Swimming pool compliance check

When you’re looking to purchase a new home there is a long list of things to be looking at. And when you’re looking to sell your home there is probably an even longer list of things you want to do to get the property ready for sale!

But one element that is often overlooked will soon become part and parcel of the transaction – the barrier to the swimming pool.

Houses with pools can be great, especially in the hot months we experience in the Hunter! But some changes took affect from 29 April 2016 that are important for you to be across.

We all know about getting a building inspection and pest inspection as part of the process, but now you will also need to ensure there is Certificate of Compliance or Non-Compliance relating to the barriers around the pool.

Homeowners will have to provide the Certificate and it is up to them whether they make the changes prior to sale. If they don’t though, the purchaser may demand a lower price in order to make the changes.

The new homeowner will then have 90 days to arrange for the pool barrier to be compliant.

The NSW Government has provided some handy checklists for you to ensure your pool is compliant. I was amazed to read that 95 per cent of swimming pool barriers fail their first inspection!

I think this is a great addition to the property purchase process, as the statistics of children who drown are really scary and I’d believe that many people wouldn’t even realise their pool is non-compliant. You can easily look at a pool, see a fence and think everything is ok. But if there is a decorative rock garden near the fence this could allow a child to climb the fence. Or if the gate latch doesn’t work properly or the fence itself is not high enough.

So my thoughts are – if you have a swimming pool, even if you’re not thinking of selling, please ensure your pool barrier is compliant!