10 turnoffs for potential homebuyers

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chem geek

TFP Expert
LifeTime Supporter
Mar 28, 2007
11,919
San Rafael, CA USA
Just saw this photo gallery article on Yahoo! Homes where the #6 turnoff for home buyers is an above-ground pool and the #7 turnoff is an in-ground pool. They caveat that in-ground may be OK in areas where such pools are common such as in hot climates, but this article says that one of the main concerns is seeing a backyard pool as a huge maintenance issue. Of course, we know that it doesn't have to be that way.

In our neighborhood, around 60% of the homes have pools, mostly in-ground. Based on sales comps, it looks like the homes with pools are valued on average around $50,000 higher than those without. Obviously this will depend on the neighborhood, but that article is making a blanket statement that clearly is not true everywhere. We're in northern California and not in the hottest part (we're near the Bay) and while we have nice summers, it's not like southern California, Arizona, south Texas or south Florida.
 
That is interesting, looking at google maps overhead images and real estate listing around here, I am somewhat surprised how uncommon pools are in this part of Louisiana (about 100 miles inland from the coast). The population of the area was relatively stagnant for most of the last 40 years, but in the last 5 to 10 years there has been an ever increasing growth of new home construction.

A quick imagery survey of middle class neigborhoods in the nearest town of about 10,0000 -12,0000 people shows

There are very few pools in the newest housing developments, many built in small cul-de-sac streets of 10-30 homes tucked in on bits of previously open land between existing development, these homes have mostly been built in the last 5 to 8 years, with lot sizes typically under .5 acres, some as small as .25 acre. (a survey of about 100 or so of these homes, many yet to have well established grass in the yards, showed only 3 pools, all appeared to be round above ground pools)

By comparison another area of about 200 middle class homes primarily built from the mid 1980's through about 2000 on .5 - .75 acre lots shows 26 apparently in ground pools, and 3 above ground pools, and another area of slightly more affluent homes built in the same general time (maybe a littler newer, say 1990 - 2005) shows 21 inground and 1 above ground pool out of about 80 homes.

In contrast looking at neighborhoods of homes middle class and lower middle class homes built primarily in the 1970's - 1980's shows only 4 inground and 1 above ground out of 80 middle class homes, and a subdivision with about 350 lower middle class homes initially built in the 1970's, and filled in with about 100 new construction homes over the last 5-10 years shows 5 in ground pools all in the 1970's construction homes and 17 above ground, the above grounds are about an equal split between the 1970's homes and the post 2005 homes. In fairness many of the houses in the older part of this subdivision are now rental properties.

No areas the town show any neighborhoods approaching Chem Geek's 60% number and only a few of the more upper middle class or historically upper middle class areas approach 40% in isolated spots. There are also very few pools of any type in the older pre 1960's or currently lower class neighborhoods, with about the only exception being areas that were previously 1970's middle class construction that have declined significantly.

As a side note my step father had the first privately built pool in this town (18x36 plaster pool) built in 1964 for physical therapy reasons for my step sister, sadly it was filled in about 10 years ago, I learned to swim in that pool as a small child. Somewhat needless to say she became very popular at school after that as the only alternative were the couple of public pools and this was the era of the early years of desegregation in the south, and racial tensions were high.
 
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^^^^^ What he said.

the unfortunate truth bout that is most will be "pool stored" before finding us or one of the other forums that promote the TFPC/BBB method of pool care.

I haven't yet, but I want to print out a bunch of the TPC business cards, and distribute them to as many pool owners here in my town as I can find. Would that be something we could all do? Or would that not be a good idea?
 
I've had ideas that are similar, but the problem is that TFPC only works for people who are ready to embrace it. It's almost like someone has to be in the process of "finding a better way" when they stumble across the forum and have their epiphany.

If you try to talk to someone about it who isn't ready to listen, you the response will be either 1. argumentative, or 2. a thousand-yard stare.
 
I have a situation with 2 of my co-workers. One had a pool years ago and you couldn't give her one today. The other one just built a pool. The one who used to have a pool is has strong opinions about many things, the impossibility of someone caring for their own pool is one of them. She has been telling our other co-worker to hire a pool service and let them take care of it. I have tried explaining to both of them how easy it can be to care for a pool. She won't hear it. I have to talk to the one with the new pool about TFP when our other co-worker is not around or else I'll never get another word in edgewise. I only talk to the new pool owner about her pool care when she brings it up. I've given her the website info and she knows she can come to me with questions. Right now she is still in the start up phase and the builder is handling it. Her hubby is leaning toward a pool service at this point. I figure if I can at least get her to use a test kit and monitor the pool service I can get her on the right path eventually.

When I was house hunting a few years ago the average inground pool didn't add much if any value to the house unless it was a really fancy, resort like set up. The ratio of wanting/not wanting a pool was around 50/50 at that time.
 
