15606 E. Grand Ave., Aurora, CO 80015
Listing courtesy of RE/MAX Leaders

Recently my husband Joe and I were considering a house in Aurora with a pool. It’s this beauty in the Shenandoah neighborhood. At first, I didn’t want to go see the house. Why? I was worried that if I fell in love with the house, the pool would dash my dreams.

Is Buying a Home with a Pool a Good Idea in Colorado?

It’s not that I don’t want a pool or wouldn’t use a pool. But in Colorado? Here’s what I was balancing in my head:

• How much use can you get out of it? We definitely are lucky to have lots of incredibly sunny days. However, you can really only use a backyard pool from June through September. And that’s in years when the weather is good, without too many thunderstorms or hailstorms. Are you okay with paying for something for 30 years that you can only use four months out of each year?
• What are the costs to maintain it? This amenity has costs you might not have considered. Water — a pretty typical 14′ x 28′ pool with an average depth of 5′ holds close to 15,000 gallons of water. You’ll be paying to fill it up each summer and it will need regular topping off during the season due to evaporation. If it’s heated – and you probably want it to be heated – you’ll have additional electric costs over the summer. These costs are in addition to your costs for running central air in your home. Maintenance — this list from SwimmingPool.com includes more than 15 steps for opening it each summer, along with 15 steps for weekly maintenance, another 11 for monthly maintenance, and 10 steps for closing it each fall. You can hire someone to do these tasks, which can be pricy. And even if you do them yourself, you have to consider the value of your time. Repairs — as shown in this report from HomeAdvisor.com. Depending on the age and condition of the pool, as well as other factors, you could be looking at significant repair expenses approximately every 4-5 years. Insurance — according to this article from Allstate.com, you should review your homeowners insurance policy with your agent to be sure you know exactly what is – and isn’t – covered when it comes to damage to your pool. Your agent will likely recommend that you consider a personal umbrella liability policy to protect you if someone is injured while using your pool. These policies vary in cost depending on the liability limits and deductibles you choose.

And Yet It Called to Me

But still…once I saw that beautiful blue water, I started to imagine the parties we could have. There would be Girls Day, BBQs, and client parties! Our house would suddenly be cool enough for our teenager to bring over his friends! And on and on. Granted, I would never pay to have a pool installed for my Colorado home, but to buy a house with one already installed? That’s a big maybe, because even with all of the considerations, it still sounds like a lot of fun!

My Recommendation as a Realtor on Buying a Home with a Pool

If you are considering buying a home with a pool anywhere in Colorado, my only recommendation is this: get it inspected. There are several companies around town that will come and inspect it before you purchase and let you know about any potential money pits.

That Gorgeous Home is Still Available; Contact Me for a Showing!

The Shenandoah house we were looking at is gorgeous and is still available! Call or text me at 303-204-6494 if you’d like to see it. (By the way, we worked out that the expenses for the pool would be roughly an additional $200 per month of use, so $800 for a season. That’s not too bad!)