When we take a tour of an apartment that has a swimming pool, irrefutably every time, the realtor and landlord will mention the luxury pool.
It doesn’t matter if the pool is luxurious, average, or just plain awful; they will try to convince you the pool is the reason why you should choose their apartment and spend extra on amenities. But is the pool really worth the price? There is no right or wrong answer. To assist you in answering the question, here are some things to ask yourself.
Do You Really Want an Apartment with a Pool?
The pictures on the apartment website and the landlord’s descriptions make the pool sound so enticing, but be sure to look at the pool in person before you sign the lease. Everyone has heard an apartment horror story before, and for some, that awful account involves a pool. A report by the CDC shows that E. coli were detected in over half of public pools. The list of harmful substances found in communal pools is long and frightening, so it is important to make sure your prospective apartment’s pool is sanitary and cleaned on a regular basis. If you’re brave enough to continue considering an apartment with a pool, read on.
Does Your School Have a Pool?
Many colleges and universities have swimming pools that are available to all current students and faculty. Find out if your school has a pool before paying extra for services you may not even need. Yes, it would be more convenient to have a pool right outside your door, but it may not be worth the money. Also, using a pool on campus is a great way to meet and hang out with fellow students outside the classroom.
Will You Use the Pool?
If the answer to the last question was “Yes, my school does have a pool,” ask yourself how many times you’ve swum in it. If you can count the number of times on one hand or if you had no idea your school even had a pool up until now, maybe paying more for an apartment with a pool isn’t the best option for you. Let’s say you’d have to pay $200 more per month for a luxury apartment with a pool than a regular apartment without a
pool and let’s also assume you could find a local community swimming pool that costs $20 every time you go. You would have to swim in your apartment’s pool at least 10 times every month to make the cost worth it.
These are just a few factors to consider when deciding on an apartment. If you do your research and think about what you want out of an apartment, it will be easy to make the right choice.
Need help finding an apartment with a pool? Let us know.
About the author:
Kate Graham is a Sociology student attending Carroll Community College. In the spring, she plans on transferring to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she will major in Sociology and Spanish with a minor in English. She lives in Carroll County, Maryland, where she works at three different libraries. When she’s not working, she enjoys writing screenplays, performing at open mics, and posting on her YouTube channel
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