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Original poster

Buying a house with a swimming pool

10 replies

Mns1977 · 30/08/2017 23:33

We are currently looking at buying a house which is great, but has an outdoor swimming pool. Should this put us off? It's heated so I guess it costs a bit to heat?

An option is still to buy the house but fill it in if it gets too much.

On holidays our kids love swimming, but I'm concerned they will get bored with it in our weather.

Anyone with any experience of one?

Thanks

OP posts:

Notinmybackyard · 30/08/2017 23:41

My next door neighbours have an open air pool which only gets used for a few months, usually June to August. Have you had an honest conversation about how much it would cost to heat it to a decent temperature? It would obviously loose heat overnight even with a cover. I have another friend who has a smaller pool and I think she said hers cost about £50 a week to heat and they only used/heated it when it was sunny as it lost heat too quickly otherwise. I think it might help you make a decision if you googled pool hearing options or spoke to someone who has one.

Notinmybackyard · 30/08/2017 23:42

heating options!

faustina · 31/08/2017 07:42

I had a heated outdoor pool in my last house and it was a HUGE pain the arse. Massively expensive to heat, tedious to maintain (and expensive to get someone else to do it), always a few really sad wildlife casualties each season (poor hedgehogs).

On the few hot days it was a lovely asset, and we held the unofficial results day parties which were wildly popular when ds2 was still at school (I did have to be hyper vigilant about alcohol being smuggled in though).

If you let the maintenance slide and the pool goes green etc, it's a really big deal and takes forever to rectify

Lastly, bits were always breaking - pumps, heater etc. I spent a fortune on a new condensing boiler and found the choices were really limited and rubbish quality - breakdowns so much more regular than a regular heating system.

Maybe I'd consider a pool if I lived somewhere really hot, in a country where it was more usual and therefore there was more competition for all the maintenance issues but never again in England.

Hope that helps!

Lucisky · 31/08/2017 08:11

Not, me, but close friends had one. When they moved away/were looking they would discard any potential new home that had a pool. They had just had it with the cost and maintenance required, especially judged against the amount of actual use they got out of it. Also, in sunny weather they suddenly found they had a lot of extra 'friends' who would fancy a swim, and would decend en masse with their towels, looking hopeful.

scurryfunge · 31/08/2017 08:16

We used to have one but I wouldn't have one again unless I was paying someone else to maintain it. The heating cost was about the same per week for our central heating in the house. DS was 12 when we first moved in and I wouldn't have a pool with very young children unless you can lock it up. It was indeed a magnet for teens later on. We had good use of it though in the south east.

Tangoandcreditcards · 31/08/2017 08:17

We bought a house with an (unheated) pool a year ago.

It's old and leaks and the pumps need replacing.

It's too deep and cold so only usable for a small part of the year. It was unfeasibly expensive to refurbish and get heated. (More expensive than putting a new pool in!!)

We've emptied it and will be removing it in a few months.

It's either a one off cost of thousands to remove or an ongoing cost of maybe 3000 a year plus refurbishment.

We LOVED the house and location though and didn't want to not buy it because of what is essentially a garden feature - so we negotiated 5k off the house price and (in my head) that pays for the decommissioning. How much do you love the house?

(NB for anyone thinking a pool adds to house value!!)

scurryfunge · 31/08/2017 08:21

I agree Tango, it took 18 months to sell and we lost £40000. ( market factors as well)

MaitreKarlsson · 31/08/2017 08:41

Probably not a helpful comment...but I would LOVE a house with a heated pool! I enjoy swimming and if it's heated you've got ready-made exercise all year round. Hugely envious!

imjessie · 31/08/2017 08:47

I grew up in a house with a pool , you can make it into an indoor pool by building over it which would make it useable all year round . My mum used to heat ours for the summer and close it up over the winter because she didn't like the buildings over them . We had some amazing parties and my dd loved it when she was little .

specialsubject · 31/08/2017 10:08

If this is the UK an outdoor pool devalues a house. Reflect that in your offer.

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