Who can resist real estate agencies’ pictures when they feature beautiful swimming pools in great gardens? Such nice pools are always put forward on ads because few things are closer to living the dream than the ability to dive and swim in one’s own private pool. And who could blame you for even forgetting you’re buying a house with your new pool, eh? Because if the swimming pool is a real beauty, then so must be the house, of course… More seriously, this leads to several important matters of debate, non the least being: when it comes to thinking about buying a house with a swimming pool, is it better to buy a “ready-to-dive” solution or should you buy a house without a pool, and have you own pool dug by a professional?
Some pros in favor of ready-to-dive…
Of course you could first have a crush on the house and consider the pool as a gratifying extra. And some pools are so well-made that they can change how you’d see a house in such a positive way that they really add much to the building. If the pool was planned and built along with the then-new house, it can fit in so well as to, for example, consist in a part-outdoor part-indoor basin, or stick to the house’s walls so closely that it would take you only a few steps to dive in.
Let’s be realistic: one of the main reasons why the ready-made pool could win is its price. Firstly, it should be inferior to a new pool’s value. And secondly, it’s former owner should be able to tell you, quite precisely, how much it cost him, per year, to maintain, fill, clean and keep the pool operational.
These two “pros” can seem enough reasons to justify looking for a house with an existing swimming pool. But that would be forgetting a bit too easily that there are even more arguments in favor of the other option: buying a ‘poolless’ house and having your own swimming pool designed and installed by a qualified professional.
…and some for the “do it yourself” option
Having your own swimming pool designed and installed by a qualified professional presents many more advantages over a second-hand pool than you may think. The matter of the price, first, as it tends to be less and less expensive to have a pool dug in the back of the garden, since the costs of the materials and craftsmanship involved get lower each year – and that, because the demand, on the contrary, gets higher every year. But that’s not all. Just like a pool’s ex owner, a real professional should be able to tell you precisely how much it will cost you on a yearly basis in terms of water, energy, hardware, cleaning, etc.
Then you have to take into account that the choice in terms of materials, for the pool itself but also for its “beach” (the terrace around it), is quite overwhelming. (See our special page on that subject.) Thus, you can really match up your pool’s style with your house’s, old or brand new. Matching a pool with a garden is a matter of personal taste, of course, but also a matter of pure technical competence and on the latter, a professional landscape worker and artist with expertise in swimming pool design will be able to create the pool you’ve dreamed of, in the decor you always wanted.
Interesting price and fully customized setup are not the only positive points that could convince you that a personalized pool is the best option: there’s also the fact that not everyone needs or wants the same type of swimming pool. The hardcore athlete will certainly favor a functional design, maybe narrower, longer and quite deep, while a pool that will be used mainly for leisure by a whole family will have to be safe for the youngest swimmers, with a well-thought environment that will help prevent incident or injury.
In any case, we hope that this brief comparison between buying a house in France with an existing pool or having your own swimming pools added later will help you pick up the option that suits you best!