Most people view a pool as an extravagance, a wonderful addition to a home, but what happens when your pool brings down the value of your house?

There’s not only the constant upkeep, but an aging pool can hurt your home’s resale value.

“If the pool has been neglected and needs a lot of work, or the concrete is buckling, that can be a red flag,” Sylvester McGinn of ReMax Executive Realty in Charlotte, N.C., told MSN.com “That’s a hole in the ground where they are going to pour money.”

Depending on the neighborhood, a pool can detract from the resale price of a home as many don’t want the added burden of a pool.

“It’s a wash,” LaRetta Allen of Prudential Gary Green Realtors told MSN.com. “A lot of families with children and older people don’t want the liability.” However, in some pricier neighborhoods with larger lots, she says, it’s almost expected.

In-ground pools on average add 7.7% to the value of a home according to the National Association of Realtors, in some areas of the U.S. adding as much as 12%. Above-ground pools, on average, subtract from the selling price.

Real-estate agents note that most people who add a pool to their property don’t recoup the full $25,000-$50,000 they’ve invested, and maintaining a pool adds around $2 grand per year.

Owning a pool can also bump up the cost of your homeowners insurance, as most insurers recommend pool owners get a $1 million umbrella liability policy.

When a pool passes the five-year mark, many require a new filter or pump, repairs that can cost about $500, and at 15 years old resurfacing can cost between $5,000 and $10,000.

Carefully consider your neighborhood (how many pools?) and usage issues before taking the leap and adding a pool to your home.