Real Estate Pool Removals: Tip #1

This can be a topic that varies depending on who you ask and where you are located.  The landscape architects at MackLand specialize in pool removals and always recommend removing the concrete, no matter if the code allows it to be left onsite.  Ideally this is the right thing to do and adds the most value.  However, site constants, access and budget sometimes make leaving the concrete the only feasible option.

Most towns do not see a lot of pools being removed and have not put a lot of thought in to their code.  Some towns have no code at all.  The most basic code we commonly see is to perforate the pool bottom and take the sides down 24” below grade.  Well that’s OK if your seller is looking to do the bare minimum.  What if the next homeowner wants to put a pool back in, or an addition?

Removing a pool in today’s market.

Benefits include:

1. Gain a larger backyard with more usable and marketable space for realtors to sell. Potentially lower property taxes.
2. Houses without pools appeal to a broader market.
3. Houses being sold “as-is” with a pool in disrepair will decrease the value of the home more than it will cost to remove it.  Surrounding property values may be negatively affected as well.

When you are sitting at the closing table, a new buyer can take issue to the concrete being left onsite even if the code allows it and try to leverage a better price.  This is more likely to occur in a buyers’ market.  In a sellers’ market, people are more likely to overlook these concerns.  In elite communities, we feel it always pays to remove the pool in its entirety.

As we stated earlier, removing the concrete is the most ideal thing to do but is not always feasible.  If you decide to leave the concrete, the entire swimming pool should be thoroughly broken down into small pieces.  An excavating contractor or a pool removal only contractor are concerned only about getting the job and want to get in and out as fast as possible  They will want to do the bare minimum and they will not be concerned about minimizing the damage to the property because they are more than likely not going to have to restore it.  These bids always seem cheaper.

If the client chooses not to haul everything off, MackLand thoroughly breaks up the entire pool into small pieces of concrete (see below).  We go above and beyond to remove all plastics, metals, wood, and vegetation and recycle it off site.  Also, we make sure the fill dirt is clean and suitable for compaction and from a local residential source.  In addition, we typically use plywood/ground protection along the access route.  Our specialized low ground pressure machinery also reduces our impact to the work area.  We include a professional restoration and we always use the highest quality seed and turf.  MackLand is so confident, we are providing pool removal closure reports and a lifetime warranty on our pool removals.  The pool removal closure report is a great tool to have on hand during real estate deals – documentation of the process from start to finish.

Don’t pay to get the pool removed twice, get it done right the first time.

Not all contractors care about homeowners like MackLand does.  We are committed to add value to your real estate.  Why?  We care about the buyer and the seller.  We are not going to push anyone into something because it is easier for us.  Whether it is a buyers’ or  sellers’ market, it pays to do the job right the first time.  Improperly removed swimming pools can be something that can be a nightmare at the closing table or haunts you down the road, even after the real estate transaction has been completed.  Most states require you to disclose landfills.  Buried concrete can be considered landfill material.  No matter how you interpret the laws and codes, morally, you should feel obligated to disclose the buried pool removal to the next owner.

Copyright MackLand, LLC – a pool removal & demolition company.  All rights reserved.

If you’re in the greater Chicago or Denver areas please contact us to discuss your pool removal options.

America’s #1 Source for Pool Removals