If you own a rental property with a pool in Austin, here's what it actually looks like when maintenance falls behind.

With summer coming up, I wanted to bring this one back. I had a conversation a while back about what it really looks like when you own a rental property with a pool and maintenance gets out of hand. 

If you're a landlord in Austin or thinking about buying a rental with a pool, this is worth seeing.

I was out at one of my properties with my buddy Danny, who owns Pool Authority, and the backyard had completely fallen behind on maintenance. The pool had turned into a swamp. Green water, the surface covered in moss and mold, and the weeds around the yard were about two feet high. It was not a pretty picture. So, we had to take measures to bring back its appeal.

Getting the pool back. Danny dropped a pump into the pool and started flushing all the water out. The whole thing had to be completely drained. Once it was empty, the surface was still covered in green moss and mold, with junk sitting at the bottom. His crew came back out over the next couple of days to power wash the deck, power wash the inside of the pool, and then go through a full startup process to get it running again.

“It went from swamp to paradise, and a little bit of money will net this homeowner a lot more.”

Getting the property ready. While the pool work was happening, I had guys inside the house putting up ceiling fans, finishing trim work, and giving the front door a fresh coat of paint so everything looked sharp. The landscaper had already come through and cleaned up the yard.

From swamp to paradise. The pool went from green swamp water to clear blue. The landscaping was done. The whole backyard went from a place you wouldn't want to step into to a spot where the next owner can break out the margarita machine. A little bit of money in the right places is going to net this homeowner a lot more money, with the house being turnkey and beautiful.

That's the thing about rental properties with pools. They take a lot of maintenance, and when it falls behind, it adds up fast. But put the money in the right places, and the property sells itself.

If you have questions about rental properties in Austin or you're trying to figure out whether that pool is an asset or a headache, I'm happy to talk it through. Call or text me at 512-587-4050, email me at [email protected], or visit savvyreg.com.