If you’re putting your home on the market and looking to spruce it up, you may want to add water features.
But is adding water features lucrative in the long run or just a waste of time and money?
Water Feature Appeal
Water features look beautiful and sound great. They can be used to:
- Bring in wildlife- if you like frogs and fish, a backyard pond could be what you’re looking for.
- Separate rooms- a wall fountain can be used to separate rooms in a creative and stylish way.
- Add activities- both indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs provide a space for fun and relaxation.
- Set the vibe- a rock fountain can make any space feel like a peaceful zen garden.
Water Feature Drawbacks
So what are the drawbacks of having water features?
- They can be costly to build and maintain.
- Larger features can pose a potential drowning hazard to children and pets.
- Water features can utilize a lot of water unnecessarily, making them not very eco-friendly.
Water Features and Home Value
You may enjoy water features in your home now, but will they add value if you ever want to sell? Turns out, adding a water feature to your home may be a bit of a risk because it all depends on the buyer. Some buyers may look at your fountain or pool and see a great asset where others might see liability and high maintenance costs. Your home’s location can also have a big impact on how prospective buyers view a water feature, in warmer climates an outdoor pool may be considered a necessity, but in colder climates like Huntsville where it would only be used for 3-4 months out of the year, a pool could just be seen as a nuisance. Water features can be an expensive investment that you may never see a return on.
Although adding a water feature may not earn you more money, it may help your home sell faster. In 2017 homes with ponds were on the market an average of 50 fewer days compared to homes without ponds, a 20% decrease.
The Bottom Line
If you’re considering adding a water feature to your home, make sure to do your research. Adding something that is relevant to the area, like a pool in a warmer climate, a fountain in an upscale neighborhood, or even a pond on a larger property, could, in turn, help your property sell faster, and at a better price. On the flip side, adding a niche or high maintenance water feature to your home could scare potential buyers away. If you’re going to add water features to your home, make sure the investment is going to be worth it.