After the trash had been removed, he discovered that the pool was in pretty good shape. There were some hairline cracks in the plaster that had otherwise held up remarkably well. It was horribly stained, but now that he’s painted it, he says it looks great.

He had a leak detection company come out, and discovered that all of the existing plumbing still worked, and except for a leak in the spa, everything was good.

So, he purchased some used equipment from a man whose home and pool had been destroyed in a tornado.

“I scored a Pentair Challenger pump, a Pentair DE Filter, a Polaris cleaner and booster pump and a RayPak 400,000 BTU heater for $800,” Reynolds said.

All told, his out-of-pocket expenses were under $10,000, and he now owns a perfectly intact vintage pool, with all of its original decking, coping, waterline tiles, grout, inlet nozzles, and drain covers.

“I bought the house to turn it around and sell, but now with the pool, I’m not letting go of this house ever.”