Let me give you a bit of free real estate advice. Don’t put a built-in swimming pool in your front yard. I know that sounds silly, but since I had the privilege of walking through a house with a front yard pool last week, I wanted to bring it up. Enjoy a one-minute video tour and then I’ll give you some reasons NOT to install a pool in the front yard – some more serious than others. Watch below (or here).
10 reasons NOT to install a pool in your front yard:
- Buyers don’t want pools in the front yard.
- There is more privacy in the backyard.
- Your house may actually sell for less because of a front yard pool.
- Avoid perverts looking through holes in the front fence to check you out.
- It’s awkward to try to avoid drowning while walking to the front door.
- When people ring the doorbell you can’t pretend like you didn’t hear them like you can when swimming in the backyard.
- Skinny dipping seems much more risky in the front yard.
- A pool next to a sidewalk begs teens to throw stuff over the fence into the water.
- It’s a bad sign when buyers say, “what the heck were they thinking?”
- A front yard pool is really not a common feature. Spend time using Google Maps satellite view and I bet you’ll find it very difficult to find many front yard pools.
Now here are some pictures to help create a little more context. You would never know by looking at the home that there is a pool just steps away in the front yard. Obviously this pool needs some repairs, so it’ll be interesting to see if the buyer fills it in or repairs it.
You may also enjoy 10 signs your pool is too big for the neighborhood or How much is a pool worth in the eyes of an appraiser?
Question: Anything you’d add to the list? What is #11?
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Oh ma gaw – no way! Great video. I have never seen this before. I think I may have seen a spa in the front area, but I’m not out in the field like you and Steve are, so my views are limited. ~ So is this area all gated off? How bizarre. No truer words written in real estate, you never want to hear, “what the heck were they thinking?” This definitely a product of not consulting anyone before executing an idea.
Thanks Heather. Yes, it is gated off with a fence in the front. I agree the owner really should have consulted someone. One of the other downfalls is having visitors. The front gate would have to be locked to promote safety, so it would be hard to see who is knocking at the door (unless there is a security camera).
Call me crazy but, I love pools in the front. Though I read the 10reasons why it’s not a good idea and they are true.I just like it because it’s unique and hardly done.I love pools.
Andrea?
You’re not crazy at all Andrea. 🙂
I love a pool in the front but i envision it being like an indoor front of the house pool where only youand visitors would know.
That’s great Shalonda. I think it’s so important to have spaces that are essentially an extension of the house – or at least feel that way.
The house you show reminds me a of the dwellings you see in Italy, north Africa, and Mexico. From the street all you see is a wall with a large gate or door. This discloses an atrium (court)surrounded by rooms shaded by a walkway. If you continue through a breezeway, another court will be found. These enclosed courts often have fruit trees, fountains, and a little pool. This layout goes back to ancient Rome.
Of course the house in the photo you sent has far too large a pool . In some ways much of our contemporary suburban design seems limited to a miniature of the farm.
Interesting commentary, Ricardo. I am a big fan of the court concept, though I do like some sort of open space also to easily interact with neighbors (like a large porch). The court could certainly provide that also, but if the walls are more than a few feet tall, you won’t be able to see neighbors.
Good point about neighbor interaction. I’ve read that in the South neighbors used to porch visit in the evenings — lemonaide and such. Now no more. The reasons proposed range from air conditioning to an alienated, more mobile society. But I am with you on the value of knowing neighbors. We know ours and have fun as well as watching each others’ backs.
Thanks Ricardo. It’s a dangerous thing when neighbors stop talking to each other. That’s why I really appreciate traditional neighborhood design to help foster communication. When every house is gated off, there is no reason to go outside or even talk to neighbors. Over time that can really cripple a community though. Air conditioning and television are part of the problem, but I think isolation in general has become a cultural normal. That’s no bueno.
For any onlookers: In case it might be helpful, I wrote a series called “Community Building 101? a few years ago. If you are tinkering with the idea of how to begin to improve your neighborhood, this short mini-essay series might be relevant. https://sacramentoappraisalblog.com/Community-Building-101.pdf (pdf).
on the bright side, a buyer with intent to build a moat around the castle is about 20% done!
Funny stuff, Andy. This will surely appeal to a certain type of buyer (or of course an investor who wants to fill it in or maybe fix the pool).
Hey Ryan,
What brought you out to this property? Were you appraising it? How did the front yard pool affect the value of the house?
