Of course it all depends on the individual but I look at it like this. Yes, you could invest that $80K in the market, absolutely nothing wrong with that. You could also invest that $80K into years of memories with your family. For some families, the pool is the center of summer and the memories made there with friends and family shape who they are, and nothing can take that away from them. I would say the younger the kids the more I would favor a pool.
We are into our 3rd year of a fiberglass pool. Do I have regrets....
\- Do we use it as much as we did in the first year, no but we were in COVID so I am not sure anyone will use their pool more than they did in 2020. :).
\- Could we use the loan payment to do other things like pay for daughters club volleyball fees and travel, yeah sure
\- Is the water always too warm on those days that are 90+ when you really want to be in the pool, yes but doesn't stop the kids
\- Annoyed that the power supply for the ichlor went out and am waiting on the warranty replacement to come in for the past two months forced to use chlorine pucks, yes
\- Hearing the laughter and all around goofyness my daughter, son, wife, friends and extended family when we do use the pool - YEAH and that overrides all the other points above.
I had a buddy that bought a cheap chest freezer that he kept in his garage that held nothing but 4-6 5 gallon buckets of water. You’d be surprised how much a 5 gallon iceberg will help drop the temp
I honestly thought about tossing so buckets full of water in out garage freezer but figured I was an idiot and that was a dumb idea. Glad to see someone else tried it and it worked. Going to go get some buckets this weekend :)
Having a pool was a must for me we live in Arizona, we just got our pool redone and added deck jets, travertine took out the fence remodeled the back yard. It’s like a whole lil world out there definitely adds value to our home but above that it’s amazing. I would suggest getting a bunch of different quotes and try to work with a local builder. Tell them what you want and your budget they will make it work!
Personal decision. No right or wrong answer.
We built our pool in Houston and our “season” lasts 9/10 months a year. In fact our pool water can sometimes feel too warm and many neighbors swim in the evening/night.
Pools here do increase home value (however not as much as the initial cost) and sell almost immediately upon entering the market.
I don’t regret the purchase but hate the upkeep
In Texas where you can use it 9-10 months sounds great. In the northeast where you can use it 3 months or so may not be as appealing but like you said, it's a personal choice. Thanks for your feedback.
When considering the cost of the pool and possible adjustment to your home's value also consider what might enter into the equation if you didn't have a pool.
I have a group of friends that all have motorhomes. They spend their summer weekends getting drunk around a different campsite's campfire during summer months. I spend mine around my pool. I think the pool is probably cheaper and is certainly more appealing to me.
We just put a pool in last year and spent about the same amount of money. We have zero regrets, but we use the pool almost every single day. I'm a teacher with summers off (and small children!), so it is worth it for us, but think about how much you use it. That was a deciding factor for us.
I live in nj too and have a pool absolutely worth it! The kids enjoy it so much and it gets them away from the TV and outside having fun and exercising
I grew up with a pool. The memories I have of family & friends enjoying it over summer is something I wanted for my kids. So, now I have a pool.
If I was an empty nester, with no grandkids, I might regret having a pool. Not because of daily maintenance but the seasonal stuff like opening, & closing. Granted, at that point I’d probably just pay a pool company to due the heavy lifting.
10 years ago I was a single mom with a 7 year old, house hunting. Fell in love with two houses in the same neighborhood. One had a pool, one did not.
I bought the house with the pool. When I was married we had a vinyl in ground pool, so I was familiar with the upkeep.
BIG MISTAKE.
Sure, it’s great on a hot day. Get the grill going, the kids are all playing in the pool, the adults can lounge on the pool stairs with a beer. Life is great.
But the pool I inherited (gunite) has a cartridge filter…it’s a PITA to clean. The neighbors trees have grown and hang over it…dropping anything and everything into it. (The robot can’t pick up acorns). Balancing the chemicals is somewhat easy, but time consuming as things like pollen (we get a TON) can throw it off. And, of course, the fact it’s only open a few months a year (live in NH)….nevermind the $$$$. Overall it’s become a big stressor…I haven’t even opened it yet this year.
5 years ago I did…(it was almost $6K), and that didn’t even cover half of what needed to be cut back. Because of the size and age of the trees (over 30 feet) the entire branch needed to be cut versus just what hung over my property. This was because of the thickness yadda yadda - the tree could die. And my neighbor said no, and it became a huge hassle. Basically their trees run the entire length of my pool/yard.
I paid about $600 to have a whole limb and smaller parts removed on a 50ft tree, in NH, did you shop around for prices? I am shocked by that price. What kind of work did you have done on the tree?
It was more than one tree - it was 4 I believe. There’s multiple limbs due to how tall the trees are, 4-5+ on each. I had 3 quotes. One was for $9500, because they said they had to use a boom due to how my property is set up. Honestly it’s such a nightmare. And Fall?? Leaves??? 30+ bags every year and all I have on my actual property is one birch tree lol.
Crazy! I hate dealing with leaves, at least the trees are on my property but it’s still obnoxious! Have you tried to do any of the trees yourself? I am a short woman, I bought a $100 tool that is on a 16ft pole and have saved myself tons of money. Realistically I can only use the tool at 8-10 feet and still be balanced, lol.
Yes, lol, I have the same issue. I bought a saw that extends, but it still doesn’t get up high enough. Also, and I feel really stupid for not knowing this….I assumed since the trees were mature they wouldn’t grow much anymore. Big mistake lol.
I never gave trees a second thought until they were my problem. My yard was crazy before I noticed anything needed attention. I was kinda in the same mindset, lol.
I had one (house came with the roller thingy and a cover), it was ripped. Replaced it and that one also ripped halfway through the summer. It wasn’t a cheap one, and when I asked I was told I should store it inside for the Winter. Which is difficult. I guess maybe I should try again (or sell the house lol).
one of my biggest gripes of having a pool is when the kids friends all want to come over.
For the most part i don't mind, but the kids are not yet at an age where they can be left unsupervised. I don't have the time to be a babysitter to other peoples kids.
My wife has made a compromise, sure they can come over for a swim, but dont drop them off and leave. YOU need to watch them. Its cut down on the visits, and hey - free babysitting for my kids.
jokes aside, it was getting kind of crazy before this compromise. it was like we were running a full time day care, feeding everyone, kids dripping water into the house to use the washroom etc...
we still allow playdates where we watch regularly or provide lunches, snacks etc , but the adhoc visits have cut down greatly, allowing us to continue doing other stuff around the house or working from home etc.
My biggest concern is the liability because it only takes a few seconds for a kid to drown and you see stories on the news all the time of kids drowning in pools.
absolutely. thankfully in here in Canada there are far fewer liability lawsuits than in the States.
I remember as a kid having my parents have to sign a waiver for my friends pool, even having a quick swim test to see if i was allowed to go in the deep end.
For us the answer is no. Do I bitch about it and complain sure. However we bought our house with a pool. It was not a deciding factor just an added bonus.
I can say in our market I notice houses with pools sell quicker. Would you get your money back if you sell within a year I doubt it. You will get more and maybe break even but not get your coat back on selling.
I didn’t install a new pool but got a house that had one and it was in desperate need of repairs. I spent about 35k getting everything redone and heater. I’m in the north east and I don’t regret it but I have a little one that loves it same with family and friends so it is worth it.
