Find yourself wishing for a pool this summer season? A pool can help ease the summer heat, but is it worth the investment to install one in your backyard?
Vince Arcuri, a realtor with Exit Elite Realty, said it’s a numbers game.
“It makes much better financial sense to buy a home that already has a pool built, as opposed to buying a home without a pool and building,” Arcuri said.
Selling a house that has a pool installed adds about $10,000 to $15,000 in value. It’ll cost about double that to build the average backyard pool.
Adding a screen enclosure and features like a spa or waterfall is even more expensive. Those costs can top $45,000 to $50,000 or more.
“The golden rule is about 50 percent of the value of what you put into it… is what you can expect to get out,” Arcuri said.
If you build, you should always check a pool company’s license to make sure it's in good standing. Go to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s license check website. You can search by name to see how long a company’s been in business and whether they have any complaints against them.
Timing is everything. Summer is a busy construction season for pool building. You can often get a better deal if you wait for the winter months to start building.
Winter is also a drier season for Florida, which means construction could go faster. Once you get a permit, it takes about a month to build. Most companies average about two months, but it can take longer.
Also, keep in mind, added costs for maintenance, it runs about $100 a month for a pool service.