Alyssa, I was appraising a different house in the neighborhood and I called the agent to ask if I could enter. I saw the comment in MLS about there being a pool in the front yard, so I had to take a look for myself. I’ll definitely keep close watch on this one and keep it in my file for an example of a property with an odd feature. It’s always good to have data points for interesting properties because I may use the data in a future report. Thanks for the comment.
I was curious because I’m working for an investor looking at buying it. He’s thinking he’s gonna have to fill it in. When I saw the email I knew it looked familiar, I had seen it on your blog!
Wow, small world. I know another Realtor who toured the property and the investor passed on it. It’s definitely an odd feature, but if the investor could find a buyer before the rehab, that would be great. It’s hard to say what is going to cost more – whether pool repairs or filling it in (though my guess is the pool repairs). An attractive front yard would probably help the property compete better with other flips in the neighborhood. It’s too bad to have to fill in a pool though…
I suppose they could say easy access to pool? 😉
Great thinking, Coronado. This post could have also been “How would you market this pool?” I bet there would have been some funny responses.
I actually just bought a house with a pool in the front yard. It’s over to the side of the front door, so it’s sort of in the front ‘side’ yard…but definitely in the front. The reason for this is….you won’t believe it….but it’s true…. is that a well known actor lived in this house in the early 90’s (his production company rented out the house), and he had the pool put in. Well, it’s a big pool, but I want to keep it for the time being since I have kids who would love to swim. After they’re grown, perhaps I’ll have it filled in. In the meantime, my big question is…..DO I PUT UP A PRIVACY FENCE THAT COMPLETELY HIDES IT or do I put up a shorter fence that completely shows it? It currently has an older wooden picket fence that needs to be replaced. HELP!!!
Hi Cindy. Thanks for stopping by. First off, an actor from the 90s? My imagination is going to go with Chuck Norris, Fred Savage, Joey Lawrence, or John Stamos. 🙂 Kidding aside, I think you’re smart to keep the pool for your kids. If you are going to use it, enjoy it to the max. A front yard pool could hinder marketability for certain buyers in the future, but you’re not selling, so it’s a non-issue right now. Of course I wouldn’t assume there is automatically a marketability problem without knowing your area.
Honestly, I think it’s a personal call for you on what to do about the fence. You’ll have to consider what is going to boost curb appeal as well as what is going to meet your needs for privacy. The benefit of a large front yard fence is that you add to your privacy, yet the downfall is that it can potentially isolate neighbors and send a 6 ft high message to “stay out”. One of the biggest issues our society faces is the reality of a lack of community in neighborhoods, and building physical and relational fences can add to the issue. From a value perspective, I don’t know that it makes much of a difference at all. You can probably find something attractive either way too. It all comes down to what it looks like and how it blends into the neighborhood. Just find a way to make it look nice and add to the overall look of the community, and I bet it will be appreciated by all neighbors – whether 3 or 6 ft. One last thing I would mention is that neighbors know it is there, so it’s not like you need to hide it. If it has been visible in the past, there is no harm in keeping it visible in the future. You can always float what you’re thinking to neighbors to see what they think too. I know you’ll make a great choice. I wish you the best!!
Thank you for your quick rsponse! You must be a genius, because the actor is one of the ones you mentioned. I’ve got some landscaping people coming to do a design, so I’ll play around with both fence height ideas. Since you’re an appraiser, one more question…..the house is 4 bedrooms. We were considering taking the 4th bedroom and using some of that space to enlarge the master bath. My question is….which is usually a better choice: keeping a true 4 bedroom, or having a 3 bedroom with dedicated office and awesome master bath?
No problem at all. That is so funny about guessing the actor.
Regarding downsizing from four bedrooms to three bedrooms, my personal take is that it’s better to have four bedrooms instead of three. I’m not a huge fan of downsizing. If there is a way to make the master bathroom amazing while keeping all rooms intact, that would be great. I suppose if you only encroach on the 4th bedroom a bit, and the 4th bedroom is still useable, then it’s likely okay since that 4th bedroom would probably be used as an office or kid’s bedroom anyway. Before you do something, I strongly recommend reaching out to a local Realtor and a local appraiser. Describe what you plan to do, and ask them if that is a good idea or not from a resale perspective. People who know your market well tend to be in tune with what buyers are looking for in the neighborhood, whereas I’m a guy located in a different community. Best wishes!!
