If you’re moving from Minnesota or the Midwest to Florida, there’s a good chance a swimming pool is somewhere on your wish list. ☀️🌴
But buying a Florida home with a pool can bring up questions you may never have dealt with before.
Should I get the pool inspected? What should I be looking for? What if the pool is old? And what if I love the house but don’t love the pool?
The good news is that an existing Florida pool may offer a lot more possibilities than you think.
🔎 Should I Get a Pool Inspection When Buying a Florida Home?
Yes. I recommend having the pool inspected when purchasing a Florida home.
A pool can look perfectly fine during a showing while having issues that aren’t obvious to the average buyer.
A pool inspection may evaluate things such as:
- 🏊 Pool surface and visible structural condition
- 💧 Cracks or signs of possible leaks
- ⚙️ Pump and filtration equipment
- 🔥 Pool heater
- 🚿 Plumbing and circulation
- ⚡ Electrical components
- 💡 Pool lights
- 📱 Automation and controls
- 🧱 Tile and coping
- ☀️ Pool deck condition
- ♨️ Spa equipment, if applicable
Depending on the property and inspection company, a pool inspection may be available as an addition to your regular home inspection. With an older or more complicated pool, you may also want a pool professional to perform a separate evaluation.
The goal isn’t necessarily to find a perfect pool.
It’s to understand what you’re buying and what may need to be repaired, replaced or updated.
🛠️ What If the Pool Is Old or Outdated?
This is where things get interesting.
When looking at Florida homes, don’t necessarily dismiss a property because the pool looks dated.
If the existing concrete pool structure is in good condition, a qualified pool renovation company may be able to completely transform it.
That older pool with dated tile, faded finishes and an unattractive deck could potentially become the starting point for a completely different outdoor living space.
✨ BEFORE → AFTER
This is where I’d insert the before-and-after pool renovation images.
It’s a great example of why buyers shouldn’t automatically eliminate a house just because they don’t love the existing pool.
🏝️ What Can You Change on an Existing Florida Pool?
Depending on the existing pool, property and available space, renovations can potentially include:
- New interior pool finish
- New waterline tile
- New coping
- New pool decking
- LED pool lighting
- New pumps and filtration equipment
- Pool automation and controls
- New pool heater
- Saltwater system
- New steps or benches
- Sun shelf
- Water features
- Built-in spa or hot tub ♨️
- Raised spa with a spillover into the pool 💦
That last one surprises a lot of buyers.
♨️ Your Existing Pool Doesn’t Necessarily Need to Already Have a Spa
Depending on the pool and available space, a qualified pool contractor may be able to construct a new spa adjacent to the existing pool, integrate the plumbing and equipment, and create a spillover between the spa and pool.
When done correctly, the finished pool and spa can look as though they were originally designed together.
👀 Don’t Judge a Pool Only by How It Looks Today
This can completely change the way you search for a Florida home.
Suppose you find a house with the location, floor plan, neighborhood and view you want — but the pool is 20 or 25 years old.
Before eliminating the house, ask a different question:
Is the existing pool structurally sound, and can it be remodeled into what I really want?
Cosmetic issues such as dated tile, old decking, worn coping or an unattractive pool finish may be things you were going to change anyway.
Structural problems, significant leaks, underground plumbing issues or site limitations deserve considerably more attention.
That’s another reason a pool inspection can be so valuable.
♨️ Can I Add a Hot Tub or Spa to My Existing Florida Pool?
In many cases, yes.
A built-in spa can potentially be added to an existing pool and designed with jets, separate heating controls and a spillover into the swimming pool.
A raised spa can also dramatically change the appearance of an older pool area.
So if having a spa is important to you, I wouldn’t automatically limit your home search to properties that already have one.
Instead, consider looking for:
🏠 + 🏊 + 🛠️ = YOUR PERFECT BACKYARD
A great house + a good existing pool + enough space to create the pool and spa you really want.
That can open up considerably more homes during your search.
📋 Have a Pool Contractor Look at It Before You Buy
If you’re considering buying a Florida home with an older pool and already know you’d like to renovate it, consider getting a pool renovation contractor involved during your inspection period.
Some questions worth asking include:
✓ Can this pool be remodeled?
✓ Can a built-in spa be added?
✓ Is the existing pool shell worth renovating?
✓ Would the plumbing or equipment need to be replaced?
✓ Are there setback, permitting, HOA or space restrictions that could affect the renovation?
✓ What would a renovation approximately cost?
Getting those answers before you purchase the home can help you determine whether you’re looking at an expensive problem — or an opportunity to create exactly what you want.
🌴 The Bottom Line
When buying a Florida home with a pool, I recommend having the pool inspected.
But I also wouldn’t let an ugly or outdated pool automatically scare you away from an otherwise great house.
The condition of the underlying pool and the property around it may be much more important than the color of the tile, the age of the deck or whether there’s currently a built-in spa.
With the right existing pool and a qualified Florida pool contractor, you may be able to turn an outdated backyard into something completely different.
You don’t necessarily have to find the perfect pool.
You just have to find the right house with a pool that has the potential to become perfect for you. 🌴☀️
🌴 Thinking About Moving to Florida?
If you’re considering a move from Minnesota or the Midwest to Florida, I’m happy to be a resource.
Pools, flood zones, insurance, HOA and condo fees, homestead exemptions and the differences between buying real estate in Florida and the Midwest can all be part of the conversation.
Have a Florida question? Reach out anytime.