A swimming pool can be a great addition to your home, adding value as it provides hours of fun for your family. However, with a few accessories, your pool can become even more enjoyable and far easier to maintain.

Why a Swimming Pool?

 Everyone loves to cool down in the pool on a hot day, but there are other benefits to owning a pool. A well-maintained pool adds value to your home, providing unique curb appeal to prospective buyers. It also provides a safe place for your kids to learn to swim or just stay active instead of camping out with their devices all summer. 

Pools provide the perfect backdrop for summertime entertaining, even if no one actually gets in, and a little time relaxing in the pool has powerful therapeutic effects on your stress level. If you are dealing with arthritis or nursing an injury, your pool will allow you to stay active with reduced burden on your joints.

Adding an Awning

Before we get into the accessories for your pool itself, let's explore some of the things that your home will need in order to make the best of your investment. When you added your pool, you probably noticed that it changed the way your family moves around in your outdoor space. Places where you rarely walked or sat may become some of the busiest parts of your home, and you may find out just how hot it gets there. 

A great accessory to help with this is to add an awning. An awning can provide a little break from the sun for re-applying sunscreen or just to take a break from the glare. A good awning will tie the house and pool together, improving the overall appearance of your home.

Developing a Fun, Functional Deck

Whether in-ground or above-ground, every pool needs deck space. It's not practical to enter and exit the pool without one, and a deck is essential for providing space to keep the towels and toys, or just to take an occasional rest. Decks are also an important safety feature because they create the opportunity to fence off the pool while it's unsupervised.

Think about your deck as having three major areas. The first might be called the "dock", where everyone gets in and out of the water. The dock should adjoin the pool steps and be kept mostly clear of furniture so that there's room for shoes, towels, and toys. A second area, the "lounge", will include those relaxing chaises and other fixtures for enjoying the sun. The final area might be called the "bistro", which is where you can have your grill, tables, and coolers. With those three major areas, you have a comfortable and practical space for every function.

Creating Atmosphere

Every pool has atmosphere, but you can really up your game with some simple add-ons. One great option is to add lighting. Pools aren't just used during the day, especially those with heaters. The fun can continue up into the night, and that calls for some lighting. Whether you go with deck lighting to enhance that space or water-based lights that submerge or float, you can add a lot of entertainment value and beauty to your pool with lighting.

Of course, no pool party is complete without some music. There are countless Bluetooth speakers on the market that are perfect for use at the pool. They are rechargeable, making them cord-free and safe for the pool. They are also built for the harsh outdoor conditions of summer, which means you don't have to bring them in every night. They also come in a lot of different designs that will fit in with your pool decor.

Pool Maintenance

Before all the fun can begin, your pool must be clean. Make sure that you incorporate a place to store your chemicals, test strips, leaf net, vacuum, and other important supplies. The better you design this space, the more likely you'll be to maintain the pool properly.

Chlorine and other pool chemicals can be dangerous if not handled safely, so make sure your storage area is properly ventilated for safety. Make sure to keep it locked at all times. Have hooks and hangers for the vacuum hose and nets and incorporate a storage area for your winter pool cover, air pillows, and all the equipment that will be disconnected and stored when the summer fun finally comes to an end.

Written by Taylor McKnight, Author for Garden State Shade