Introduction to Swimming Pool Designs

Not too long ago, swimming pools were considered an item of luxury, as pools were both expensive and time consuming to construct and then maintain. But in recent years a few trends emerged to bring the swimming pool well within the reach of many. First, the idea of outdoor living has spread well beyond the warm climates. Second, improvements in construction methods and market competition considerably reduced the costs involved. And third, technological improvements in key system such as cleaning and heating, enhanced the usefulness and took much of the hustle of owning a pool. As a result, the popularity of the backyard pool has skyrocketed, even in areas where warm weather lasts only a few months of they year.

Before their meteoric rise in popularity, backyard swimming pools were nearly always one of two things: either an in-ground rectangle or an above-ground circular tub. But today, swimming pool designs include a myriad of shapes and landscaping options. The shape, size, construction materials of your swimming pool will ultimately depend on it’s intended use, it’s location and the nature of your grounds, the contractor you’ll use, and of course, your budget.

An In-Ground Swimming Pool May Increase Your Property Value

For a long time, swimming pools were typically a liability rather than an asset when selling your house. This was because there were many more people who didn’t want a swimming pool than those who did. Swimming pool designs were often ugly and pools were a major headache to clean and maintain. But today, because of high-tech automated cleaning systems and beautiful and innovative designs this has changed. These days, a tasteful swimming pool is much more likely to add value to a property and make a house more desirable and easier to sell.

However, this is nearly exclusively true for in-ground pools and not above-ground ones. An above-ground pool is a temporary structure and adds very little, if any, to the value of a property like a stylish, permanent in-ground pool does.

An in-ground pool may add greatly to the resale value of your home. But unfortunately, this also means that it will add to the assessed value of your property, and consequently you’ll be asked to pay more property taxes. It’s a good idea to explore the property value and tax consequences of adding a pool before construction begins. If you know of any neighbors who have a pool, you may want to ask them about their experience.