The lady selling the house we are buying has been trying to get someone out to provide an attestation as to the normal functioning of the pool. I need to dig out the contract from the notaire but it’s my recollection a current inspection was agreed. My preoccupation is with the age of the liner which is 20 years old. We have accepted that we need to change it and we would do so next year. I am just concerned that it could be leaking and I’m wondering how this may degrade the cement base and plastic sides. The seller showed me photographs of the construction. I’m inclined to believe her when she tells me it only loses water from evaporation. She has offered an attestation based on a previous visit by the pool company, which I think was last year. I said I was expecting an inspection and attestation of the current condition. I know that the pool company are reluctant to come out for a job with no profit and that the seller has contacted them two or three times.
I’ve found some useful information on Chat GPT including the ‘bucket test’. Not easy to carry out though if I’m not living there.
Bucket test (to rule out evaporation):
- Fill a bucket with pool water, place it on a pool step, and mark the water levels on both the inside and outside of the bucket.
- After 24 hours, if the pool water level drops more than the bucket, you likely have a leak.
Oh dear.
How deep are your pockets? Can you afford to redo whatever to the pool at your own expense???
Sounds as if you have to make a decision
do you bite the bullet and accept last year’s attestation… ??
or insist that the Sale/Purchase does NOT go ahead without a current attestation… (and be prepared to walk away… )
or… I suppose you could offer a lower price which takes into account the cost of putting-right whatever might be wrong with said pool…
best of luck.
Have to agree. My son’s adjoining neighbours found out two years after buying their house that the inground pool was tilting towards the back of the house and the drop down to the stream. Apparently it had not been installed properly taking into account the closeness to the drop and the weight of the water plus overhead cover which eventually with the excessive heat and various torrential downpours has caused this problem. They can’t afford to have it dug out and a new retaining wall built so are using it as though nothing has happened but are aware they should have got it examined which they did not.
Chat GPT, taught by humans.
I hope you are not thinking of using the same Co for the liner replacement, just imagine if you had a problem.
There I fixed that for you. 
I’m using Chat a lot now. It’s very good for French exercises. It certainly makes mistakes and one needs to be vigilant.