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Six tips to show off a pool

Keeping the pool show-ready throughout the year can add tremendous value to a premium property.

When preparing to sell your home, particularly in the cooler months, it’s easy to only think about the home itself and neglect the pool area. However, making sure your pool and surrounds are in top shape provides the wow factor buyers are looking for in a property.

Tom Cavanagh from Adelaide Pool Patrol and Judy Sharp owner of Sharpen Up Property Styling have some helpful tips to make sure you get the most from your pool and outdoor area when putting your home on the market.

1. Keep your pool well maintained

Keeping your pool in the best possible condition all year round is going to be a great first step to making it saleable. Tom recommends getting your pool on a weekly or fortnightly cleaning schedule in the lead-up to selling your home.

“Pools are a bit temperamental and will often show they’re not happy if the chemicals aren’t right by maybe turning a bit cloudy or just not looking perfect,” Tom says.

“A cloudy pool is tough… so the more time we give it or the more help we give it with chemical assistance the better the pool will look.”

No one likes a dirty-looking pool, so you want to ensure any debris such as leaves and dirt are removed by regularly popping in the pool sweeper and making sure the filter is clear.

“That’s important to make sure that the filter can catch all the dirt and particles that make a pool look cloudy,” Tom says.

It can be helpful to get an expert to do the routine maintenance but even if you do all your own pool maintenance Tom recommends at least one professional clean before showing your home to ensure all the chemicals are balanced and your pool is in perfect shape.

2. Take off the pool cover

You can’t sell the buyer on something they can’t see! Judy says it seems obvious but to remember to take the pool cover off for all photos and open inspections.

Having a pool is a perk but you want to show off how nice it really is. Having it open, even in the colder months, means buyers can see exactly what they are getting.

3. Tidy up

Selling your pool to potential buyers isn’t just about the pool itself, the surroundings are just as important.

Your entire pool area should be clean and well maintained. This means ensuring all trees and shrubs are neatly trimmed, decks are swept and pool toys and equipment are put in storage.

Tom says to take notice of the details, things like cleaning the dust from pipes can big make a difference to the overall look of the area.

4. Update the equipment

When prepping to sell you should make sure that all the equipment is in good working order and replace any broken, rusty or worn items.

“Replacing little aesthetic things like pressure gages … that’s one way to just make it look a little nicer, a little fresher, ” Tom says.

“Make sure the pump is nice and quiet or [check] if it needs any repairs or servicing… so people aren’t hearing an old pump rattling around in the pool shed.”

You should also check all of the fences around your pool, making sure they are safe, maintained and compliant with any local codes.

5. Make it sparkle

In the day or two leading up to photos or an open inspection, Tom says there are a few things you or your pool cleaner can do to give your pool that extra sparkle.

Tom says that you should ensure chlorine levels are good or even high and you can even run your equipment overnight on a longer cycle to ensure the water is as clear as possible (this is not recommended for day-to-day pool maintenance).

But Tom’s insider tip when it comes to selling your pool is to add a product called clarifier, to give the pool that extra sparkle.

“That will really help the pool have a bit of a glimmer to it, a bit of a shine,” he says.

6. Create some style 

Finally, you might want to put some effort into styling your pool area for photos and walk-throughs.

Judy says that styling this area should be the same year-round, you always want to showcase the area at its full potential.

Consider adding things that show a potential buyer how they might live in the space as well as items that will make the pool feel like a luxurious oasis.

“Green leafy plants in pots help create an oasis feel to a pool space and outdoor furniture like sun lounges, beds and casual cafe pool furniture shows buyers how they could live and entertain in a pool space,” Judy says.

Accessories like drinks trolleys, beach towels and cushions can add a pop of colour.

Judy says that lighting can sometimes be forgotten when it comes to pool areas and adding some lanterns or fairy lights is a quick fix.