If you live in Perth and don’t have a pool, you’ve probably thought about getting one. If you do have a pool, you’ve probably thought about filling it in.
The backyard pool is our city’s most loved and least used status symbol. A glittering blue badge of success that gets used for about three weeks a year, mostly by visiting grandchildren, Labradors, or the tradie fixing the filer.
All the real estate ads proudly announce the home “boasts a sparkling below-ground pool.” Buyers’ eyes light up. They imagine sundowners by the water, Aperols, laughter, the envy of family and friends and the kids happily splashing for hours. Then real life sets in.
The kids do love it, until they turn twelve. Then suddenly it’s “boring.” At sixteen, it makes a glorious comeback as the location for secret gatherings while the parents are at Rotto. Then they go to uni, move out, and the pool goes back to its natural state: decorative water feature and leaf magnet.
Cleaning it becomes a suburban ritual. Skimming, vacuuming, adjusting chlorine levels. People who could easily outsource it still end up poolside with a net, muttering about the jacaranda. The pool becomes part of the family, the high-maintenance relative who never leaves but looks great in photos.
Still, nothing sells a home like a pool photo. The drone shot, the glistening blue, the perfectly placed deck chairs, it’s Perth real estate catnip. People don’t buy the house, they buy the dream of finally living like they’re on holiday. Even though we all know that by Easter, it’ll be covered, ignored, and full of leaves again.
The paradox runs deep. Everyone wants the pool, but no one uses the pool. It’s too cold in winter, too hot in summer, too windy, too sandy, or too full floating dead bees. Yet take that pool away, and every buyer suddenly panics: “Where will the kids swim?” (Answer: the beach, where they always do.)
Here’s the part no one admits, the pool isn’t about swimming. It’s about status and the bigger the better. It’s the blue jewellery box behind the glass fence. Proof that you’ve made it, even if it’s mostly home to reflections, insects, and nostalgia.
So if you’re selling, absolutely show it off. It photographs beautifully. It creates emotion. Just don’t kid yourself that anyone’s picturing laps. They’re picturing a lifestyle, one where they magically have more free time and someone else cleaning it for them.
The takeaway? Perth’s love affair with backyard pools isn’t really about water. It’s about the dream of ease, luxury and sunshine, even if most of us are too busy to ever dip a toe in.
Want more real estate tales from the wild west (of Perth)?
You can catch more of my columns in Western Suburbs Weekly, every Thursday,
or head to our blog and socials for fresh takes, tips, and stories from the front lines of real estate.
— Paulette Contessi, CEO & Founder Contessi Properties
0438 908 264
paulette@contessi.com.au
