The value of a swimming pool is priceless during the hot summer months when the kids are home from school bored, after you’ve mowed the lawn and are covered with sweat, or when the family comes for a two-week vacation visit.

The value of a swimming pool – as told by pool salesmen – is about $15,000 to $50,000.

The value of a swimming pool when you’re spending hours cleaning it, spending dollars on the chemicals, or spending money on liability insurance is a whole different story.  The value of a swimming pool when you’re selling your home is also another story.

Kitchen and bathroom makeovers add the most to the resale value of a home.  A swimming pool is may be nice to lounge around in the summer, but for resale it’s a perk that just doesn’t always add up.  I’ve looked at homes with buyers who sometimes love them, sometimes hate them.  One buyer mentally calculated the cost of filling in the pool before deciding to NOT buy the house.  Another fell for the salt-water pool immediately and made an offer on the house.

Depending on your location, adding a swimming pool could be one of the worst investments a homeowner can make.  Massachusetts agent Bill Gassett says,

Swimming pools often times can actually end up being a detriment when selling a home. There are many buyers that flat out will not buy a home that has one no matter how beautiful it is.  Are there times where a buyer is specifically looking for a pool? Sure…if you are lucky you may find a buyer that will pay a little more for a home with a pool. Just don’t expect that it will be anywhere close to the money you have sunk into the ground.

If you have a pool, enjoy it now.  You may not so much when it comes time to sell!

Photo by my Mom. The kid on the right? The cute one? That’s me.