What’s HOT?
Demand for pools surges with homeowners, homebuyers
Melonee Hurt
Special to Nashville Tennessean USA TODAY NETWORK – TENNESSEE
When the pandemic was in full swing last summer, going as a family to theme parks, public pools and other popular summer amusement amenities suddenly wasn’t an option. Many families opted to instead spruce up their own yards to bring the fun right back home.
Categorized as “outdoor living,” these upgrades include anything from screened-in porches, outdoor kitchens, swimming pools and even putting greens.
Lana Pargh, affiliate broker and founder of Compass RE in Nashville, Tennessee, said the biggest trend she is seeing right now is a massive surge in the demand for homes with in-ground swimming pools as well as the demand for people looking to add one to their current home.
“The pandemic is making people look at their house as more of a retreat. A getaway,” she said. “Everyone is wanting to build a pool. If you can afford to add one, then it is definitely on your radar.”
Popular additions after a swimming pool include screened porches, fireplaces, dining space and covered outdoor seating, Pargh added.
The real estate market nationwide is shifting its stance on homes with swimming pools. Compass RE reports that searches for homes with outdoor living spaces nationally have increased by 50 percent over last year. Before 2021, a pool didn’t always add value to a home. Now, many Realtors say it does.
Realtor Tim Thompson said he’s been selling real estate for 30 years and he’s never seen a shift like this when it comes to outdoor living.
“Used to be appraisers didn’t even give you any money for outdoor living and now it’s a huge part of the appraisal,” he said. “It has changed over the last few years. If you go over the top and build a really nice pool and outdoor space, the appraisers will actually give you credit for it.”
Pargh added that she remembers buyers who would buy a house with a pool and fill it in with dirt because they didn’t want to take care of a pool. “Now it’s a huge positive to have one,” she said.
Nashville Realtor Lacey Newman said the influx of Californians into Tennessee has ramped up this trend in recent months.
“With so many people moving from California, pool contracting companies can’t even keep up with the demand for swimming pools,” Newman said. “If you have a pool in Nashville today, the additional value that it brings to your home is greater than the value of the actual pool. Fifteen years ago, if you had a pool, not only did it not add value to your home, but it was seen as a potential detriment.”
Pool builders swamped
If you are one of those people thinking about adding a swimming pool, you might have to get in line. With the surge in demand comes a lengthier waiting period to get it done and a heftier price tag than this time last year.
Several pool companies contacted for this story declined to comment, saying they are already having to turn away business.
Pargh said she is seeing pools that used to cost $70,000 are now $150,000 and that getting one installed this year is unlikely.
“The cost of pool installation is double or triple what it was a year ago,” she said.
One related trend is to surround portions of a swimming pool with synthetic grass like Astro-Turf. Pargh said it is great around a pool because it’s not slippery and is safer for kids than concrete.
“It doesn’t need irrigation and there’s no mosquitoes living in it,” she added. We are seeing people also putting in small putting green areas on the turf.”
Don’t overdo it
Before you take out a second mortgage to install a $150,000 pool, Realtors say, you do have to be careful not to overdo it. Even though pools are adding value to homes, it’s possible to overbuild your backyard oasis.
“You can’t take a $300,000 house and put a $150,000 pool in it,” Thompson said. “You have to look at what you have and not overdo it.”
He has a $12.75 million listing in Franklin, Tennessee, that has many wonderful qualities, including a massive backyard entertaining area with a pool, hot tub, sound system, LED lighting, a pavilion, outdoor kitchen, shuffleboard court and fire pit with seating area.
“That backyard area will help sell that house,” he said.
Pargh recommends the best way to ensure you are doing the best to add value to your home is to make sure you have interior basic upgrades covered before you move to the back yard.
“If I had $100,000 to spend and my house needed an updated kitchen, I’d choose the kitchen over a swimming pool,” she said. “But if you have the kitchen, bedrooms and garages you need, then I’d say do a screen porch and then a pool.
Homeowners of this backyard area decided to forgo trying to maintain a lawn and instead opted for the evergreen style of artificial grass, or turf. Realtor Lacey Newman said tur f is a popular option because it has little maintenance and stays green year-round. AMY DIXON/SHOWCASE PHOTOGRAPHY
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