If you’re planning on listing your home for sale in the spring, you might be wondering if your backyard pool will help the process or stall it. Buyers have strong opinions about swimming pools. Some want them, others don’t. Rather than trying to sell someone on the idea of having a pool, it’s better to market your home to people who would be interested.

Below are some tips for selling your home quickly – with a swimming pool.

Clean and Maintain

Take some time to freshen up the pool and its surroundings before listing your home. Replace worn or broken pool parts. Power wash the deck. Trim overgrown trees. Fix sections of a sagging fence. Make the pool area look bright, well maintained and safe for children and pets.

Open the Pool

Potential buyers like to see that things are working around the home. A pool that is closed brings out concern. Is there something wrong with the pool? Is it not in swimmable condition? When was the last time it was maintained?

A home with a clean, open pool is always more attractive to potential buyers. Plus, people like knowing that if they were to buy the home, they could enjoy a swim right after closing. If you must keep the pool closed, write in your agreement that you plan to pay for a pool opening and inspection.

List at the Right Time

Not everyone goes into the home buying process wanting a pool, but once they see it on a hot summer day, they change their mind. This is why timing is everything. Try listing your property in the spring or summer, and your pool will be viewed as an asset on a hot and humid Mississippi afternoon.

Create a Pool Binder

A pool binder includes everything that is needed to care for your pool and provides new owners with peace of mind. Here are some details that should be added to the binder:

• How the pool operates
• Service records
• Chemical records
• Renovation and replacement work
• Names of reputable service companies

Also include all of your pool chemicals, equipment and accessories with the sale of your home. This alleviates stress and allows the new homeowners to enjoy the pool right away.

As you get your home ready to list in the spring, don’t try to hide the fact that you have a pool. Update the space, open it as usual and embrace everything that it has to offer!

It’s not uncommon for pool owners to go back and forth on whether or not to open their swimming pool at this time of the year. Spring is an unpredictable month, so it’s not unusual to see warm, sunny weather one day, and chilly, rainy weather the next.

The good news is that we’re getting closer to summer by the hour, so one of these days, the warmer weather will stay for good. But how do you know when the best time to open your pool is? Is April too early here in Mississippi?

When to Open Your Pool

Here are a few guidelines for how soon you can pull off that pool cover and start getting things ready.

Consistently Warm Temps

Once the temperatures reach 70 degrees during the day, you can open your pool. The key is consistency. If the temperature is 70 degrees one day and 55 the next, it’s not time. Give it about a week or two of consistently warm weather before you open the pool.

Planning Ahead

If you plan on having a Memorial Day party, you’ll want to give yourself at least three weeks to get your pool ready. It may take even longer to get the water clean and clear, unless you’ve done some light winter maintenance.

If you’re confident that the winter weather is behind us, and you know that you have something coming up, it’s probably time to pull back the cover.

Benefits to Opening Your Pool Early

There are several reasons why opening your pool in April is beneficial.

• Less Algae. Once the temps warm up, the pool water can start breeding algae. This is especially the case if you have a mesh pool cover that lets sunlight through. This, mixed with warm water, gives algae what it needs to survive.

• Less Pollen. Imagine your pool sitting there through the spring months while the trees and flowers start to bloom. By the time you open your pool, you’ll have a mess on your hands. With an early open, the skimmer and filter will clean out the pollen for you.

• More Use. The weather usually gets fairly warm come May, so opening your pool now means that it can be enjoyed as soon as school’s out for the summer! This gives you more pleasure from your investment.

• Same Costs. Some people worry about their pool costing more if they open it up earlier, but this isn’t necessarily true. While you will need an extra month or two of chemicals, it could actually cost less because the pool water will be much cleaner.

Whether you decide to open your pool now or in a few weeks, the good news is that pool season is officially upon us!