Featured image credit: Envato
At one point, it seemed that people wouldn’t even consider buying a home in LA without a sparkling swimming pool punctuating a backyard oasis. Rising demand and dwindling supply have left buyers more willing to settle for properties without pools, but the heart wants what the heart wants. When the option does present itself, the common question that pops into every buyer’s mind remains, “Is it better to buy a home that already has a pool? Or purchase a home without one and instead budget for the pool installation cost at a later date?” It all comes down to a cross between finances, timelines, property characteristics, and long-term goals.
Buying a Home with a Pre-Existing Swimming Pool
When you purchase a home with a pre-existing pool, you have the luxury of knowing exactly what you’re getting. You can even hop right in the moment the keys hit your hand if you feel so inclined. In addition, the price of the pool is often rolled right into the purchase price and mortgage instead of being paid out of pocket at closing. Unsurprisingly, the premium you pay for a home with a pool is often less than the full pool installation cost if you were to build one from scratch. That means even more in the LA market, where labor, materials, and permitting costs can quickly skyrocket.
While you can learn a lot just by looking at a pool, there are also a few unknowns you’ll need to consider when buying a home with a pre-existing pool. For example, how old is it? Was it installed with quality craftsmanship? How well did the owners maintain it? Older pools could very well need resurfacing, new equipment, or compliance updates to meet the current standards. Sometimes, these costs don’t clarify until after an inspection. Therefore, buyers need to consider more than the bare existence of a swimming pool. They need to assess its condition and lifespan.
Buying a Home Without a Pool with Plans to Install Later
By investing in a home without a pool, you’re typically given more flexibility. When you do eventually choose to put in your pool, you can determine its size, shape, features, and placement rather than committing to the previous owner’s vision. For buyers seeking a particular layout, like a lap pool, plunge pool, or one that balances well with manicured landscaping, it’s especially beneficial to seek a home without a pre-existing pool.
But there’s more to adding a pool to a Los Angeles property than design alone. Vital considerations can extend to:
- City permitting
- Heavy equipment accessibility
- Safety requirements
- Sloping plots
- Soil condition
- Utility upgrades
And these factors don’t just affect pool installation cost, but also timelines. Installation can easily last for months, from planning to completion. And the costs aren’t commonly rolled into your mortgage. Rather, they’re their own animal, and often require high upfront capital.
All of this assumes that your property can even accommodate a swimming pool. And, sadly, that’s not guaranteed. Setbacks, easements, zoning, and hillside restrictions can strictly limit where your pool is installed – if one can be installed.
Contrasting Pool Installation Cost Against a Future Home Sale
When mulling over the installation of a pool, you’re probably most concerned with the obvious: getting in some refreshing relaxation. But it’s still worth factoring in a future sale when deciding whether adding a pool to your property is worth it. In Los Angeles, a swimming pool offers more value in certain neighborhoods and price points than in others.
For example, in warmer inland cities and luxury markets, pools are a standard. In cooler coastal communities and entry-level markets, pools are far less common. With all of this in mind, one common fact remains starkly clear: pool installation cost rarely translates to a dollar-for-dollar resale value. Therefore, homeowners should frame a pool as a lifestyle perk as opposed to a savvy investment.
Which is Better: A Home with a Pre-Existing Pool or Saving Up the Pool Installation Cost?
Buying a home with a pre-existing pool can be the smarter option for someone who wants to waste no time enjoying some fun in the sun as quickly as possible while keeping costs largely predictable. On the other hand, budgeting for pool installation cost later is the obvious choice for those with a customized vision. However, these buyers need to keep installation timelines, complexity, and expenses firmly in mind. Either way, the decision to put money into a pool, pre-existing or installed later, shouldn’t be viewed as its own investment, but rather as a feature the owner plans to enjoy for years to come.
With a brand that says as much as JohnHart’s, Senior Copywriter Seth Styles never finds himself at a loss for words. Responsible for maintaining the voice of the company, he spends each day drafting marketing materials, blogs, bios, and agent resources that speak from the company’s collective mind and Hart… errr, heart.
Having spent over a decade in creative roles across a variety of industries, Seth brings with him vast experience in SEO practices, digital marketing, and all manner of professional writing with particular strength in blogging, content creation, and brand building. Gratitude, passion, and sincerity remain core tenets of his unwavering work ethic. The landscape of the industry changes daily, paralleling JohnHart’s efforts to {re}define real estate, but Seth works to maintain the company’s consistent message while offering both agents and clients a new echelon of service.
When not preserving the JohnHart essence in stirring copy, Seth puts his efforts into writing and illustrating an ongoing series entitled The Death of Romance. In addition, he adores spending quality time with his girlfriend and Romeo (his long-haired chihuahua mix), watching ‘70s and ‘80s horror movies, and reading (with a particular penchant for Victorian horror novels and authors Yukio Mishima and Bret Easton Ellis). He also occasionally records music as the vocalist and songwriter for his glam rock band, Peppermint Pumpkin.
