,000 to the value of the house…
Athol ~ The only way I can justify spending $40k on a pool is if the family NEVER plans on moving! Over the course of 30 or 40 years, it might make sense! Or just mark it up to personal satisfaction.
I never would have thought of having a pool as a bad thing – if you have the money for it and you aren’t planning on moving I bet it’s great. Just depends on the season and the market!