We are thinking of a front yard pool for a few reasons. We have over three acres, our front yard is much larger than the back, as much of the back is jungle. We have horrible neighbors that turned a beautiful 3 story tropical home into a mini farm and have geese and ducks in the front, chickens,goats and barking dogs in the back. They are nasty people and I would love a high fence or wall to never see them again! Also this would give us views of the lake in our front yard. We have trees and a canal on the other side. This is the furthest we can get away from them, the noise and the smell! Also I’m a firm believer in a house should be what I want to live in, not what someone may buy 20 years from now!
Hi Michelle. Thanks for sharing your story. I’m so sorry to hear about your situation. What a drag (I know that is an understatement). I hope things improve, and I hope your front yard pool helps give you peace of mind and some relaxation with your family. Life is about way more than market value. That’s the truth. Best wishes.
All it takes is a talented architect and landscaper and you got a beauty that is outside the box. Just about to put a plunge pool in my front yard because the beach is my backyard. I can’t wait.
Thanks Carol. I appreciate your comment. My post here was poking fun at an odd situation, but clearly there are reasons where pools can make good sense in the front yard. I recently saw a house that backed the river in Sacramento and it had a pool in the front yard. Ideally the pool probably would’ve been better in the backyard because of the incredible view, but it just wasn’t practical since the rear yard was small. Thus the front yard was the only logical location. Anyway, congrats on the pool. I hope you love it. 🙂
I wish photos were possible from comment posts! I just got to see a court (center courtyard) pool where what appeared to be the front door opened into an oasis patio area with outdoor kitchen, pool and even a whole guest suite on that front side of the property, then at the back there was another front door leading into the main home. There was another small understated door leading into the master bathroom at the back of the courtyard. This was design heavenly. You could see the pool from the kitchen, etc. This was a deep lot so that helps. Also it was wide enough that their detached garage (attached by a covered walkway) was off to the side, and there was a side door they use most often from the side going straight into the home. You did not have to enter through the front pool/court area. So the front yard pool was really only absorbed as “in the house” not so much as the only front entry point. I loved it. You could have people over without ever letting them inside your house but they would feel like they were inside.
Thanks Mary. It just goes to show there isn’t just one size for everything. A pool in the front yard certainly can work in the right situation. I recall a custom home I saw a couple years ago in Sacramento that worked with the pool in the front yard (though it still would’ve been better in the backyard in my opinion (it wasn’t bad in the front though)).
Please share (shannon.walker@mac.com) the pics. My wife and are designing our dream home to maximize views of a lake in our community and we are considering a court yard containing a pool and summer kitchen in what would traditionally be the front yard. It’s a private gated community with only a few lots. We think it will be awesome.
I bought a house with a front yard pool, I need some privacy but I don’t know if building a wall will look good. Anyone cares to share any pics for ideas.
Congrats on the purchase. I wish I had photos to share. I hope someone chimes in with some pics. All the front yard pools I’ve seen simply had a standard fence in the front yard (usually 6′).
I am currently considering putting a plunge pool in the front yard. My 1\2 lot is heavily treed in the back and side yards, except directly in front of house, and surrounded by a white picket fence. I am thinking of creating a courtyard effect so pool would not be seen at all from the street. Cannot seem to find any pictures online so I can get an idea of what it will look like.
Right on. Since this post has been written I’ve seen a few examples of pools in front yards. It is still not common, but I suppose it can work okay in some situations. I think the idea of a private courtyard hits the nail on the head though in terms of what you’d want to see for the resale market. The pools I have seen tended to have a 6 foot fence in the front yard, so it tends to feel mostly like a backyard. One of the downfalls of the front yard though is that the yard tends to be smaller. So the ones I’ve seen personally have felt a bit crammed. I wish I had pictures for you. Best wishes.
I like this post! Well I have to say it is SUPER common in L.A.. Most people there do not have large backyards but larger front yards especially in the hills. Also most people have HUGE fences and foliage no one is coming around to check out their pool as they are generally secluded with large amounts of foliage and HIGH fencing. That is exactly how I would have marketed this property put in MORE palms, tall shrubbery bananna tree plants etc.. it could be an amazing tropical Oasis WOW!
Interesting to hear, Ana. Thank you. It makes sense that this would be more prominent in some markets.