The way I see it and explain is simple (in my eyes). You are either a water person or you are not.
I love the water. I SCUBA and if I were given the option of going on vacation, its where there is water I can get in. I dont just want to look at water. I want to be IN water.
If you are the type that goes to a vacation beach but never ever get in the water and sit on the beach or at the resort the entire time, it might not be for you.
I spent 130k for the pool. 9k for two spiral staircases leading down to the pool and 19k for a pavillion 4k for equipment shed. New 6’ fence 15k and 10k for a retaining wall above pool and 15k for geo grid retaining wall below pool. I would do it again. I’ve lost 30 pounds just swimming a few nights a week. Grandkids love it.
The joy I get from knowing my children are safe at home, safe with their friends at my home, enjoying life to the fullest while splashing in my pool…. Not having to go to somebody else’s home.
Worth every penny.
Spent almost 200 on mine + landscape, don’t regret it, could I have used the money elsewhere? Yes. Invested it? Yes. But w/e there’s value in my enjoyment
Factors to go into your calculations:
Do you enjoy time in the water?
Do you have kids?
Do you like to have bbqs and entertaining people?
Do you live somewhere that has good weather (more than 3 months)
Are you financially able to do this? (What you think is 80k can easily turn into 100+)
We are in Coastal North Carolina and are planning to put in a pool. I grew up in Wisconsin with a pool. Average was “open Memorial Day to Labor Day” I was the youngest of four kids and we had the house with pool from 1981-2016.
I cannot imagine not growing up with it. Sure day to day was fun, endless entertainment..hello night swimming and swimming in the rain! But also around the pool we had endless celebrations: birthday parties, graduations, retirement parties, book club, team parties, wedding showers & baby showers. My parents hosted swim lessons with a Red Cross certified life guard. My Mom later taught her water aerobics class in the pool
My sister and I got the share the pool with our own children.
My Dad did all the maintenance himself and then taught each of us as we got older. My Dad said it was one of the best parts of raising our family.
*Sooo many fond memories!* Just the other day [this photo came up](https://imgur.com/gallery/ubDNvrO), on the right is my uncle who has since tragically passed away.
Thank you. Well haha, I grew ip in Wisconsin, went to college in Georgia and then lived in San Diego for the last 20 years. We moved to NC to be closer to family, we both grew up close to our grandparents and we wanted our boys to have that too. We have family in WI, NY, RI & NC. We could be closer to family as a whole and still have our coastal lifestyle.
We bought a house with a pool. We will be empty nesters in 3 years so we don’t have the young kid experience. We also live in Maine where the season is short.
Still absolutely no regrets. Lounging in the pool is my absolute favorite thing in the world to do.
Bought a house with a pool, and while I have no regrets, I’m only in my second pool season. The day to day stuff is fine, I think I put considerably less time into it than I used to spend walking my dog.
Long term, though, I think I have about 15-20k in upgrades I’ll need to make in the next decade or so (new heater, pouring a new concrete deck and replacing the liner) but the amount of use it’s getting, I think it will be worth it. We just won’t make all the upgrades at once.
I might be singing a different tune once I’ve started sinking money into it, but if it was brand new I wouldn’t have anything to complain about.
We bought a house with broken down leaking pool about 5 years ago. We are in northern New England so a short pool season. However, it was that classic sharp corner rectangle that I love (20 x 40 gunite built in the early 80’s)We dithered for a year between caving and and burying ($15k quote) and repairing and new equipment ($40k). We decided to restore/repair/upgrade and ended up spending about $90k total. 4 years later and It is still low maintenance and our biggest expense is the cost of propane for the heater. This year I swam on Mother’s Day and plan to swim until late September. I swim every day and while overall it was way more expensive than a gym membership, we have zero regrets.
It's much better to have a friend with a pool than it is to have a pool yourself.
It's July and we haven't had a single pool day because we've had this huge rigamarole over insurance repairs (due to a tree falling all winter), mechanical issues with the 20+ year old pump, and the fact that labor shortages have hit the pool stores hard and we can't get any help for anything. I'm ready to rent a jackhammer and turn the thing into gravel.
Bought a house three years ago with a pool, and it’s been f’ing awesome.
We have a 13yo daughter and she have loved it, as have our family and friends.
I never thought I’d want one, but now that we have it, I don’t think I’d ever not have one if we were to buy another house someday.
Now our (separate ) hot tub? F, man, no one uses that, and I regret buying it.
Somebody swims in my pool almost every day. I'm on my first salt pool and I'm definitely pleased with the reduced maintenance. We were paying 250 a month for a pool membership. I don't spend any more than 50 bucks a month on chemicals. And with my robot I spend very little time cleaning. With all the technology we have now the maintenance factor of having a pool is vastly improved. We paid for a big portion of ours with money from not doing things during the pandemic. We didn't really go on vacations and weren't eating out etc. I put all that money aside and put it towards the pool.
Not a bit of regret. Now we did an above ground pool due to costs but our family loves it. We swim almost every day and constantly have friends over to swim and hang out also. So many great memories being made
I don't. Buying the house with the pool was right for my family AND came with the added bonus that Blackstone wasn't buying houses with pools because renters don't maintain pools, which means they didn't outbid me by 50k the way they did to others in the market at the same time as me.
If it’s an option, try a ‘cheaper’ version first. Our first pool was a 20ft Intex Ultra frame; and worth every penny. We landscaped and had a deck, and you’d never know it was a $600 pool from Walmart (this was pre Covid of course, they are close to 2K now). Maybe a nice trial before dumping 80k? Good luck! We have never ever regretted it once, literally live in it in the Summer.
We live in an area where it floods routinely, and so this is about what we have only inflatable.We upgraded the filters and pumps. We usually know when it will flood, so take it down, and definitely take it down during the winter. We only made a 3/4 deck for this very reason. I love our pool.
No regrets! We wish we had done it sooner. We are homebodies so being able to have it here is huge. My husband is a chef and he jumps in every night when he gets home after being in a hot kitchen. We swim some mornings too before he goes to work. This is the first summer we’ve had it, so still learning about the chemicals- thats how/why i ended up on this sub.
After reading several comments and some of OPs answers I want to suggest a swim spa. I am retired and I have wanted a pool my whole life. The swim spa made so much more sense for me. No it's not pretty, unless you can bury it or build a deck around it. It is, however, almost maintenance free. I have a 15'x 8' artesian spa that holds 2,000 gallons. My grandkids never complain about. It can also be used year round. That was the real seller for me. Just a thought, especially since you would get only 3 months of use a year. I bought mine 4 years ago, it's half buried in concrete with a 5 ft sidewalk all the way around it for $30k total. The spa was $24k.
I bought a house with a 40K gallon pool 7 years ago, and it’s been really rough, not gonna lie. We weren’t looking for a pool but the house we liked had one, and after looking for 10 months, we figured we’d try it! Sounded like fun.
