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“When I started in the business, having a pool was negative,’’ said Melanie Smith of Prudential Connecticut Realty. “Then it was 50-50. Some wanted them, some didn’t. Now it seems that people want them and even knowing that you can put a pool in at some point down the road is very important. If a property can’t have a pool it’s a negative."
Among Smith’s current listings is a residence at 11 Clapboard Hill Road in Westport for $3.8 million with a pool, spa, tennis court and gardens inspired by Villa d’Este. The restored 1900 Victorian in the Greens Farms section of Westport has six bedrooms, 7 ½ baths and beach rights.
Smith also has a listing at 775 Sasco Hill Road in Fairfield for $4 million. The patio overlooks the pool and Long Island Sound. The home includes five bedrooms and five full baths on 5.07 acres. Some of Smith’s other listings with pools include 1100 Pequot Ave. in Southport for $2.999 million and 215 Greenfield Hill Road in Fairfield for $2.9 million.
“I think people like to have pools for entertaining at homes,’’ Smith said. “That has a lot to do with it in this area. The other thing that is important is that people think about having a pool versus joining a club. Sometimes if they have a pool they don’t have to think about joining a club.”
Ellen Fusco of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty has the listing for 3781 Congress St. in Fairfield for $1.7799 million that features a rectangular guinite pool and beautiful stone patio. “It’s an incredible complex,’’ Fusco said. “There’s wonderful landscaping and a guesthouse, and it just adds a beautiful perspective.”
Families with young children prefer pools set back from the house, she said. Many potential buyers are also concerned that pools meet town codes. Most of the time, however, would-be buyers are not deterred. “People often add alarms, gates and locks if they’re worried about safety,’’ Fusco said. “Just the distance from the house is often a good thing.”
The Higgins Group in Fairfield has several unique homes on the market. The listing at 157 Easton Road in Westport for $5.495 million has hosted events attended by Frank Sinatra and Paul Newman. The indoor/outdoor pool at “River Run” is just one of many brilliant features. The home has seven bedrooms, seven full baths, three partial baths in 11,000 square feet of space on 2.75 acres. There is a Roman Jacuzzi, Scandinavian Steam Room, tennis court and parking for up to 12 cars.
The Higgins listing at 3 Island Drive in Norwalk is labeled a “Boater’s Dream,” with a 56-foot deep water protected dock in Charles Cove. The huge rectangular pool is surrounded by multiple terraces and decks, a hot tub, outdoor kitchen and a surround sound system. The home has four bedrooms and is 6,582 square feet.
Another stunning home listed by Higgins is 3236 Congress St. in Fairfield in the heart of Greenfield Hills. “Hill House,” as the property is called, lists for $6.45 million and includes six bedrooms and 6.5 baths. There is a pool house with a summer kitchen, spa and sauna and a three bedroom, three bath guesthouse.
The home at 38 Hunting Ridge Lane in Wilton for $6.9 million also has a lovely pool in a home that features nine bedrooms and over 11,000 square feet of living space. The home is co-listed by Sotheby’s International Greenwich agent Amy Marisa Balducci at 203-618-3157 and William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty Ridgefield by Giselle Mazier at 917-816-7515.
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