– or do you want grass?
The back yard pool is as part of the family landscape as the cubby house, the basketball hoop, and the clothesline.
Or is it?
Recent research is showing that pools are being filled in, in favour of more lawn, more entertaining space, or even for a granny flat for additional income.
Peter Davis, from ABA pool removals, said that 30 years ago he would take out 4-5 pools a year. This number is now around 100 per year, and on the increase.
This research really surprised us here in the Stone office, and we wanted to get the inside story of what buyers really think about pools, and what our agents have to say.
“Pools are very attractive to families with children looking for an ideal family retreat. We are finding homes with pools attract approximately 35% more interest from this demographic of buyer, than homes without a pool.” Says James Hawley from our Dee Why office.
35%! That is a lot of interest for homes with a pool. And this is from a beach side suburb- interesting.
As a mother of two boys, I personally love a pool in the backyard. It is always entertaining, no matter what their age- in fact the older they get the easier it has become. If they are on their own or with friends, no matter what the weather, that pool is used.
Simone Sinclair, Stone Mona Vale, has been selling property on the Northern Beaches for over 17 years and she believes they not only add value when selling, but also add value to family life.
“After the summer we have just had, the pool is a god send.
The pool gives kids somewhere to splash when the ‘going gets hot’ and can be a saviour when their friends come to play…get them outside instead of on the Xbox! Having a pool also creates lasting memories for family moments and teaches the whole family to be water savvy.
Entertaining can be wonderful around a pool – they can be quite mesmerising when just lulling on the step with a cocktail in hand- plastic glasses of course!”
It appears though that once the children have left home, the cost of upkeep, and the safety concerns of having a pool, is outweighing the benefits. Many empty nesters are either filling them in, or in other cases, moving to properties that don’t have them.
Tracey Black from our Seaforth office recently had the experience of a purchaser of a townhouse nearing completion, request the developer to fill in the excavated hole rather than complete the pool.
When moving to properties with a smaller land size having a garden to enjoy is more important than having a pool to maintain.
We are very lucky here in Sydney being blessed with so many waterways, public swimming pools, aquatic centres, and beaches and with an average cost of maintaining a pool at around $2000 per year, why would we put one in?
Here we’ve compiled a list of possible pro’s and con’s for you to make up your own mind:
PRO’s
– Great lifestyle for kids
– No driving, parking, or jostling with the crowds to the beach
– Great for taking a dip and relaxing pool side with a refreshing beverage in the privacy of your own home
– Summer entertaining made easy, you’ll be the most popular host in the heat
– An attractive selling feature
CON’s
– Maintenance can get costly & take up your valuable shopping time
– Takes up space in smaller homes where grass could be more suited
– Safety issues to consider with aging pools
So we’ll let you decide whether you’re a “SPLISH SPLASHER” or a “Tomatoes and Grasser”, but for me, I’m all Splash!