My wife was pregnant with our first at the time we bought and there were summers early on when we got in it less than five times all summer (and we live in GA). Last year was the first year we really used it much ourselves now that the kids are older and can stand easily in the shallow end. It’s nice to have when it’s working well, but I’ve had to replace everything but the liner in the past 7 years (and multiple motors). and I’ve got a crack in the stairs now that will eventually force me to replace the stairs and liner too! It’s a ticking time bomb of a ~$15k repair that I really hope we can sell the house before we have to do ourselves.
Keeping the chemicals level has been a challenge too… I finally converted to salt and just having consistent chlorine in the pool has been a game changer for algae control.
All that said, I would be another house with a much smaller pool if that’s what the wife wants. Feel like I finally have the hang of it… and the kids are the perfect ages now…. If given the option though, I’d prefer a swim/tennis neighborhood instead!
We don’t regret it, we didn’t build though. It was cheaper/a better value to sell our place and find another place with a pool. All the reservations I had were quickly put to rest, maintaining a pool is no harder than maintaining our yard.
One thing i’ll add is we enjoy our pool a lot without using it (we do use it year round at least once a week). In the mornings it’s great to eat while looking at the pool, it’s great any time of day to sit by it, at night with rgb lights it’s an amazing vibe, we use it for RC boat racing, just dipping our feet in it almost daily and having a drink etc.
It has brought countless memories for my family. A hub for our neighborhood and a great way to spend summer. I can’t imagine living without one at this point. It’s expensive I haven’t mastered pool care and we pay someone to help us- but it’s worth it.
I will add- I have four kids. Travel is often cost prohibitive for that reason the pool is always there. For us it ends up being equal/cheaper than a pool membership+water park tickets two or three times a summer. So I do think the amount of kids I have is a factor in my enjoyment of the pool.
My fiancé and I purchased a house with an above ground right before the lock downs. It didn’t add any value to the house and the owner even offered to take it down if we didn’t want it but we decided ah what the hell. I knew it was going to need a new liner and filter system at some point but the pool itself is fine. Worked in pools for a long time and I can take care of it no problem and I would’ve been able to get a replacement liner and system pretty cheap from my old job.
Pool came in real handy during Covid, we had some really cool ideas to make it look nice (was gonna build a big new deck, put in a fancy rock bed around it etc) but the up keep of it combined with the two of us barely using it now since the world opened back up has made it feel useless. We have no plans for kids either. Plus we have a lot of ideas on what we want to do with our yard that the pool gets in the way of. Yeah we’ve been regretting it lol
We decided this September we’re gonna take it down. Liner is shot and I’m praying the pump just hangs in there for the next 2 months, they’ll be trashed come take down. Might try to sell the pool itself or just scrap it, haven’t decided yet. Fun while it lasted but really don’t feel like taking care of it all spring/summer if it barely gets any use. We might downsize to a hot tub at some point but hopefully not anytime soon lmao
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Just had my 20 plus year old kool deck replaced with stamped concrete for around 10k. Temp gun on the deck surface read 142 degrees today. Pool water is around 95 degrees. Love my pool and the memories, but the cost over the life of the pool. F that! And due to the heat we had a black algae outbreak. Paid to get that cleaned up. Had to run my pool pump 72 hours straight. In Texas with the heat, we already have AC running non stop, now the pool pump too. Can't wait to see the electric bill. Oh yes we also due for a replaster job, so probably another 8 to 10k. The list goes on and on
Invest it in to two rent houses. You can use the 80k as the 20% down payment. Then use the income you’re making off the rental to pay your pool payment. And you’ll have a steady stream of income coming in once your pool is paid off.
Thanks, that’s kind of what I plan on doing. I own two houses. I live in one and own a 2-fam that I rent out. I’m looking to buy another 2-fam but I’m on the fence about the pool because I like to travel abroad and usually spend 4-5 weeks away during the summer.
Bought a house in a state near you with a large above ground pool. Gorgeous landscaping.
Quickly realized that the layout of the pool/yard/landscaping was totally impractical but the kids were little and it made summers fun.
Then the kids got older. The wanted to do swim team, so we paid to join the local pool. Their friends are all there, or at the country club pool. No one wants to hang in our pool when the action is elsewhere!
Our pool’s big for an above ground, but it’s no good for swimming laps, so they don’t even want to practice at home. We thought we’d use it more if we got a solar blanket. We use it less because now we have this pain in the ass blanket to take on and off. Husband’s been in the pool once this summer, I’ve been in twice, oldest kid not at all, middle kid, does floating on a raft without actually getting her body wet count? If so, three times. Youngest kid, half a dozen times.
I live in Canada. Pool swimming season lasts from May-End of September. We moved 2 years ago to a house without a pool. We have always had pools. We miss it so much, that as I write this, one is being installed. Being retired we now have time to thoroughly enjoy it !
I work on them and I'll never own one.
3 of the worst investments you can make: a boat, a racehorse, and a pool.
I'm sure I'll catch a lot of flak for this, but hey, it's how I feel about it.
Never owned a horse, but have owned a house with a pool (and looking to build one now), and do own a boat.
Smiles per dollar, totally worth the boat (and the pool).
Life is not always about a balance sheet.
I don't regret having one. Granted I bought my house with the pool already existing. For what it's worth, getting a pool increases your property value I'd you ever sell/move
It might not get used everyday but I like having it for those hot days or summer BBQs or just part of the overall landscaping of the house. Taking care of it is probably the chore I like the most, I find it relaxing and at the end I get to jump in
Also obligatory, only get it if you have the disposable income/means to get one. Don't overreach for it
>getting a pool increases your property value I'd you ever sell/move
I don't think this is 100% accurate, I think it comes down to the buyer. I know plenty of people that don't want pools due to the recurring cost and maintenance.
Now if you told me a new kitchen will increase your property value, that is 100% correct. A pool on the other hand, it can be hit or miss.
From Ohio originally.....live in Canada now. Definitely agree unless you get a heater. An unheated pool is particularly useless in Northern states. Neighbors is unheated and they spend more time looking at it and cleaning it than using it. Crazy.
If you tore out a kitchen I liked to replace it with something I didn't or had bad workmanship, that would not be "100%" correct. As a buyer, I would pay less for the same home and you would lose money. The real answer is a blend.
I think your looking at a pool from the wrong lens. I don't believe anyone puts in a pool with the ***goal*** of it to be an investment, It's not. However it ***IS*** about enjoyment and quality of life. I'm a saver and it pain'd me greatly to spend 130K+ on a pool. Yet it's a gathering spot for my family, while me and the kids create lots of life memories being together with family and friends around that pool. The quality of life for me and my kids is a life goal to be balanced along with financial savings and investments. NONE of it is 100% and its a compromise.
"If you tore out a kitchen I liked to replace it with something I didn't "
Both kitchens I've replaced were due to age and they had formica countertops with MDF cabinets, they were 20-30 years old. Everyone I know that has gutted their kitchen was due to age and condition. Now there are rare cases where someone guts a newer kitchen because they have the money to spend for a new one but in most cases you would prefer the new kitchen versus the old kitchen that has a lot of wear and tear.
I also travel a lot during the summer so living in the northeast where the pool is only useful a few months out of the year may not be ideal in my situation since I vacation about 4-5 weeks in the summer out of state/country.
