If you've been considering buying an inground pool, odds are you've often thought to yourself, what type of features do Inground pools come with? Well that just provokes another more serious question. What type of features do I want in my own pool?
Do Inground Pools add value to a Home?
An inground pool is one of the most expensive home renovations you can make. Statistically pools haven't added much value to a home doing resale, but the Covid-19 Pandemic has seen a radical shift in the market. Homes with a pool are now selling for a premium, as new homeowners find it tougher and tougher to find a pool contractor that can build their inground pool this year.
If you're in the market for a pool though, you're probably already researching this years hottest design trends. It's quite possible that you've been dream building for a while and have your own wish list of features you'd like to see in your pool. Here's my list of 5 "I can't live without these features" in my pool. My pool designers are going to make sure that my pool definitely has these elements in the pool we build.
Important Resource: Pool Buyers Guide
My ideal pool isn't some over the top $200,000 monstrosity. (Larger pools come with hefty maintenance bills - your electrical bill can go up over 20% with an inground pool). My tastes are simple and what I need in an inground pool may be different than what you'd like to see in yours. I'd like a basic geometric, salt water, heated inground pool with led lighting, a tanning ledge and a raised spa.
Average cost for a pool like this in Sacramento, is around $50,000. Adding on the deck and the tanning ledge can add another $15,000 to the equation. All in all though, this is a pretty handsome pool in the $65,000 range, which is more than doable for us.
Pool Heater
A pool heater can extend your swim season into the colder months and allow you to keep the water temperatures optimal for swimmers year round in some areas of the country. Particularly where I live in California, pool heaters allow you to keep your pool open year round.
Raised Spa
This is a feature that my wife and I discussed quite a bit. I feel like the pool itself is more for the kids and for creating a focal point in the backyard. After a long stressful day, a dip in a hot tub or spa is exactly what you need. It's definitely my favorite feature of the pool. Having a raised spa creates a relaxing waterfall sound. The spillover effect into the pool creates the ambiance of running water.
LED Lighting
LED Lighting allows you to light up the pool in vibrant and imaginative ways. It helps create a backdrop of elegance and sophistication in the pool at night, as well as making it easier for swimmers to enjoy the pool after the sun goes down.
Tanning Ledge
There are all different types of pool entries. My favorite type incorporates a tanning ledge. A tanning ledge is perfect for just soaking in the rays of the sun and enjoying the pool without getting completely immersed. A pair of ledge loungers on my tanning ledge would be perfect.
Salt Water System
Finally, for me a salt water system is absolutely essential. I hate the smell of chlorine when you come in the house from the pool. Because I wear contact lenses, chlorine definitely plays some tricks on my eyes. Also, I don't really like the way chlorine feels on my skin. A salt water chlorinator produces it's own chlorine and is gentler on the skin, it also doesn't produce that harsh chemical smell that I can't stand.
