This make or break feature is a must for Brisbane homes

A friend of mine who is house hunting recently confided she felt obliged to buy a property with a swimming pool.

“Looking at houses with pools in summer in Brisbane is like shopping when you’re hungry,” she said.

“It’s really hard not to. It’s just so hot and the houses with pools look so good. I swear if it was winter I wouldn’t want one.”

As the temperature and humidity intensifies in Brisbane throughout summer — and, let’s be real, into autumn — it’s easy to see why a pool is a high priority for many buyers.

Aside from offering the chance to cool off, a backyard swimming pool gives a beautiful aesthetic, often featuring as the centrepiece of a resort-style outdoor living space.

Caroline Munro, principal of Caroline Munro Property, said pools were highly sought, mainly by families with children, describing them as a “make or break” feature.

“These days we’re all building or renovating our houses to be bringing the outdoors in, so if you’ve got a pool in the yard, it’s part of that aesthetic,” she said.

“Young families want pools and often it’s a make or break thing. I currently have a house for sale at Taringa — a stunning family home — that doesn’t have a pool and doesn’t have access to be able to install one.

“It’s been a real stumbling block and put people off the house. It’s a massive thing for a lot of buyers.”

Maria Peirce​, agent at Belle Property Sherwood, said properties marketed at families were always more popular, particularly in summer, if they had a pool.

“In Brisbane, the weather really calls for a pool. If you’re selling a family home, particularly a Queenslander with a yard, people expect pools … nine times out of 10 it’s a specific request,” she said.

“I sold a house recently at Chelmer that didn’t have a pool and it needed one – over and over the feedback we got from buyers was ‘we want a pool’.”

As for recouping the money you spent installing a pool, Ms Peirce believes it depends on how soon after you decide to sell.

“If you put in a pool, then sell not long after, you’re unlikely to make all of it back straight away … it will certainly put your house above others though, as it really adds that wow factor that makes it stand out,” she added.

About 20,000 pools are built across the country each year at an average price of $44,000. In Queensland, 360,000 residents have a pool in their backyard.

Swimming Pool and Spa Association of Queensland executive officer Adrian Hart said pools were more popular than ever. “Pools, along with their associated landscaping, are a lifestyle offering and give your home a resort feel.”

Not everyone wants a pool though. Denis Najzar of Place Bulimba said empty nesters, families with older children and child-free couples were usually not interested in the maintenance.

“A swimming pool can actually turn some of those buyers off a porter, particularly if it’s taking up the entire yard,” he said.

“It’s really the families that are wowed by pools and I think at this time of year, more than ever, it’s a big priority for them.”

Fancy taking a dip?

18 Randolph Street, Graceville

Photo: Belle Property

By negotiation
Five bedrooms, three bathrooms, three car spaces

Set on a sprawling 810 square metre, north-facing block, this quintessential family home has been renovated with the outdoors in mind. A spacious wrap-around verandah overlooks the solar temperature-controlled swimming pool and there’s still plenty of backyard left for play time.

22 Olivia Drive, Carina Heights

Photo: RE/Max United Vision

Offers from $779,000
Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, two car spaces

Less than 10 kilometres from the CBD, this highest family home is set in a quiet cul-de-sac surrounded by local parkland. With four bedrooms, two bathrooms and two living areas, it has plenty of space indoors, while outside, an alfresco dining area overlooks the grassed yard and beautiful pool.

Agent: Gaby McEwan 0401 781 116, Remax United Vision

35 Lloyd Street, Camp Hill

Photo: Place Estate Agents

Price by negotiation
Five bedrooms, four bathrooms, two car spaces

This stunning brand new home comes complete with a gorgeous pool and grassed backyard, all conveniently overlooked by the inside and outside living spaces. Spread over three levels, its beautifully appointed Hamptons-style interiors are light-filled, spacious and inviting.

Agent: Denis Najzar 0438 457 599, Place Bulimba

29 Seventh Avenue, St Lucia

Photo: Caroline Munro

Offers above $1.5 million
Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, three car spaces

This beautifully maintained family home is a St Lucia classic. Located at the highest point in the suburb, it’s being offered for sale for the first time in 16 years and offers a myriad of period features. With panoramic city and urban views, it features a large pool out the backyard with room leftover for the kids to run.

Agent: Caroline Munro 0407 121 329, Caroline Munro Property