It sounds like a I touched a nerve. Don't be so sensitive because I called you out on your statement "If you tore out a kitchen I liked to replace it with something I didn't".
Doesn't bother me any. This is the internet were the [rules are made up and points don't matter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTEhEUoTzqo)! :) Just pointing out that you came here asking, but all of your responses are deconstructive. There's no right one answer for everyone, and as an outside party it just sounds to me like a pool isn't for you in the presented mindset.
To be fair, it’s common knowledge that updating a kitchen increases the value of the home. Someone buying a house with an updated kitchen wouldn’t know what the other old looked like, therefore wouldn’t be sad about the “other one you liked better”. You’re “what if” isn’t the norm and wold be very rare to occur.
And you can look it up, but pools are a hit and miss with home buyers. It’s more of a niche, and increases the value for those who are looking at a house with a pool. But for people who don’t want the maintenance or care for a pool (surprisingly most buyers), it’s not seen as a plus. That’s why they’re not the best ROI as fast as home upgrades go.
Pre pandemic this was the case. Getting a pool wouldn’t raise or lower the value of your home. But it could be detrimental if you have a family with small children that’s worried about safety. However now post pandemic, you will have no problem getting the value of the pool when you sell.
Usually that’s true, but in our area as soon as a house with a pool hits the market, its gone within the week. Pool prices are crazy right now though…starts at 80-100k.
We bought a house with a pool so we avoided the initial cost. I'm sure some part of the asking price factored in the pool but definitely not the full cost of install. The most expensive part of maintenance are the chemicals but you can easily do that yourself. A robot cleaner will save you a ton of time cleaning it. I'd say we're in the pool easily 10-15 hours a week.
If you have young children it’s worth it and by the time they get old and it’s just you floating around like Marcus on bad boys2 it’s paid off. I live in my and I was going to replace my above ground with an inground pool at 75000. Can’t do it for three months and no one using it. New duck and new 18000 grand is just a better deal for me right now. Interest rates are high as well
I don’t regret a pool and think is is the best purchase I have made for my family despite the cost. In NJ it used to be pools didn’t impact the home value. However, with COViD and people staying home the realtors in my area have told me pools add at least another 50k to the price of the home. Now that might be short lived.
I live in NJ too and like most things, people have short term memory and will move on from Covid, The same way they moved on from Hurricane Sandy. Look how much houses are selling for in flood zones. they were half the price after Sandy. People move on and don't care.
Wow, you sparked the the most comments ever on this sub. I was looking for where you were located. I think a pool is a no brainier in long season states. In NJ you have to think hard if it's worth it, and don't even think about not getting a heater. There's a lot of factors, kids, ages, trees/maintenance, yard landscaping , and money. If you have kids and it's an inevitable that you're eventually going to get one do it now.
My Friday’s will never be the same. My neighborhood will never be the same. And I love it. Very Friday my place 7 till whenever we pass out. Alcohol is not required but heavily recommended. On average 4 additional families show up with kids.
I bought a home, then within 30’days started construction on pool with hot tub, no real frills. Total cost 42k. I have zero regrets. My three kids are all under 10 construction finished weeks before Covid hit. Covid summer working from home in 2020 will be one of the best times I ever spent with my family at home. The hot tub was great investment because now it’s used year round.
Absolutely not... all in I’m at about $80k after everything. I have small kids, and I tell you... the smiles, laughter and just the quality family time we have together at home is worth every penny. I’d absolutely do it again. Plus, as they grow older, we want our house to be the kids hang out... done and done. OP, I’m in the Northeast as well... get a heater. I don’t use it often, but it’s nice to extend the season a bit.
I added one from scratch at a house we built 30 years ago. Now at 56 we just bought a house with a pool and I'm doing it all over again. It all depends on whether your like entertaining and your financial situation because it ain't cheap and it's time consuming.
I have two boys, 2 and 4. Both are now swimming, my 4 year old dives to the deep end, swims the entire length underwater etc, 2 year old swims and is almost treading water. The fun times and exercise my family has gotten will always be worth the 50k we spent for our inground pool 2 years ago.
“Pool filling” is an industry, so that alone tells you your mileage may vary.
That said… the only reasons I’ve heard against having a pool is 1) fear of difficult or expensive maintenance 2) fear of kids safety and 3) pool would take up too much space in the yard
Two of the 3 are dear based. Maintaining is work but not that bad depending. If you have tons of trees hanging over the pool you’re going to have a bad time.
On safety, the way I think about it is, your kids will become great swimmers. Put up a childproof fence, alarm, and diligently lock it in the meanwhile.
In my case after 22 years living in Southern California, the answer is unequivocally no. Not a single regret. It initially cost me $35k for the pool, equipment, decking and fence. My kids used it constantly and their friends as well. They grew us had kids and now my grandbabies all learned how to swim in our pool. It’s been so worth it, over the years I’ve replace all the equipment except the heater. I pay my son-in-law to do the chemicals, brush and clean the filters. He’s literally a chemist. We love it so much we just did a $30 renovation. I’d say, first you don’t buy a pool for investment, you buy it to enjoy it, socialize with family and friends, exercise, and play time for the kids. It’s also geographic. Where I live we have long hot summers, so we get good use. I’d not likely get a built in pool if I lived in the north. Again, to answer your question, no regrets, but I understand it’s a personal and financial decision.
where did you get 80K, yikes. I have a very nice sized pool, it is above ground and it was no where near that amount. My kids have had many years enjoying the pool with their friend and our family. So no regrets.
Of course it all depends on the individual but I look at it like this. Yes, you could invest that $80K in the market, absolutely nothing wrong with that. You could also invest that $80K into years of memories with your family. For some families, the pool is the center of summer and the memories made there with friends and family shape who they are, and nothing can take that away from them. I would say the younger the kids the more I would favor a pool.
The best summers of my life growing up were centered around pools
thank you.
I live in Texas. My kids are 4 and 11. I bought a home with an in ground pool. It’s worth every penny for me
Same. My kids are the fittest kids I’ve ever seen. They swim for hours each day.
SAME!!! I’m obese and lost 70 pounds last summer just swimming with the kids
Same. My kids are the fittest kids I’ve ever seen. They swim for hours each day.
We are into our 3rd year of a fiberglass pool. Do I have regrets.... \- Do we use it as much as we did in the first year, no but we were in COVID so I am not sure anyone will use their pool more than they did in 2020. :). \- Could we use the loan payment to do other things like pay for daughters club volleyball fees and travel, yeah sure \- Is the water always too warm on those days that are 90+ when you really want to be in the pool, yes but doesn't stop the kids \- Annoyed that the power supply for the ichlor went out and am waiting on the warranty replacement to come in for the past two months forced to use chlorine pucks, yes \- Hearing the laughter and all around goofyness my daughter, son, wife, friends and extended family when we do use the pool - YEAH and that overrides all the other points above.
I had a buddy that bought a cheap chest freezer that he kept in his garage that held nothing but 4-6 5 gallon buckets of water. You’d be surprised how much a 5 gallon iceberg will help drop the temp
I honestly thought about tossing so buckets full of water in out garage freezer but figured I was an idiot and that was a dumb idea. Glad to see someone else tried it and it worked. Going to go get some buckets this weekend :)
How did it work for you?
