Summer is in full swing, and the mercury is rising. The best way to cool off, apart from the all-important airconditioning, is with a relaxing dip in the pool.
But why settle for a standard backyard affair, when you could be swimming in something a little fancier? Here are five of the best pools you can buy with properties right now.
The house at 89 Watkins Road, Dalkeith, is amazing for several reasons, but perhaps its biggest draw is the massive swimming pool at its centre. It’s a full 25-metre pool, complete with a slide, swim-up bar, spa, pool house, and BBQ house.
Jody Fewster, owner and director at Ray White Cottesloe Mosman Park, is selling this striking home and said the most impressive aspect of the pool was its seclusion and leafy surrounds.
“A house with a pool is very, very attractive,” she said. “This one is also attractive to all ages and stages of life.”
“I wouldn’t say pools are essential for every home market. Downsizers want to get away from pools. But certainly, when you’re talking about a family home on a large land holding, a pool is an essential element.”
This stunning resort-style home atop the Kangaroo Point cliffs features a truly gobsmacking infinity pool. What’s more, the main bedroom looks out over the pool to extraordinary views of the Brisbane CBD.
Heath Williams, Lead Agent at Place Estate Agents – New Farm, said the property’s biggest selling point was the view. He said pools were an incredibly important consideration for buyers in Brisbane, especially at the higher end of the market.
“It’s not like Sydney where you can jump in a car and within 10 minutes be at one of 52 harbour beaches,” he said. “We don’t have that opportunity here. You’ve got to drive up the coast. [For] most high-end houses, it’s a necessity. If someone’s renovating and doing a house for sale, they absolutely put in a pool.”
What’s the one thing that will make take a pool from zero to hero? Try a massive multi-level, multi-coloured slide that dunks you right into the middle of that pool just like the one at 47 Monkman Street, Chapman in Canberra’s south-west.
The slide is repurposed from a McDonald’s playground and was initially pitched at too high an angle so people would fly out at high speeds. These days it’s more gentle and provides a unique and memorable addition to the pool.
Brett Hayman, director at Hayman Partners, said this house has had strong appeal for larger families because of its sizeable open-plan design. He said pools could add substantial value to a home in the area.
“For some buyers, it wouldn’t add value at all,” he said. “But for most I would say it would add between $50,000 and $100,000, [which is] the cost of the pool itself, depending on the age of it.”
Mr Hayman said solar-heated pools are particularly popular for buyers in Canberra because they allow owners to start using their pool as early as September and all the way through to April.
If you’re looking for a swimming experience that will make you feel like you’re holidaying in the Italian countryside, look no further than this stunner in Vaucluse in Sydney’s east. With multiple statues overlooking a waterfall and two staircases, this pool begs to be lounged around.
David Malouf, associate director of LJ Hooker Double Bay Group, is selling the house at 37 Fitzwilliam Road and said buyers in Sydney often have pools on their list of wants when purchasing a property. In particular, families are always on the lookout for a good pool.
“It’s always a wishlist [item],” he said. “The wishlist is a garden and pool. It’s always a want. It adds value to the emotional [side]. Every couple, every wife always says they want a family home with a pool and backyard.”
Pools are less popular in Melbourne, thanks to the weather, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of stunning options. This architect-designed home features an indoor and outdoor option, so if Melbourne’s notoriously fickle sky starts to rain you can keep the pool party going inside.
The indoor option features a small swimming area and a lap pool beneath a double glass ceiling. If outside is more your thing, you can enjoy an infinity pool and adjoining spa. There’s even a massive fish pond stretching the length of the house if you just want to watch other things swim.