Is an IP with pool asking for trouble?

Well I'm looking at a few IP house in Cairns and several have pools. I've never owned a pool before but 5mins of research tells me they can be a lot of work and money and therefore may just be a PITA.:eek: This is baring in mind the IP's I'm looking at are at the lower-mid range of the money scale.

I suppose I would welcome people's view on whether they might be an ok idea for an IP in tropical places like Cairns where summer is hot hot hot or are they still a bad idea. Has anyone had an previous experiences with them in far north QLD (good or bad)?

The bad things I have read (which may or may not be correct) include landlord needs to pay for regular service of hoses, pumps and filters and a yearly safety inspection. Good thing is, well, its Cairns and when it is that hot, everyone loves a pool!
 
Yeah they can be a bit of work and its doubtful a tenant would look after it... for proof just look at the average tenant's lawn.

Depends on the area though, maybe some areas the residents expect one. And perhaps you can hire a weekly pool maintenance person and include that in the rent ;)
 
Pool is a lifestyle choice and and only really suitable for a PPOR if really desired.

For an IP it is an unnecessary liability and an expensive ongoing cost. Avoid it wherever possible.

If you do end up with one by purchasing a bargain of an IP then either decommission the pool or include monthly servicing (and inspection) by a pool service company within the rent.
 
Years ago I was broke and earning not much in a new job, and took a bed-sit behind a house that was also rented.

The house had one of those above ground Clark's pools...

THE WATER WAS THIS COLOUR WHEN I ARRIVED TO SEE THE PLACE, AND NEVER VARIED IN THE 12 MONTHS OR SO I WAS THERE.

I had a crack at trying to clean it, but I had no experience, chemicals etc or money to do it properly.
 
I have an above ground pool in an IP. While tenanted it has never been a major issue. Tenants totally maintain. When I first purchased PM's were slack so property was vacant for a month. I had a local pool guy come out to clean and have perfect for new tenant. He ran over how to look after to the tenants. The next tenants had a pool in property they were house sitting so again, no issues. I guess it's like buying a property with ducted air-con versesno air-con. Charge a bit more rent for having a desirable feature to cover any future costs.
 
I would never buy an IP with a pool, but perhaps being Cairns you might get better rent.

Why not call some Cairns property managers and ask them if the same house without a pool would get more rent just because it has a pool? I would want to get enough extra rent for the same house to at least cover the maintenance for the pool.

If the extra rent only covers the monthly services etc (which you'd have to allow for in case the tenants don't do anything themselves) then I'd avoid a pool completely.
 
I had heard once, that in Townsville, pools were regarded as almost a necessity. When the climate was at its most unpleasant, box jellyfish were at peak season, so beach swimming was a no go.

I don't know if that applies to Cairns. A pool would be very welcome in the humid months, I'm sure. It would be worth finding out. As Wylie suggests, contact a property manager there.
 
Just thinking after reading Geoff's comment...

Maybe also ask the agent if NOT having a pool will limit your chances of getting a tenant?
 
Done it once in rocky .

Current list of features in an IP include , no pool ,

though would think about it in a larger stata , though that will obviously put BC costs up .

Cliff
 
Well I'm looking at a few IP house in Cairns and several have pools. I've never owned a pool before but 5mins of research tells me they can be a lot of work and money and therefore may just be a PITA.:eek: This is baring in mind the IP's I'm looking at are at the lower-mid range of the money scale.

I suppose I would welcome people's view on whether they might be an ok idea for an IP in tropical places like Cairns where summer is hot hot hot or are they still a bad idea. Has anyone had an previous experiences with them in far north QLD (good or bad)?

The bad things I have read (which may or may not be correct) include landlord needs to pay for regular service of hoses, pumps and filters and a yearly safety inspection. Good thing is, well, its Cairns and when it is that hot, everyone loves a pool!

There are equipment costs in running pools. Every 7-15 years the filter, chlorinator, pump, and vacuum will wear out and need replacing. +/- they're about $500 each to replace.

Then there's week to week up keep. As long as you have a sand filter and salt water this is not time consuming, but I don't trust tenants to do it. Get a pool shop round once a month for around $100.

You need to comply with safety rules. You will need to make it compliant (pretty strict, but has to be done as part of the sales/purchase of property anyway). The certificate is valid for two years (and must be provided with every lease) and costs no more than a few hundred (as little as $100) to get another if it is compliant.
http://www.hpw.qld.gov.au/construction/BuildingPlumbing/PoolSafety/PoolSafetyLaws/Pages/default.aspx
 
I've researched this is just bought IP/PPOR in Cairns and it seems to be treated one of two ways - either you charge average rent and hope the tenant looks after the pool themselves or charge a bit higher rent and pay to have it maintained yourself.

For me though, the pool did not factor into the decisioning as we bought with a view of a PPOR and not an IP.

IP's with pools in Cairns seems to be quite common though.
 
I have an IP with a pool in the tropics. It is a pretty standard feature and desired with tenants of higher rent properties (my other lower end properties don't have pools).

We charge an extra $20 a week and include monthly pool maintenance. No issues so far but between tenants you should inspect and clear away any overhanging trees, like palm trees etc. as they could puncture the lining.
 
Speaking as someone with a pool, we have spent over $3000 per year easy on just filter, pump, controllers and vacuum issues. Probably closer to over $4000/year. I wouldn't expect to get an extra $60-80 per week to cover that. Never mind the chemicals and servicing.

I would say a big never!
 
The extra $20 is just to cover the pool maintenance. The feature of having a pool is factored into the rent. For some areas you need a pool to attract a certain kind of tenant. In other areas not.

If you can get away without a pool then obviously less headache when something goes wrong. This is my first ip with pool and no issues to date - touch wood.
 
I am based in North Queensland and grew up here, so I do understand why you ask the question. Summer is hot, hot, hot! However, most popular beaches do have stinger nets that you can swim in. Also, there are massive lagoons for swimming, water parks etc.

I have a pool in my PPOR, but would NEVER get one in an investment property. Pools come with all sorts of issues. Concrete ones get cracks, vinyl liner ones get holes which can be repaired, but a new liner costs around $8K, and fibreglass pools can actually pop right out of the ground in the event of heavy rain or flooding etc. Even just finding a leak can take months, while your pool sits there going green, and no-one can fix it!

So, I would very strongly suggest that unless you are buying to live in it, don't buy something with a pool. I would also suggest that you think very carefully about buying into a complex with a pool and investigate the body corp fees thoroughly. As well as the supply and demand issues! In my experience, both pools and large body corps do not bode well for investors. I could go on about the body corp issues as well, but have done so in another thread.

Do yourself a favour, and buy a good investment without a pool!

Cheers

Jen
 
Back
Top