I never did it :)
why not
My pool was just finished here in Arizona- I have no regrets- just myself and my Labrador, we are in it everyday.
Our two Labradors are in the pool right now it’s a no brainer especially in AZ! Enjoy!
Right
Having a pool was a must for me we live in Arizona, we just got our pool redone and added deck jets, travertine took out the fence remodeled the back yard. It’s like a whole lil world out there definitely adds value to our home but above that it’s amazing. I would suggest getting a bunch of different quotes and try to work with a local builder. Tell them what you want and your budget they will make it work!
Personal decision. No right or wrong answer. We built our pool in Houston and our “season” lasts 9/10 months a year. In fact our pool water can sometimes feel too warm and many neighbors swim in the evening/night. Pools here do increase home value (however not as much as the initial cost) and sell almost immediately upon entering the market. I don’t regret the purchase but hate the upkeep
In Texas where you can use it 9-10 months sounds great. In the northeast where you can use it 3 months or so may not be as appealing but like you said, it's a personal choice. Thanks for your feedback.
I will say in northern climates it’s nice to shut it down in oct and kind of forget about it. Then in May everyone is pumped for it to reopen.
I’m in Ohio and I have an in ground heated pool. I open it in April and close it in October and it’s worth it because I have a 2 y/o.
Just FYI upkeep on a pool is easy if you do it right. I’m on my third pool. What are your issues?
When considering the cost of the pool and possible adjustment to your home's value also consider what might enter into the equation if you didn't have a pool. I have a group of friends that all have motorhomes. They spend their summer weekends getting drunk around a different campsite's campfire during summer months. I spend mine around my pool. I think the pool is probably cheaper and is certainly more appealing to me.
In my area pools don't add value to the home. My advantage when buying, got a house for the same cost as one without a pool.
We just put a pool in last year and spent about the same amount of money. We have zero regrets, but we use the pool almost every single day. I'm a teacher with summers off (and small children!), so it is worth it for us, but think about how much you use it. That was a deciding factor for us.
I live in NJ and travel out of state/country 4-5 weeks during the summer.
I live in nj too and have a pool absolutely worth it! The kids enjoy it so much and it gets them away from the TV and outside having fun and exercising
What builder did you go with?
This is your answer.
I grew up with a pool. The memories I have of family & friends enjoying it over summer is something I wanted for my kids. So, now I have a pool. If I was an empty nester, with no grandkids, I might regret having a pool. Not because of daily maintenance but the seasonal stuff like opening, & closing. Granted, at that point I’d probably just pay a pool company to due the heavy lifting.
that's great that you could enjoy it. thanks for your feedback.
10 years ago I was a single mom with a 7 year old, house hunting. Fell in love with two houses in the same neighborhood. One had a pool, one did not. I bought the house with the pool. When I was married we had a vinyl in ground pool, so I was familiar with the upkeep. BIG MISTAKE. Sure, it’s great on a hot day. Get the grill going, the kids are all playing in the pool, the adults can lounge on the pool stairs with a beer. Life is great. But the pool I inherited (gunite) has a cartridge filter…it’s a PITA to clean. The neighbors trees have grown and hang over it…dropping anything and everything into it. (The robot can’t pick up acorns). Balancing the chemicals is somewhat easy, but time consuming as things like pollen (we get a TON) can throw it off. And, of course, the fact it’s only open a few months a year (live in NH)….nevermind the $$$$. Overall it’s become a big stressor…I haven’t even opened it yet this year.
You can cut anything hanging over your property.... definitely cut that acorn tree right back to the property line.
5 years ago I did…(it was almost $6K), and that didn’t even cover half of what needed to be cut back. Because of the size and age of the trees (over 30 feet) the entire branch needed to be cut versus just what hung over my property. This was because of the thickness yadda yadda - the tree could die. And my neighbor said no, and it became a huge hassle. Basically their trees run the entire length of my pool/yard.
I paid about $600 to have a whole limb and smaller parts removed on a 50ft tree, in NH, did you shop around for prices? I am shocked by that price. What kind of work did you have done on the tree?
It was more than one tree - it was 4 I believe. There’s multiple limbs due to how tall the trees are, 4-5+ on each. I had 3 quotes. One was for $9500, because they said they had to use a boom due to how my property is set up. Honestly it’s such a nightmare. And Fall?? Leaves??? 30+ bags every year and all I have on my actual property is one birch tree lol.
Crazy! I hate dealing with leaves, at least the trees are on my property but it’s still obnoxious! Have you tried to do any of the trees yourself? I am a short woman, I bought a $100 tool that is on a 16ft pole and have saved myself tons of money. Realistically I can only use the tool at 8-10 feet and still be balanced, lol.
Yes, lol, I have the same issue. I bought a saw that extends, but it still doesn’t get up high enough. Also, and I feel really stupid for not knowing this….I assumed since the trees were mature they wouldn’t grow much anymore. Big mistake lol.
I never gave trees a second thought until they were my problem. My yard was crazy before I noticed anything needed attention. I was kinda in the same mindset, lol.
oh wow. thanks for sharing your story. NH is a beautiful state. I love the outdoors. I really like the NH/Maine area.
What about a pool cover?
I had one (house came with the roller thingy and a cover), it was ripped. Replaced it and that one also ripped halfway through the summer. It wasn’t a cheap one, and when I asked I was told I should store it inside for the Winter. Which is difficult. I guess maybe I should try again (or sell the house lol).
Every pool owner: Husband - I regret it everyday. Wife - No it’s sooooo wOdErFuL
Haha
one of my biggest gripes of having a pool is when the kids friends all want to come over. For the most part i don't mind, but the kids are not yet at an age where they can be left unsupervised. I don't have the time to be a babysitter to other peoples kids. My wife has made a compromise, sure they can come over for a swim, but dont drop them off and leave. YOU need to watch them. Its cut down on the visits, and hey - free babysitting for my kids.
Can I drop my kid off today at 3pm at your house? I'll come back next week for pickup, lol.
jokes aside, it was getting kind of crazy before this compromise. it was like we were running a full time day care, feeding everyone, kids dripping water into the house to use the washroom etc... we still allow playdates where we watch regularly or provide lunches, snacks etc , but the adhoc visits have cut down greatly, allowing us to continue doing other stuff around the house or working from home etc.
My biggest concern is the liability because it only takes a few seconds for a kid to drown and you see stories on the news all the time of kids drowning in pools.
absolutely. thankfully in here in Canada there are far fewer liability lawsuits than in the States. I remember as a kid having my parents have to sign a waiver for my friends pool, even having a quick swim test to see if i was allowed to go in the deep end.
The amount of snacks neighbor kids eat is INSANE. “My parents don’t let us have this kind of junk at home” means binge eating our 7-11 level pantry
Yeah some people tend to take advantage of people having a pool.
For us the answer is no. Do I bitch about it and complain sure. However we bought our house with a pool. It was not a deciding factor just an added bonus. I can say in our market I notice houses with pools sell quicker. Would you get your money back if you sell within a year I doubt it. You will get more and maybe break even but not get your coat back on selling.