We were actually going to move for one reason that being a pool. It was cheaper to buy a new home with one already installed than building one. After finding 5 different homes they all had issues with the pools. The majority was poor construction leading to repairs. That being said we stayed put, bit the bullet and are installing our own with a close eye on it.
You may not recoup all of your cost selling but it will give a much better appraisal and here a listing with a good pool sells quickly.
 
We had an appraisal done recently and they said the pool lower the value by about $20,000. Even if a pool is an advantage to some people, most people in this area do not want one, and that make the pool of potential buyer smaller, which in turn lowers the value of the house.
 

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mac1775, you have a good point, a neglected pool in need of renovation at an otherwise nice house is a detractor, but more to the point if I were house shopping I know I would prefer to buy one with a pool, but only if it were the right pool therefore I could very much see buying a house without a pool and adding one even if it were more expensive.
 
I joked that when I bought this place I bought a pool and a yard with trees and this house happened to have come with it. I live in a town without a swim club. The "country club" (really a golf club) does not have a pool. There is no public pool. My very unscientific take on my area pools are not reserved for the "big" houses, but can pretty easily be found in the yards of houses that are 1500 to 1800 square feet. While they may not add much value to a home here, I think they make them sell quicker. I wouldn't even look at houses without a pool. Friends of mine are house shopping and trying to hold out for a house with a pool. I wouldn't expect to get the $$$ back for a build, but I think my house would sell quicker and for a bit more than a house without a pool in my area.
 
So either visitors are lying when they say "Oh I love your pool and the deck I wish we had this at our house" or they truly mean it. I know you all have heard the same comments. Before we got our pool when we visited a home and they had an in ground or above ground pool guess what we said? You know "Oh I love your pool" and of course my wife would drive me crazy for the next couple of months about getting a pool. My only regret is not getting a pool sooner.

One more comment. I flew to Houston, TX a year ago and I was totally amazed at how many IG and AG pool I saw before landing at the airport.
 
If I were house hunting, there better be an in ground pool in the prospective new yard OR it better be flat and big enough for me to put an in ground pool in the yard! :mrgreen: I need a pool. It is a must have for me or I'm miserable in the summer. :shock:
 
As a wife of a real estate appraiser I can say the thinking that building a pool ads to your homes "appraised" value is entirely incorrect. It may be true in certain geographic areas in the south, but don't go into a build believing that if you think you may be selling sooner than later.

That appraised value of your home is based on comparable sales within a recent radius of your home within a given time frame. The comparables need to be JUST that. The appraiser needs to find homes within the closest possible range of things like sq feet, garage, work shop, pool.....etc. when an exact match isn't found (never really is) the appraiser makes adjustments either up or down to account for features. If pools are common where you are and therefore comparable sales with pools are common....no adjustment. It is all then broken down essentially of price per sq ft of recent sales in your area.

I digress

A good example would be our build. Home purchased in 4/2004. 30k sunk into a pool build in 2011. That is probably what the average pool build for a medium vinyl pool is in our area (to go all out and get gunite or something would have been stupid for us). When we did it my husband warned me never to expect a return on the build and to know that we were doing this for us. He got proven right. We refinanced from a 30 to a 15 yr mortgage when rates were low in 2011 (lowered payment with that too ?? Crazy). For the refi, our home appraised for exactly what we paid for it 7.5 years prior.

But it all depends on where you live. And if TFP keeps growing there just might be an increased demand for pools as people stop getting pool stored. :eek:
 
I read that article and laughed. That's crazy talk right there. I'm in New England. If there's ever a crazy place to put an inground pool is, it's here. You really only get 4 good months a year. But when you look at my neighborhood alone, of 26 houses, there are 10 in ground pools and 4 above grounds. One of the houses with in ground sold, BECAUSE of the pool. The new buyers were thrilled to have it there and waiting. I can tell you one thing, our town feels it increases value. :) of course they do. Two of my neighbors that did in grounds in the past couple of years had their assessments go up by $20k.

It's like anything though - I do stuff to my house for me. Not the next guy as was mentioned. I plan on being here at least 10 more years. When you take what I spent and figure it out annually, it's a bargain in terms of enjoyment gained. I admit I was a bit petrified about taking care of it, but with finding this site, it's a piece of cake so far.

I can't tell you how many articles I read on the web where I just shake my head in disbelief. Half the time I can't even believe it was work the digital space to have it even posted.
 
I work as a mortgage underwriter and speak with appraisers on a regular basis. One time I was asking a very well respected appraiser about the ramifications of value on an improvement I wanted to do to my house (not a pool). He told me that unless I was planning on selling the house anytime soon, that I should do the improvement for my enjoyment...that I have to make myself happy and not worry about someone in the future.
 

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