A SWIMMING pool can double the value of your property on the open market, according to calculations by estate agency analysts - a typical home in Spain with a pool can cost around €407,704, compared with €193,525 for one without.
These figures vary vastly by area, size and type of home, and nearby facilities, but generally, figures show that homes with a pool tend to sell for twice as much as those which do not have one, or do not have access to a communal one on the same complex.
Buyers of property with a private or communal pool will face higher running costs, although these are well worth it when considering the added value and the luxury of being able to flop into a swimming pool in the heat of the summer without moving much beyond the back door.
Typically, an apartment or villa on a complex or in a block means an annual cost of €780 in 'community' or 'freeholder' fees, which cover maintenance of the grounds, stairwells, parking areas and other shared parts.
Add a swimming pool to the block or estate, and these fees rise to €1,227 on average - an increase of €447 a year.
Of course, these also vary by area, with some being as little as €500 a year or even less for a complex with a pool.
Owning a private pool on an estate not subject to 'community charges' or not part of a freehold complex still involves maintenance fees - cleaning, topping up, checking and altering the chlorine levels and fixing leaks, replacing pumps and so on usually involve specialist knowledge and hard, manual labour, which can cost a typical €700 or so a year by paying a pool company.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com