A member asked:
I am thinking of building a pool at my house in Italy. The house will in time be partly rented out to vacationers, and I am thinking it will create mote interest if we have a pool for people but not sure if it is worth the money. Any thoughts and ideas would be greatly welcomed!
Here are some member responses:
I used to think that a pool made a difference to rentals - but I've decided now that you first have to decide who you are renting to. Many people seem happy to rent without a pool. So research your market first - and do a cost/benefit analysis. It will take a long time to recoup the cost of the pool in the possible higher rentals. That said, I wouldn't be without our pool - but it's a lot of hassle for those few summer months. Do you have someone who can: - open it in the summer and deal with any nasties that have crept in over winter? - ensure that the pool cover remzins in place throughout the winter storms? - keep it chlorinated and cleaned etc whilst it is open (a twice-weekly job) - close it down and "winterise" it at the end of the season - deal with the problem of wild animals getting in and ripping the liner Don't want to put you off, but even after the cost of building - the ongoing costs/hassle need to be set against the glorious though fleeting ability to float about on the pool with glass of wine in hand - which of course risks maximum sunburn! Others will be able to give you an idea of cost - but the cheapest is probably going to set you back 15k or so. Though overground pools are a lot cheaper and do the same job (that is - the floating around bit. Not so good for diving or olympic swimming trials)
I would budget E40k for total solution delivered, ready to swim in, pump and housing installed. Ongoing costs of some E3k per annum for opening/closing, electricity costs, winter and summer chemicals. You will likely on top of this need a winter cover (budget E2k). For a (circa) 4 month period it's a costly item, but I wouldn't be without mine ! Go and do it!
when we looked around for villas to rent with pools in Lazio there were very few - it is definitely an attraction, especially as in Frosinone you are quite a trip to the beach. It will add value to your home but will come at quite a cost -particularly the ongoing maintenance. You can cover it over for winter and forget about it but if you are not on site, someone to check it twice a week when you have guests in Summer is a must. I'd go for it personally if you are planning to rent out.
We have an overground pool coming up to its third year and when put in a black bin bag for the winter seems to be OK so far. It has a little pump and filter and with a quarter block of chloriney stuff in a floating device keeps beautifully clear all summer. I guess it is like a giant kid's pool with a doughnut inflatable rim and when our visitors return from a summer day's sightseeing in Rome it really is appreciated. I think it would increase your chances of profitable rentals in summer, particularly if a bit more elaborate than ours. But as so wisely was said , the kind of clientele might make a difference! Now David, why Lazio? because it's BRILLIANT, we love it particularly Southern Lazio where we reside for much of the year. You can be close to Rome yet in rural tranquility with lots of property, even broken down farmhouses and cattle byres which for some strange reason some folks pour money in to in the quest for restoration. There are beautiful hilltop villages and a wealth of places to visit and in general fast access to Rome. Oh and you will not be bumping in to Quentin and Jocasta in the supermarket as this is real Italy. The Italians hereabouts have always been very welcoming and tolerant of my less than brilliant Italian!
The first thing I'd say is that re-couping the cost of installing a pool shouldn't be your prime mover for your decision. When deciding to instal our pool, we firstly researched our target market and whether a pool would be a deciding factor. The prices you can charge are limited by your competition and whilst a pool is a big plus, it is unlikely to enable you to charge greatly higher rental prices and hence recouping your outlay will take many, many years. Our place is about 45 minutes from the coast and likewise summer temperatures reach 30c+ most days. Many of our guests spent lazy days lounging around the pool, taking dips to cool off. Being the only b&b around here with a pool, it secured business for us that we would otherwise not have had. We decided to go for a natural chlorination system for several reasons, the main one being environmental. Whilst you have the initial outlay for this system, the benefits are well worth it for many reasons and as you do not have to buy expensive chemicals, it will pay for itself over less than 5 years. The water remained crystal clear all summer, no chemical smell, no sore eyes and great for people with sensitive skin. Cleaning is a daily task when the winter cover is off, but that's a job I love to do early in the morning. It only takes about half an hour (pool is only 8m x 5m). Apart from that and checking Ph and salt levels and cleaning the filters regularly,there's not much more to it than that. Overall installation costs will obviously depend on size/design, although I'd say that 15k is a bit optimistic for a below ground pool when you add on excavation costs, landscaping and housing of the equipment and extras like sun loungers, umbrellas, etc. 25k plus would be nearer the mark in my opinion. Overground pools are much cheaper and we have friends that have one at their holiday rental property and it has proven to be a great hit with their guests. I have been told that planning permission isn't required for this type of pool, although have also heard conflicting views on this point, so check thoroughly with your commune. So, if your budget allows, I would definitely recommend you have a pool and if you can, heat it to extend your season, as the sun will only get it up to comfortable levels from early to mid June to mid September. One last very important thing, check the regulations in Lazio on maximum pool depth. There are parameters whereby if the depth exceeds x metres, a full time lifeguard will be required!
We have just had a pool put in during our recent renovation of our property in Piedmont. Our decision was based upon: 1. Researching current rental prices - you do pay more for a property with a pool 2. Which nationality will rent? - we asked at places we stayed during the renovation and found out that alot of potential rentals in the area are Scandanavians who we heard like to actually spend nearly all their time in a pool rather than site see/visit places of interest/wineries. Germans seem to be similar. Americans like to mostly site see, Brits about 50/50. This was by no means extensive(or scientific) research. No doubt others will disagree with my wild generalisation(!), but it was a consideration. 3. Would we want a pool during our visits? - Yes definately, when you've seen all the sites then what do you do?! 4. Asthetics - it looks great (most rental decisions are based upon what a property looks like in my opinion) Cost wise: 8mx5m concrete case below ground pool (complete) - approx 27K Geological Survey - 1K (if this had come up with problems piles to bed rock would have massively inflated the prices, probably beyond aceptable levels, so if I was buying a property and definately wanted a pool I would probably invest in this first) Pool Tax - 1K Surround Paving (to consider) - 1K + Ongoing Maintenance