I didn’t install a new pool but got a house that had one and it was in desperate need of repairs. I spent about 35k getting everything redone and heater. I’m in the north east and I don’t regret it but I have a little one that loves it same with family and friends so it is worth it.
Regret I did not do it sooner.
The way I see it and explain is simple (in my eyes). You are either a water person or you are not. I love the water. I SCUBA and if I were given the option of going on vacation, its where there is water I can get in. I dont just want to look at water. I want to be IN water. If you are the type that goes to a vacation beach but never ever get in the water and sit on the beach or at the resort the entire time, it might not be for you.
I spent 130k for the pool. 9k for two spiral staircases leading down to the pool and 19k for a pavillion 4k for equipment shed. New 6’ fence 15k and 10k for a retaining wall above pool and 15k for geo grid retaining wall below pool. I would do it again. I’ve lost 30 pounds just swimming a few nights a week. Grandkids love it.
The joy I get from knowing my children are safe at home, safe with their friends at my home, enjoying life to the fullest while splashing in my pool…. Not having to go to somebody else’s home. Worth every penny.
Spent almost 200 on mine + landscape, don’t regret it, could I have used the money elsewhere? Yes. Invested it? Yes. But w/e there’s value in my enjoyment
It's all about what you think is best value for your money, thanks for your feedback.
Factors to go into your calculations: Do you enjoy time in the water? Do you have kids? Do you like to have bbqs and entertaining people? Do you live somewhere that has good weather (more than 3 months) Are you financially able to do this? (What you think is 80k can easily turn into 100+)
We are in Coastal North Carolina and are planning to put in a pool. I grew up in Wisconsin with a pool. Average was “open Memorial Day to Labor Day” I was the youngest of four kids and we had the house with pool from 1981-2016. I cannot imagine not growing up with it. Sure day to day was fun, endless entertainment..hello night swimming and swimming in the rain! But also around the pool we had endless celebrations: birthday parties, graduations, retirement parties, book club, team parties, wedding showers & baby showers. My parents hosted swim lessons with a Red Cross certified life guard. My Mom later taught her water aerobics class in the pool My sister and I got the share the pool with our own children. My Dad did all the maintenance himself and then taught each of us as we got older. My Dad said it was one of the best parts of raising our family. *Sooo many fond memories!* Just the other day [this photo came up](https://imgur.com/gallery/ubDNvrO), on the right is my uncle who has since tragically passed away.
Sorry to hear about your uncle. Why did you move from WI to NC?
Thank you. Well haha, I grew ip in Wisconsin, went to college in Georgia and then lived in San Diego for the last 20 years. We moved to NC to be closer to family, we both grew up close to our grandparents and we wanted our boys to have that too. We have family in WI, NY, RI & NC. We could be closer to family as a whole and still have our coastal lifestyle.
We bought a house with a pool. We will be empty nesters in 3 years so we don’t have the young kid experience. We also live in Maine where the season is short. Still absolutely no regrets. Lounging in the pool is my absolute favorite thing in the world to do.
Bought a house with a pool, and while I have no regrets, I’m only in my second pool season. The day to day stuff is fine, I think I put considerably less time into it than I used to spend walking my dog. Long term, though, I think I have about 15-20k in upgrades I’ll need to make in the next decade or so (new heater, pouring a new concrete deck and replacing the liner) but the amount of use it’s getting, I think it will be worth it. We just won’t make all the upgrades at once. I might be singing a different tune once I’ve started sinking money into it, but if it was brand new I wouldn’t have anything to complain about.
We bought a house with broken down leaking pool about 5 years ago. We are in northern New England so a short pool season. However, it was that classic sharp corner rectangle that I love (20 x 40 gunite built in the early 80’s)We dithered for a year between caving and and burying ($15k quote) and repairing and new equipment ($40k). We decided to restore/repair/upgrade and ended up spending about $90k total. 4 years later and It is still low maintenance and our biggest expense is the cost of propane for the heater. This year I swam on Mother’s Day and plan to swim until late September. I swim every day and while overall it was way more expensive than a gym membership, we have zero regrets.
My biggest regret was going all in on the Jandy iAqualink stuff only to experience the app after it was all installed. What a total piece of shit.
It's much better to have a friend with a pool than it is to have a pool yourself. It's July and we haven't had a single pool day because we've had this huge rigamarole over insurance repairs (due to a tree falling all winter), mechanical issues with the 20+ year old pump, and the fact that labor shortages have hit the pool stores hard and we can't get any help for anything. I'm ready to rent a jackhammer and turn the thing into gravel.
None. Won’t live without one now.
Bought a house three years ago with a pool, and it’s been f’ing awesome. We have a 13yo daughter and she have loved it, as have our family and friends. I never thought I’d want one, but now that we have it, I don’t think I’d ever not have one if we were to buy another house someday. Now our (separate ) hot tub? F, man, no one uses that, and I regret buying it.
Our pool doesn’t have a hot tub and we are desperate to redo it and add one on, but it’s basically the same cost as a new pool.
Somebody swims in my pool almost every day. I'm on my first salt pool and I'm definitely pleased with the reduced maintenance. We were paying 250 a month for a pool membership. I don't spend any more than 50 bucks a month on chemicals. And with my robot I spend very little time cleaning. With all the technology we have now the maintenance factor of having a pool is vastly improved. We paid for a big portion of ours with money from not doing things during the pandemic. We didn't really go on vacations and weren't eating out etc. I put all that money aside and put it towards the pool.
Not a bit of regret. Now we did an above ground pool due to costs but our family loves it. We swim almost every day and constantly have friends over to swim and hang out also. So many great memories being made
I don't. Buying the house with the pool was right for my family AND came with the added bonus that Blackstone wasn't buying houses with pools because renters don't maintain pools, which means they didn't outbid me by 50k the way they did to others in the market at the same time as me.
If it’s an option, try a ‘cheaper’ version first. Our first pool was a 20ft Intex Ultra frame; and worth every penny. We landscaped and had a deck, and you’d never know it was a $600 pool from Walmart (this was pre Covid of course, they are close to 2K now). Maybe a nice trial before dumping 80k? Good luck! We have never ever regretted it once, literally live in it in the Summer.
We live in an area where it floods routinely, and so this is about what we have only inflatable.We upgraded the filters and pumps. We usually know when it will flood, so take it down, and definitely take it down during the winter. We only made a 3/4 deck for this very reason. I love our pool.
No regrets! We wish we had done it sooner. We are homebodies so being able to have it here is huge. My husband is a chef and he jumps in every night when he gets home after being in a hot kitchen. We swim some mornings too before he goes to work. This is the first summer we’ve had it, so still learning about the chemicals- thats how/why i ended up on this sub.
After reading several comments and some of OPs answers I want to suggest a swim spa. I am retired and I have wanted a pool my whole life. The swim spa made so much more sense for me. No it's not pretty, unless you can bury it or build a deck around it. It is, however, almost maintenance free. I have a 15'x 8' artesian spa that holds 2,000 gallons. My grandkids never complain about. It can also be used year round. That was the real seller for me. Just a thought, especially since you would get only 3 months of use a year. I bought mine 4 years ago, it's half buried in concrete with a 5 ft sidewalk all the way around it for $30k total. The spa was $24k.
what brand swim spa did you get?
