In Maricopa, building backyard pool worth the investment

With the summer heat soon to return, thoughts of a backyard pool are enticing.

But many homeowners are hesitant to add one, thinking the cost is high and the return on investment will be low when it’s time to sell. In Maricopa, however, neither assumption seems to be accurate.

In some parts of the Valley, pools are quite common. In the last 30 days, 155 of the 367 homes sold (42.2%) in Chandler had a pool. In the Maricopa market, however, only 22 of 168 homes sold (13.1%) had pools.

As of Jan. 17, the MLS shows just six of the active 80 listings have pools.

With the inventory of pool homes so low in Maricopa, there are certainly people not getting the pool they want when they buy their home. But purchasing a home without a pool and adding one later may be more cost effective, and give buyers a much greater inventory of homes to make their selection.

Indeed, the number of properties with pools continues to grow, meaning many of the pools are new. In 2019, the city issued 183 permits for residential pools. That number climbed to 279 permits in 2020, a 52.5% increase.

That increase is likely spurred by COVID-19, as people are at home more and less comfortable with community pools, which may be subject to closure.

If you are hoping to have a pool in time to beat the summer heat, you might as well get started now. The process — from permitting to construction — can take 7-9 weeks, with most of that time for construction.

So, what does it cost to keep cool?

A basic 80-foot perimeter pebble-tec pool, with a maximum depth of 5 feet, should cost about $30,000, depending on access to the yard. The resale value is at least $30,000 and often more due to low supply.

If you add other pool features such as a waterfall, spa, in-floor cleaning system or heater, the price will jump quickly and the overall return for the pool investment will decline.

Dayv Morgan is a Maricopa Realtor and owner of HomeSmart Success.
480-251-4231
[email protected]
MaricopaHomeSmart.com