How the pandemic made a splash in Maricopa’s backyards

If the July heat has you spending more time in your backyard pool, consider yourself a member of one of the most exclusive, and wettest, clubs in town.

Top Maricopa realtor Dayv Morgan said single-family home resales are experiencing an uptick over recent years. More and more often (and as heat records keep getting topped), buyers want a pool.

“In the last 90 days, 27% of resale single-family homes had a pool,” Morgan said. “During the same time period in 2019, it was closer to 21%.”

The increase isn’t huge, but Morgan said more new pools added to backyards in recent years equates to more resales, and at higher prices.

“It’s up a little bit, but I think there’s just more homes with pools now than before COVID,” he said.

Pandemic upped pool desirability

Phoenix has the most residential swimming pools of any city in the U.S., according to Pool Magazine. One-third of Phoenix homes have a pool.

In Maricopa, the figure is much lower — only 13%. But the number of pools added to Maricopa homes exploded after the pandemic hit, public records show.

In 2019, 183 permits were issued for a residential swimming pool. The following year, that number increased an eye-popping 52% to 279 permits, and then by another 20% over that in 2021 when the city issued 336 permits.

That new pattern coincided with a surge in other home improvement projects as people spent more time at home and were motivated and willing to invest more in their properties when they were trapped inside.

“There was a lot of pool building that happened during COVID, when people couldn’t go anywhere,” Morgan said. “I think a lot of people were wanting a pool because they were spending more time at home.”

Interest rates at the time were quite low, allowing more people to get financing for a pool.

Cue the health-conscious aftermath. In 2021, Morgan said people appeared less comfortable visiting community pools, which were also subject to frequent closures.
“A lot of neighborhoods and HOAs with community pools shut them down during COVID, so that also pushed people to want a home pool,” he said.

Naomi Moffat, owner of Maricopa-based Pool Tile Blasters, noticed a steady increase in her customer base, which led her to believe the number of pool owners in the city has grown.

“We’ve had more phone calls with people needing help getting their pools cleaned,” she said.

Will a pool add value?

The short answer is yes, according to Morgan.

“It’s going to depend on the other factors of the house, but in general, a house with a pool compared to one without will probably get an extra $30,000 to $50,000 in resale value.”

Why?

“The cost to build one now is about $50,000 and you can get a lot of that back when you sell the home,” he said. “Plus, someone buying a house without a pool would have to either qualify for a separate loan or need an extra $50,000 lying around to pay for it. If they buy a home with a pool, it’s just all in the mortgage.”

Moffat added a well-maintained pool can enchant a future homeowner.

“Imagine walking in the backyard and seeing a pool,” she said. “That is just so beautiful.”

Things to consider

Having a backyard oasis sounds tempting, especially when considering how much value a pool adds to a home. But the experts say there are other a few things to consider before making the dive.

It always comes down to dollars and cents. Morgan said monthly maintenance expenses can easily amount to $3,000 per year.

“I would consider the ongoing cost,” Morgan said. “The monthly expense for added electricity, water and maintenance could be an extra $250 per month. That includes the cost of running the pump, chemicals, water, plus budgeting for repairs and resurfacing.”

Moffat suggests soliciting a local pool service company for advice about proper maintenance and what to look out for in your pool.

“We’ll give suggestions on the best motors, pool equipment and other things,” she said. “We can let you know things like which motors and vacuums break down most often, or even do an inspection on an existing pool before purchasing a home.”

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