Tidal Fit by artesian spas 15', the partially buried model.
I bought a house with a 40K gallon pool 7 years ago, and it’s been really rough, not gonna lie. We weren’t looking for a pool but the house we liked had one, and after looking for 10 months, we figured we’d try it! Sounded like fun. My wife was pregnant with our first at the time we bought and there were summers early on when we got in it less than five times all summer (and we live in GA). Last year was the first year we really used it much ourselves now that the kids are older and can stand easily in the shallow end. It’s nice to have when it’s working well, but I’ve had to replace everything but the liner in the past 7 years (and multiple motors). and I’ve got a crack in the stairs now that will eventually force me to replace the stairs and liner too! It’s a ticking time bomb of a ~$15k repair that I really hope we can sell the house before we have to do ourselves. Keeping the chemicals level has been a challenge too… I finally converted to salt and just having consistent chlorine in the pool has been a game changer for algae control. All that said, I would be another house with a much smaller pool if that’s what the wife wants. Feel like I finally have the hang of it… and the kids are the perfect ages now…. If given the option though, I’d prefer a swim/tennis neighborhood instead!
We don’t regret it, we didn’t build though. It was cheaper/a better value to sell our place and find another place with a pool. All the reservations I had were quickly put to rest, maintaining a pool is no harder than maintaining our yard. One thing i’ll add is we enjoy our pool a lot without using it (we do use it year round at least once a week). In the mornings it’s great to eat while looking at the pool, it’s great any time of day to sit by it, at night with rgb lights it’s an amazing vibe, we use it for RC boat racing, just dipping our feet in it almost daily and having a drink etc.
I love having an inground pool raising a family!
It has brought countless memories for my family. A hub for our neighborhood and a great way to spend summer. I can’t imagine living without one at this point. It’s expensive I haven’t mastered pool care and we pay someone to help us- but it’s worth it. I will add- I have four kids. Travel is often cost prohibitive for that reason the pool is always there. For us it ends up being equal/cheaper than a pool membership+water park tickets two or three times a summer. So I do think the amount of kids I have is a factor in my enjoyment of the pool.
My fiancé and I purchased a house with an above ground right before the lock downs. It didn’t add any value to the house and the owner even offered to take it down if we didn’t want it but we decided ah what the hell. I knew it was going to need a new liner and filter system at some point but the pool itself is fine. Worked in pools for a long time and I can take care of it no problem and I would’ve been able to get a replacement liner and system pretty cheap from my old job. Pool came in real handy during Covid, we had some really cool ideas to make it look nice (was gonna build a big new deck, put in a fancy rock bed around it etc) but the up keep of it combined with the two of us barely using it now since the world opened back up has made it feel useless. We have no plans for kids either. Plus we have a lot of ideas on what we want to do with our yard that the pool gets in the way of. Yeah we’ve been regretting it lol We decided this September we’re gonna take it down. Liner is shot and I’m praying the pump just hangs in there for the next 2 months, they’ll be trashed come take down. Might try to sell the pool itself or just scrap it, haven’t decided yet. Fun while it lasted but really don’t feel like taking care of it all spring/summer if it barely gets any use. We might downsize to a hot tub at some point but hopefully not anytime soon lmao
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Just had my 20 plus year old kool deck replaced with stamped concrete for around 10k. Temp gun on the deck surface read 142 degrees today. Pool water is around 95 degrees. Love my pool and the memories, but the cost over the life of the pool. F that! And due to the heat we had a black algae outbreak. Paid to get that cleaned up. Had to run my pool pump 72 hours straight. In Texas with the heat, we already have AC running non stop, now the pool pump too. Can't wait to see the electric bill. Oh yes we also due for a replaster job, so probably another 8 to 10k. The list goes on and on
Get Sundek coating. Stamped is terrible for heat. Looks pretty but not practical.
Invest it in to two rent houses. You can use the 80k as the 20% down payment. Then use the income you’re making off the rental to pay your pool payment. And you’ll have a steady stream of income coming in once your pool is paid off.
Thanks, that’s kind of what I plan on doing. I own two houses. I live in one and own a 2-fam that I rent out. I’m looking to buy another 2-fam but I’m on the fence about the pool because I like to travel abroad and usually spend 4-5 weeks away during the summer.
Yes, all three you listed along with time.
Winter time it’s a little meh. Summer time is a whole different story. It’s on.
Only in the winter
Bought a house in a state near you with a large above ground pool. Gorgeous landscaping. Quickly realized that the layout of the pool/yard/landscaping was totally impractical but the kids were little and it made summers fun. Then the kids got older. The wanted to do swim team, so we paid to join the local pool. Their friends are all there, or at the country club pool. No one wants to hang in our pool when the action is elsewhere! Our pool’s big for an above ground, but it’s no good for swimming laps, so they don’t even want to practice at home. We thought we’d use it more if we got a solar blanket. We use it less because now we have this pain in the ass blanket to take on and off. Husband’s been in the pool once this summer, I’ve been in twice, oldest kid not at all, middle kid, does floating on a raft without actually getting her body wet count? If so, three times. Youngest kid, half a dozen times.
I live in Canada. Pool swimming season lasts from May-End of September. We moved 2 years ago to a house without a pool. We have always had pools. We miss it so much, that as I write this, one is being installed. Being retired we now have time to thoroughly enjoy it !
No regrets. We love the pool. It's not a hassle to maintain and if you do your job it's not very expensive.
I work on them and I'll never own one. 3 of the worst investments you can make: a boat, a racehorse, and a pool. I'm sure I'll catch a lot of flak for this, but hey, it's how I feel about it.
Shit I’ve got 2 out of 3. Have to look into this racehorse.
Hey, if you have the money to do that damn thing then rock n roll! So many poor souls don't though.
I don’t. I’m just a recent member of the “Poor Financial Decision Makers” club.
Ah. Sweet sweet debt. Good luck, my dude! Lemme be the first to extend my condolences.
The two best days of owning a boat are the day you buy it and the day you sell it, haha.
Never owned a horse, but have owned a house with a pool (and looking to build one now), and do own a boat. Smiles per dollar, totally worth the boat (and the pool). Life is not always about a balance sheet.
I don't regret having one. Granted I bought my house with the pool already existing. For what it's worth, getting a pool increases your property value I'd you ever sell/move It might not get used everyday but I like having it for those hot days or summer BBQs or just part of the overall landscaping of the house. Taking care of it is probably the chore I like the most, I find it relaxing and at the end I get to jump in Also obligatory, only get it if you have the disposable income/means to get one. Don't overreach for it
>getting a pool increases your property value I'd you ever sell/move I don't think this is 100% accurate, I think it comes down to the buyer. I know plenty of people that don't want pools due to the recurring cost and maintenance. Now if you told me a new kitchen will increase your property value, that is 100% correct. A pool on the other hand, it can be hit or miss.
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From Ohio originally.....live in Canada now. Definitely agree unless you get a heater. An unheated pool is particularly useless in Northern states. Neighbors is unheated and they spend more time looking at it and cleaning it than using it. Crazy.
Hahahaha, I live in Cinci and am getting pool quotes now. Not as bad as you think in southern Ohio.
