What Is A Pool House? (2024)

Owning a house is a luxury, and owning one with a pool is even more so. Apart from being a fantastic way to keep cool during the hot summer months, pools provide a fun, outdoor place to entertain family and friends. Having a home pool, especially in locations that experience extreme heat, definitely enhances and elevates one’s living space. But if you don’t have a pool house on your property, you may want to consider adding one.

Not only will it make the usage of your home pool more enjoyable and convenient for all who utilize it, but it will also add value to your home, and as such, can be considered as a viable investment in your property that will pay off if and when it comes time to sell.

What Is a Pool House?

A pool house is a free-standing structure that exists separate and apart from your home, and is located within close proximity to your pool. Although the fact that “house” is part of this structure’s name, don’t be confused–a pool house is not intended as a living or guest quarter. The pool house is distinguished from other outdoor structures, like a pergola or cabana, in that it is permanent, has walls and is not a tent-like construction that can be moved around or taken down.

You may have a permanent space, like a detached garage or guest house, that already exists on your property and is not adjoined to your house, but just to be clear, a pool house is intended to store pool toys and supplies as well as provide a provide space for family and guests to change into their swimwear, or back into their clothes, after they’ve had their fill of pool fun.

A pool house can store extra towels, lounge chairs and umbrellas as well as cleaning and maintenance equipment for the pool. Some pool houses even have a bathroom that guests can use while enjoying the pool, without having to go back into the house and track in unwanted water. The size of a pool house can vary dramatically depending on the available property space, as well as the relative size of the house that it accompanies. In other words, the bigger the house, the bigger the pool house (typically).

Pros and Cons of Having a Pool House

If you’re trying to decide whether you want to take the plunge and either purchase a home with an already existing pool house or construct a pool house of your very own, you may want to consider the pros and cons.

Pros

There are many benefits to having a pool house. To start, a pool house will allow family and guests to change from their regular clothes into bathing suits and vice versa within close proximity to the actual pool. While this may not seem like such a big deal, if you’re wanting to limit traffic in and out of the house (and prevent guests from tracking pool water into your home), a pool house definitely offers that convenience.

A pool house also adds value to the home and increases the overall appeal of the property too. A pool house, in combination with the pool, can elevate the overall pool experience, making it feel more like a special treat, especially for visiting guests and friends.

Having a pool house can also serve as a place where pool users can commune and enjoy each other’s company, making memories that last long after the pool party is over.

Cons

On the other hand, there are some downsides. There are several additional costs you will face as a homeowner with a pool house, starting with the initial cost of building it, if one does not already exist on your property. Additionally, having this added structure on your property may increase your property insurance, so be sure to discuss insurance costs with your agent.

The existence of a pool house also means another place to clean and maintain, so if you’re not up for the task, or don’t want that additional work, you may want to rethink if a pool house is right for you.

Lastly, a pool house poses another set of safety issues to consider, particularly if you have small children in your household, so be sure that you are prepared to take the necessary steps and measures to ensure that safety is a priority and can be effectively maintained.

How Much Value Can a Pool House Add to Your Home?

If you’re wondering whether a pool house can add value to your home, the short answer is yes. Experts place the added value at anywhere between 5 and 8%, so if you are considering this undertaking, you may want to consider weighing the costs of construction and completion of this project against the projected value that you can ascertain by consulting with a property agent.