Why You Should Consider Adding a Pool House
Having a private pool in your backyard can bring a lot of joy to your life. But it can also introduce a lot of mess into your home—if you don’t have a pool house. If every pool party or lazy day spent lounging poolside necessarily causes wet, messy floors all over your house, it can (literally) dampen some of the fun.
And that’s only one reason of many that a pool house may be worth the investment. For homeowners that have a pool—or are planning to build one—hiring a good Charlotte-area contractor to build you a pool house offers a number of benefits.
Provide Pool Users Convenient Access to Common Needs
A pool house can offer a comfortable, private changing area for both before and after you use the pool. It’s also a good spot to store plenty of clean towels for easy access when people are ready for them. Many people choose to include a bathroom as well, so no one has to walk dripping through the house each time they need one.
Whether you include a full kitchen or not, you can also store some snacks and drinks there for easy access. Having most of what you’ll need nearby in the pool house can make enjoying time in or by the pool easier for the whole family.
Maintain Privacy
A pool house helps you maintain some separation between the pool and the rest of your home. That can especially come in handy any time you host a pool party—the kids (or adults) can keep to the pool and pool house and leave anyone using the main house in peace (which can be extra important if anyone in the house works from home).
Plus, the pool house can provide additional private areas for changing, giving everyone the space they need to get ready without unwanted spectators.
Use Your Pool More
More convenience likely means you’ll take advantage of the pool itself more frequently. If you don’t have to think about cleaning up puddles of water all over your house or carting towels and other supplies from your house to the poolside, the choice to use your pool more throughout the summer will be easier.
As an added bonus, pool houses sometimes include a covered pavilion or extra overhang, which introduces extra shade to the space. On bright, hot summer days, that can make the area feel much more comfortable and usable.
Keep the Inevitable Dripping and Mess Outside of Your House
When dreaming about the fun parts of having a pool, it’s easy to forget about some of the more tedious elements, like the extra cleanup you have to do if people regularly traipse through the house while dripping.
But if swimmers have easy access to everything they need in the pool house, you can avoid most of that extra mess in the main house entirely. People can shower and change in the pool house before returning to your home, so your house stays pristine and cleanup is less of an immediate concern.
Provide (Protected) Storage Space for Pool Supplies
Keeping your pool well maintained requires certain supplies that have to go somewhere in between uses. Chances are, your garage is already cluttered (if it’s like most garages). A pool house offers a ready-made space to store your pool supplies where they’re both easy to access and protected from the elements, which can extend their life.
It can also double as a good storage space for any of the more fun supplies associated with using your pool, like floaties or cocktail mixers. And in case your garage or shed is already at capacity, you can use your pool house to create more storage space for any lawn supplies that currently lack a good home as well.
It Could Double as a Guest House
Some homeowners choose to opt for a small pool house that just covers the basics. But you have the option to spend a bit more to create a space that works as a guest house as well.
A pool house that functions as a guest house has the added benefit of providing more privacy than a guest room within your home does—for both you and the guest. If they have a comfortable, private space to call their own during visits, parents, adult kids, and other loved ones will be that much more likely to come visit.
You Have the Opportunity to Add Other Outdoor Living Features You Want
Depending on your budget, building a new pool house presents an opportunity to add other features you may want, but haven’t had a good chance to pursue yet. Some pool house ideas that could add value to your quality of life include:
- Adding an extra bathroom (or more than one) to your home, and/or considering an outdoor shower or bath
- Including a full kitchen, or an attached outdoor kitchen
- Splurging on an AV system or a home theater, to enable movie nights by the pool
- Creating a game room within the pool house
- Including an indoor or outdoor fireplace, to keep the space cozy through the winter
- Adding ceiling fans and/or strategic shade to keep things cool during the summer
- Turning it into a fully functional living space with a bathroom and kitchen, so it can serve as an in-law suite or be rented out for extra income
If you have the budget and space, your pool house can be a way to treat your family to whatever extra amenities you’ve been dreaming of.
Increase Resale Value
Resale value shouldn’t be your top priority when considering whether to build a pool house—you should only undertake a project like this if you want it for yourself and your family. But with any change you make to your home, it’s worth considering how it will impact your home’s value if or when the day comes that you decide to sell.
And there’s good news on that front: Angi predicts that a pool house adds 5-8% to a home’s resale value. A pool house with bells and whistles that potential buyers find attractive will be worth the most, but even a small pool house should add some value as well.
Why Hire a Professional Contractor for Your Pool House
Even if you have DIY (do-it-yourself) skills for some around-the-house projects, for an undertaking as big as a pool house, it’s smart to hire an experienced contractor. Someone with the right experience and knowledge can:
- Make sure your pool house is built right, so it’s safe for you and your family
- Take care of all the proper permits, so your pool house is legal
- Match the style of your pool house to your current home
- Help you plan a pool house design that most closely matches what you want, while staying within your budget
- Strategize how to use the space available to the best advantage
- Help you select the best materials and features according to your preferences, local trends, and what makes the most sense for the Charlotte, NC climate
Fineline Construction has years of experience helping homeowners in the greater Charlotte area make the home additions and renovations they most desire, including building a number of pool houses. If you’re ready to take the next step toward realizing the pool house of your dreams, set up a consultation.
