Are you considering buying a house with a Pool in Winnipeg, MB? Then watch today for some key considerations that you should make before taking the ultimate dip in Manitoba!

It used to be that when we would give valuations on homes with pools, that the pool really added no significant value to ultimate price a seller would get. And it makes sense – Winnipeg’s summers can be short, so to really only get to swim in your pool from June until September didn’t make that much sense in terms of the hassle and economics that go with having a pool. However, in the advent of COVID, where people were forced to stay home, having that backyard oasis became far more important, and we started seeing homes with pools actually sell for a premium. I also have a theory too, as Winnipeg has had some of the hottest and driest summers that I can remember over these last couple of years, that global warming may actually be improving our summers here. I did no research on this and have made many assumptions in arriving at this conclusion, but these are the late-night thoughts of a sleep-deprived mother of three. I swear it is getting hotter, and warmer for longer here.

Now here are some things that you need to know before you make the pool commitment! I will elaborate further in the video, but Cole's Notes:
Balancing a pool is a science.
Other regular maintenance.
Ongoing pool ownership costs.
Types of heaters.
Liability/Safety. For the Protect a Child Fence product, Here is a review I found on it on YouTube:    • Protect-A-Child Pool Fence Reviewed b...   and my client that had this same fence system raved about it as well.
The big-ticket items are costly

When you are purchasing a home with a pool, there are some additional steps you are going to want to take to protect your investment.
If buying a home with a pool in the Winter, you are going to want to insert a specific clause that allows for a holdback until the spring when you can inspect the pool.
Have a thorough inspection done of the pool if it is available to view in full.
Ask for maintenance history of the pool. Ask for the age of the pool, although don’t necessarily give this too much weight. I have sold homes with 44-year-old pools before that were in great condition. What is important, is the maintenance history of the pool. Ask the seller if they can allow their pool service company to provide information directly to you, so that you can get a feel for just how well it has been maintained.
Get proper training on how to care for your pool. Some companies in Winnipeg are willing to do a learner course with you, so that you can handle the ongoing maintenance of the pool. However, knowing how to properly care for filters, properly clean the pool, and properly balance the pool will reduce your costs long-term as they will extend the lifetime of your important pool equipment.

Just a word or two, from personal experience. The cost to add a pool is pretty substantial – most starting at around $50,000 for a smaller, 15’ x 30’ pool. If you are on a sloped lot and will require a significant amount of landscaping, that cost can go up exponentially. You will likely NEVER get the return back on that home. So don’t expect to put a $50,000 (or more) pool in, and increase the value of your home by $50,000. Because it simply isn’t going to happen. BUT, if this is going to be your forever home – one in which you can see yourself enjoying the pool for years and years to come, and that is worth it to you – I say GO FOR IT! Or better yet, just buy a house with a pool!

Logan and I really struggled with the decision, personally. We are both Realtors and for us to take on any project within our home that doesn’t add to the resale value, it feels sacrilege. However, we have discussed this many times over and have agreed that we are in our forever home. Our children are young (at the time of writing, 6, 3 and 1), and we know that means there will be many years of enjoyment before they are teenagers and too cool to hang poolside with their parents. We are also on a larger lot and wouldn’t really miss the green space that a pool eats up. So for us, we have made the deposit to go ahead and get that pool. I should also add – with the “COVID Premiums” of 2020 and 2021 on pools – the waiting list became close to 2 years. We are apparently “lucky” that we are going to be able to get our pool in, in 2022!

Thanks for watching today. If you found value in this, please let me know in the comments below. I ramble a lot and record many of these videos after a glass of wine once the kids are in bed. Should somebody be taking my computer and phone away?

The Jennifer Queen Team
RE/MAX Professionals
(204) 797-7945
[email protected]
www.JenniferQueen.com