The build up to the enactment of the NSW Pool Safety requirements has been a long journey. But we are only weeks away from the introduction of these new requirements.
How does this affect me?
Well it doesn’t unless you have a swimming pool or spa on your property, you either lease or are planning to sell this property. If this is you then you need to know what the next step is.
What do I do?
Find yourself a reputable certifier and book yourself in to see if your pool is compliant and you can receive your compliance certificate that will last 3 years.
What if my pool is found to be non-compliant?
Well to be honest it probably will be, 95% of pools are failing at the first inspection, now that is a government statistic but our experience has been the same. Boundary fencing is a common area that is not compliant as well as broken fencing brackets or panels. So if your pool is non-compliant your certifier may have a network of contacts that they will provide and these people will help to get everything sorted out so a certificate of compliance can be issued in the prescribed timeframe.
I am selling my house and I really don’t want to sink money into fixing the pool fence up – what can I do?
We understand that when selling a home one of the last things you want to do is put money in where it won’t reap a return, but think about this. Would you buy a home with a pool that is listed as non-compliant? I know I would think twice – the real estate said “it is easy to fix”, well if it so easy why hasn’t the current owner fixed it. Anyway by fixing the pool fence and having a compliance certificate when selling I do believe this will broaden the buyer pool and in turn bring in a better price.
However, if you aren’t convinced you can sell your home with the non-compliance certificate and those lucky buyers will then have 90 days to fix things up after exchange.
So whether you are leasing a property or getting ready to sell you need to get moving to get yourself a certificate of compliance and avoid the possible $5500 fines that may be imposed.