Do Pickleball Courts Have a Starbucks Effect?

A study that was published by Harvard Business School in 2018 looked at housing price data and Yelp reviews for local businesses and found that having a Starbucks nearby will increase the property’s value by half a percent. So, living near a coffee shop can help satisfy your caffeine cravings, but it can also make your home more expensive.

One reason for the Starbucks Effect is the extensive research that Starbucks does before opening up a new location. They use various analytics tools to carefully assess factors such as population density, income levels, and foot traffic to determine the best areas to open up shop. The factors they track predict gentrification long before other brands see it. As a result, a new Starbucks is often the first sign of gentrification.

According to the Realtor Magazine, a Massachusetts couple has claimed that the constant racket from pickleball courts bordering their backyard hampered the sale of their $1 million home over the last eight months—despite price drops. The homeowner described the noise as a vacuum cleaner constantly running. She is suing to get the pickleball courts removed.

Noise complaints are growing as developers, builders and cities increasingly add pickleball courts to neighborhoods and parks. More homeowners may find themselves dealing with the good and bad that comes from living next to a pickleball court.

The impact of nearby courts on home values is debatable. Sam Dogan, author and founder of Financial Samurai, conducted his own analysis as a real estate investor in San Francisco. He suggests property values could decline 10% to 20% if pickleball courts are constructed across the street from a residence due to the noise; a property one or two blocks away could potentially see property values decline by 5% to 10%. On the other hand, courts at least three blocks away could be a game-changer—even possibly pushing up real estate prices by 1% to 5%.

Jill Drafts, a real estate adviser with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty in Lake Mary, Fla., believes nearby pickleball courts are something to spotlight in a listing. “Pickleball is a great sport to bring people together, including neighbors,” Drafts says. “It can bring value to your home if you have a pickleball court in your neighborhood or even close by in a park. Pickleball players will be attracted to the home.”

If you are relocating to Bethesda, MD, you might want to be near pickleball courts – but not too close!  Did you know that the YMCA at Ayrlawn has 4 hard pickleball courts. 2 are indoors and 2 are outdoors. The lines are permanent, and portable nets are available. A YMCA membership is required to play.   There are 14 outdoor pickleball courts at the Bethesda YMCA on Old Georgetown Road – and you can make a reservation there to play.   If you aren’t a YMCA member, you can try Onelife Fitness at 4400 Montgomery Avenue.  Onelife Fitness has 11 hard and wood courts. 3 are indoors and 8 are outdoors.  Some high rise buildings like the Promenade in North Bethesda have their own pickleball courts.  If you are thinking of downsizing and want pickleball courts, you should consider Leisure World which has 16 courts and an active pickleball club!

There are pickleball courts all around Washington DC – from Volta Park in Georgetown to the Takoma Recreation Center to the Hearst Recreation Center at Idaho and Quebec Streets.  Clearly, there are lots of places to play pickleball now – and you don’t even have to live next door to the courts and listen to your neighbors having fun while you are trying to work!  Instead you can live near pickleball courts and

Are you thinking of a new home – close to pickleball courts or not? Let’s talk about what you want in a new home.  I am sure that we can put together a great list of your wants and needs and then find a picture perfect home that check everything on that list.  You can reach me at 240-401-5577 or lise@lisehowe.com.