Does Removing a Pool Add Value to Your Property in the Southern Highlands?

The property value question is one of the most asked — and most misunderstood — questions in pool removal. The simple version of the answer is: in the Southern Highlands market, removing an old, unused or deteriorating pool is generally value-neutral to value-positive, particularly if it’s replaced with a usable, well-presented yard.

But the honest answer is more nuanced than that, and the nuance matters if you’re making a decision that involves significant spend.

The Southern Highlands Market Context

To assess pool removal and property value, you first need to understand the specific buyer profile for Wingecarribee Shire properties — because buyer behaviour here is materially different from Sydney’s beachside suburbs.

The dominant buyer is a tree-changer or retiree from Sydney or Canberra, purchasing in the $1.0M–$2.5M range for a combination of lifestyle, space, community and climate reasons. These buyers typically:

• Did not move to the Highlands specifically for outdoor swimming
• Are often downsizing from a larger Sydney home with a pool they’ve already tired of
• Are budget-conscious at the upper end of their range and sensitive to ongoing costs
• Are calculating total cost of ownership as part of their purchase decision

For this buyer, an old inground pool is not an asset. It’s a known cost — compliance inspections, maintenance, chemicals, electricity, and the constant possibility of an expensive repair. At the inspection stage, a pool in average-to-poor condition often triggers:

• A request for a pool safety inspection report
• Questions about pool barrier compliance (often non-compliant on older Highlands properties)
• A price adjustment or request for pool removal/compliance credit as a condition of sale
• Simply lower interest from buyers who don’t want the liability

The buyer who specifically wants a pool does exist in the Southern Highlands — typically families with children who are planning to be full-time residents and use the pool regularly — but they are a minority of the market, and they still want a pool in good condition, not a 40-year-old concrete pool requiring $20,000+ in renovation.

What Real Estate Agents in the Southern Highlands Say

Agents operating in the Bowral, Mittagong and Moss Vale market consistently make several observations about old pools:

1. An old pool in poor condition is a liability, not a feature. It triggers building inspection issues, pool compliance requirements and buyer concerns. Agents frequently advise vendors to remove or renovate an old pool before listing.

2. A clean, pool-free yard in good condition is often more sellable than a yard with a deteriorating pool. Buyers can visualise their own use for a clean yard; they can’t easily visualise past an old pool in disrepair.

3. A functional pool in genuinely good condition can add value — but the break-even on a full renovation is long, and the buyer premium in the Southern Highlands is less than in Sydney’s premium markets where pool use is much higher.

4. The compliance question is increasingly significant. NSW pool barrier regulations have become stricter over successive amendments. Many older pools in the Wingecarribee Shire have barriers that are non-compliant with current standards. Agents regularly encounter deals complicated by pool compliance issues.

The Numbers: Does Pool Removal Recoup Its Cost?

There are two ways to think about pool removal ROI:

Option A: The Pre-Sale Cost/Return View

If you spend $14,000 removing an old pool before selling:

• Does it add $14,000 or more to the sale price? — In the Southern Highlands, probably not directly. Removing a problem pool may prevent a $10,000–$20,000 buyer-negotiated price chip, but you’re not extracting a premium equal to removal cost
• Does it broaden the buyer pool? — Yes. Removing a pool barrier issue and compliance concern makes the property attractive to buyers who otherwise wouldn’t consider it, or wouldn’t bid confidently
• Does it reduce sale complexity? — Yes. Fewer conditions, faster exchange, lower risk of buyer withdrawal

Option B: The Ongoing Maintenance Savings View

For owners who are staying in the property:

• Annual maintenance savings of $2,000–$4,000/year
• Over 5 years: $10,000–$20,000 saved
• Over 10 years: $20,000–$40,000 saved
• Net financial return: positive within 5–7 years for most inground pool removals in the Highlands

The financial case for removal is strongest when viewed as a maintenance cost elimination, not as a property value enhancement.

When Does Pool Removal Add Clear Value?

Pool removal is most clearly value-positive in these specific scenarios:

Removing a pool from a heritage property. Heritage homes in Bowral and Berrima that have an anachronistic concrete pool in the backyard typically present better — and appeal to a wider pool of heritage property buyers — without the pool. The pool detracts from the heritage character; removal restores it.

Removing a pool to reveal additional usable yard space. A Southern Highlands lifestyle property with 2,000sqm of yard where 120sqm is occupied by an unused pool is more usable (and more appealing to buyers who want garden space) without the pool. This is particularly true for buyers who want vegetable gardens, lawns for dogs, or outdoor entertaining areas.

Removing a pool from a property with difficult pool barrier compliance. If a pool barrier is significantly non-compliant and the cost of bringing it into compliance is $8,000–$12,000 (not unusual for older properties with non-standard fence lines), removing the pool and saving the compliance cost is clearly value-positive.

Removing a pool from a property in the $1.5M–$3M prestige range. At this price point, buyers are sophisticated and don’t want problems. A vendor who has proactively removed an old pool demonstrates property care and removes a potential negotiation point.

When Pool Removal May Not Add Value

Removing a pool in excellent condition on a family property. A well-maintained, compliant pool in good condition is an asset to the right buyer — typically a family with children. In a market segment where buyers specifically want this, removal eliminates a selling feature.

Removing a recently renovated pool. If the pool has been renovated in the past 5–10 years, is in good structural condition, and complies with current barrier standards, the maintenance math looks better and the asset value is more real.

If the property is a holiday rental. For short-term rental properties in Bowral and surrounds, a pool can support premium summer rental rates. The rental income contribution of a functional pool may justify its retention and ongoing cost.

The Bottom Line for Southern Highlands Owners

In the Wingecarribee Shire market, removing an old, unused or deteriorating inground pool:

• Rarely adds dollar-for-dollar value on resale — you’re unlikely to add $14,000 to the sale price by spending $14,000 on removal
• Often prevents price chipping — buyers who find a problem pool often negotiate 1–3% off the purchase price; removing the problem eliminates this risk
• Always improves property presentation — a clean, level yard presents better than a deteriorating pool regardless of market conditions
• Adds clear value via maintenance savings — $2,000–$4,000/year savings over a typical holding period makes removal financially rational even if resale premium is limited

For most Southern Highlands owners with an old, unused pool, removal is the right financial decision — but the case is built on maintenance savings and problem prevention more than on direct value uplift.

Frequently Asked Questions — Pool Removal and Property Value

Will removing my pool make my property sell faster? Possibly. Properties with old, non-compliant or deteriorating pools can sit on the market longer because they deter buyers who don’t want to deal with the compliance and maintenance issues. A clean yard typically attracts a broader audience and reduces buyer hesitation.

What does a Bowral real estate agent typically advise about old pools? Agents in the Southern Highlands generally advise that pools in good condition add limited value but are neutral; pools in poor condition or with compliance issues should be removed or remediated before listing.

Is there a segment of Southern Highlands buyers who actively want a pool? Yes — families with children who will actively swim, and some buyers from Sydney who are used to having a pool and want to continue. However, this segment is a minority in the Southern Highlands buyer demographic compared to urban beach markets.

Should I renovate the pool before selling or just remove it? In most cases, the ROI on renovation before sale in the Southern Highlands is poor — renovation costs of $20,000–$35,000 rarely add equivalent value in this market. Removal or significant reduction in scope (e.g., pool fence compliance fix only) is usually the better approach. See our selling with an old pool guide.

Thinking about removing your pool before you sell? Get a free on-site quote.