Buying a house with a pool
A pool can look fine on inspection day and still be thousands away from working properly. Here is what to check before you sign anything.
The assumption we're testing
“It looked clean when we inspected”
Clear water proves almost nothing
Any pool can be made to look good for an inspection. A shock dose and a vacuum the day before will present a pool that has been neglected for a year.
What you want to know is the condition of the shell, the surface and the equipment — none of which a quick look tells you.
The expensive things
A pump or a chlorinator is a manageable cost. A leak in the plumbing, or a shell at the end of its life, is a different order of money entirely.
Unexplained water loss is the one to take seriously. Pools evaporate, but there is a difference between evaporation and a leak, and it is worth knowing which you have before you own it.
Fencing is not optional
NSW has strict pool barrier requirements and they are the owner's responsibility. A fence that does not comply is both a safety issue and a cost you inherit.
Check whether the pool is registered and whether there is a current certificate of compliance.
This is Pool inspections & reports territory.
See the brigade