RENO TRENDS

Everybody Into The Pool!

Amid a surge of renovations, swimming pools proved a hugely popular home improvement in 2020, according to analysis of Ontario building permits. The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), which tracks property data across the province, counted 6,796 swimming pool permits issued in 2020, an increase of 53.2% over the previous year.

“Swimming pools are obviously a significant investment, and many property owners evidently decided to take the plunge during the pandemic,” says Carmelo Lipsi, MPAC V.P. and Chief Operating Officer. “This is another indication that people were very focused on their homes in 2020—perhaps because public health restrictions necessitated spending more time at home.”

The swimming pool spike in 2020 was in stark contrast to the previous two years, which saw sinking numbers: decreases of 14% in 2018 (4,584 permits) and another 3.2% in 2019 (4,437 permits).

Ottawa took Ontario’s swimming pool crown in 2020, issuing 936 permits, a 57% increase from the previous year and more than double any other municipality. Hamilton was next with 428 permits, followed by London (266) and Burlington (202). Percentage-wise, Milton far eclipsed everyone else, with a 1,550% increase (165 permits, compared to 10 in 2019).

“Time will tell if this was a one-time blip, or swimming pools will continue to be a popular upgrade to residential properties” Lipsi says.