Many people in Australia can only dream about having their very own swimming pool in their backyard, so if you are one of the lucky ones, and you already have a pool, or you’re thinking of buying a property with a pool, then there are certain obligations that you need to undertake. If you’re thinking of buying a property, then you really should make sure that the swimming pool is up to code, and it is safe to use, for you and your family. If you’re selling your home, depending on where you live, there are pool safety laws in place, that you as the owner, must follow. You may have to call out pool certifiers, to provide you with a certificate that states that your pool follows all relevant local laws.
There are a number of professional, and competent pool certifiers in Sydney that you can reach out to, and they will be more than happy to come out to your property and conduct the necessary inspection. There are a number of things that they will check on, to make sure that your pool meets the necessary compliance, and here are just a few of those.
- Safety barriers – Also referred to as a pool fence, it needs to be in good working condition, and it must show signs of being maintained. Depending on where you live, it needs to be a certain height, in order to keep out small children and animals. As the owner of the property, and thus the swimming pool, the fence around the pool must remain locked, when no one is using the pool itself.
- Warning signs – There needs to be signs put up around the area of the swimming pool, warning people that it is there, and that access is restricted to those that live there. The pool certifiers will also look at the size of your swimming pool, and any problems or dangers in the pool itself, like loose tiles, or loose screws on the ladder, or diving board. In some cases, the pool certifier may be able to carry out some repairs for you, in order to make sure that your pool gets its certification.
If it is found that your pool is, in fact, not compliant, then you will be given a period of time, which is usually around six weeks, to address any outstanding issues, and to take the necessary steps to make sure that your swimming pool is compliant. Once you address these important issues, you should be able to get your certification, and you are now able to sell your property.
