Why are pre-purchase pool inspections so important?
If there is a pool at your prospective property, it is a great idea to have a separate pool inspection done by a professional swimming pool company. Don’t just trust the flippant remarks from a building inspection person saying that the pool looks fine!
Read a real scenario about a Brisbane family...
Recently we were contacted by a young family who had saved up hard to finally be able to purchase their own home. They had the choice of a couple of homes and chose the one with a pool for their young childrens’ entertainment.
They had done all the usual checks and balances, including a pest and building inspection. (N.B. In Qld, Building inspectors are not registered to comment on the integrity of a swimming pool, unless of course they also hold a pool building /renovators license.)
A few months after moving in, the water in the pool was getting a very milky look to it. No amount of chemicals seemed to be clearing it up. The couple rang our company to help them sort out the balancing of the pool water for them.
When we arrived and viewed the pool it was evident to us that there was a lot more going on than an unbalanced pool.
If you wiped your hand along the wall of the pool interior, the water would go milky looking. The filtration system was not running correctly either. This was because the pool had been PAINTED to tart it up for sale. The chemicals were starting to react with the paint and it was obvious that the paint used was not paint that is specially made for swimming pools. It was in fact, just normal house paint.
Unfortunately because of the thickness of the milky residue appearing in the pool, running through the filters etc, it had also damaged the plant and equipment. The family now needed to empty the pool, have that paint sandblasted from the interior of the pool, and have the pool resurfaced. Not to mention they had to replace the damaged plant and equipment.
An unexpected, very expensive exercise for them, which they unfortunately could just not afford.
They are now living with a pool in their back yard that they cannot swim in, as it is unhealthy and unwise to allow anyone to do so. Imagine explaining that to your young kids on a hot summer’s day - that the pool is out of bounds! Yikes.
Needless to say this has been heartbreaking for this young couple, and we felt so sad for them.
This is where a PRE-PURCHASE inspection of the swimming pool is invaluable.
There may not be anything wrong with the pool, but at least you are buying with your eyes wide open, and it just may save you a lot of money and heartache.