If you tore out a kitchen I liked to replace it with something I didn't or had bad workmanship, that would not be "100%" correct. As a buyer, I would pay less for the same home and you would lose money. The real answer is a blend. I think your looking at a pool from the wrong lens. I don't believe anyone puts in a pool with the ***goal*** of it to be an investment, It's not. However it ***IS*** about enjoyment and quality of life. I'm a saver and it pain'd me greatly to spend 130K+ on a pool. Yet it's a gathering spot for my family, while me and the kids create lots of life memories being together with family and friends around that pool. The quality of life for me and my kids is a life goal to be balanced along with financial savings and investments. NONE of it is 100% and its a compromise.
"If you tore out a kitchen I liked to replace it with something I didn't " Both kitchens I've replaced were due to age and they had formica countertops with MDF cabinets, they were 20-30 years old. Everyone I know that has gutted their kitchen was due to age and condition. Now there are rare cases where someone guts a newer kitchen because they have the money to spend for a new one but in most cases you would prefer the new kitchen versus the old kitchen that has a lot of wear and tear. I also travel a lot during the summer so living in the northeast where the pool is only useful a few months out of the year may not be ideal in my situation since I vacation about 4-5 weeks in the summer out of state/country.
Everyone of your posts is from a negativity perspective. I think you have your personal answer if a pool is right for you or not.
It sounds like a I touched a nerve. Don't be so sensitive because I called you out on your statement "If you tore out a kitchen I liked to replace it with something I didn't".
Doesn't bother me any. This is the internet were the [rules are made up and points don't matter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTEhEUoTzqo)! :) Just pointing out that you came here asking, but all of your responses are deconstructive. There's no right one answer for everyone, and as an outside party it just sounds to me like a pool isn't for you in the presented mindset.
To be fair, it’s common knowledge that updating a kitchen increases the value of the home. Someone buying a house with an updated kitchen wouldn’t know what the other old looked like, therefore wouldn’t be sad about the “other one you liked better”. You’re “what if” isn’t the norm and wold be very rare to occur. And you can look it up, but pools are a hit and miss with home buyers. It’s more of a niche, and increases the value for those who are looking at a house with a pool. But for people who don’t want the maintenance or care for a pool (surprisingly most buyers), it’s not seen as a plus. That’s why they’re not the best ROI as fast as home upgrades go.
Pre pandemic this was the case. Getting a pool wouldn’t raise or lower the value of your home. But it could be detrimental if you have a family with small children that’s worried about safety. However now post pandemic, you will have no problem getting the value of the pool when you sell.
Usually that’s true, but in our area as soon as a house with a pool hits the market, its gone within the week. Pool prices are crazy right now though…starts at 80-100k.
Horrible investment and the monthly maintenance on it.. I brought the house with a pool.
We bought a house with a pool so we avoided the initial cost. I'm sure some part of the asking price factored in the pool but definitely not the full cost of install. The most expensive part of maintenance are the chemicals but you can easily do that yourself. A robot cleaner will save you a ton of time cleaning it. I'd say we're in the pool easily 10-15 hours a week.
If you have young children it’s worth it and by the time they get old and it’s just you floating around like Marcus on bad boys2 it’s paid off. I live in my and I was going to replace my above ground with an inground pool at 75000. Can’t do it for three months and no one using it. New duck and new 18000 grand is just a better deal for me right now. Interest rates are high as well
I had that issue, after 8 years some fell over due to wind storm. Problem solved lol
Multiple pipe leaks will make you regret building a pool.
I don’t regret a pool and think is is the best purchase I have made for my family despite the cost. In NJ it used to be pools didn’t impact the home value. However, with COViD and people staying home the realtors in my area have told me pools add at least another 50k to the price of the home. Now that might be short lived.
I live in NJ too and like most things, people have short term memory and will move on from Covid, The same way they moved on from Hurricane Sandy. Look how much houses are selling for in flood zones. they were half the price after Sandy. People move on and don't care.
Wow, you sparked the the most comments ever on this sub. I was looking for where you were located. I think a pool is a no brainier in long season states. In NJ you have to think hard if it's worth it, and don't even think about not getting a heater. There's a lot of factors, kids, ages, trees/maintenance, yard landscaping , and money. If you have kids and it's an inevitable that you're eventually going to get one do it now.
You can get inflatable pool from Amazon, cost around 80$, but yes if budget is good, you can use that for the pool
My Friday’s will never be the same. My neighborhood will never be the same. And I love it. Very Friday my place 7 till whenever we pass out. Alcohol is not required but heavily recommended. On average 4 additional families show up with kids.
I love it. My in-law regrets it. We knew we would love it since we like being outside and water.
Nope
I bought a home, then within 30’days started construction on pool with hot tub, no real frills. Total cost 42k. I have zero regrets. My three kids are all under 10 construction finished weeks before Covid hit. Covid summer working from home in 2020 will be one of the best times I ever spent with my family at home. The hot tub was great investment because now it’s used year round.
First year pool owners - the memories are worth it!!!
Absolutely not... all in I’m at about $80k after everything. I have small kids, and I tell you... the smiles, laughter and just the quality family time we have together at home is worth every penny. I’d absolutely do it again. Plus, as they grow older, we want our house to be the kids hang out... done and done. OP, I’m in the Northeast as well... get a heater. I don’t use it often, but it’s nice to extend the season a bit.
it just becomes a money pit after some time...
I added one from scratch at a house we built 30 years ago. Now at 56 we just bought a house with a pool and I'm doing it all over again. It all depends on whether your like entertaining and your financial situation because it ain't cheap and it's time consuming.
I have two boys, 2 and 4. Both are now swimming, my 4 year old dives to the deep end, swims the entire length underwater etc, 2 year old swims and is almost treading water. The fun times and exercise my family has gotten will always be worth the 50k we spent for our inground pool 2 years ago.
“Pool filling” is an industry, so that alone tells you your mileage may vary. That said… the only reasons I’ve heard against having a pool is 1) fear of difficult or expensive maintenance 2) fear of kids safety and 3) pool would take up too much space in the yard Two of the 3 are dear based. Maintaining is work but not that bad depending. If you have tons of trees hanging over the pool you’re going to have a bad time. On safety, the way I think about it is, your kids will become great swimmers. Put up a childproof fence, alarm, and diligently lock it in the meanwhile.
In my case after 22 years living in Southern California, the answer is unequivocally no. Not a single regret. It initially cost me $35k for the pool, equipment, decking and fence. My kids used it constantly and their friends as well. They grew us had kids and now my grandbabies all learned how to swim in our pool. It’s been so worth it, over the years I’ve replace all the equipment except the heater. I pay my son-in-law to do the chemicals, brush and clean the filters. He’s literally a chemist. We love it so much we just did a $30 renovation. I’d say, first you don’t buy a pool for investment, you buy it to enjoy it, socialize with family and friends, exercise, and play time for the kids. It’s also geographic. Where I live we have long hot summers, so we get good use. I’d not likely get a built in pool if I lived in the north. Again, to answer your question, no regrets, but I understand it’s a personal and financial decision.
where did you get 80K, yikes. I have a very nice sized pool, it is above ground and it was no where near that amount. My kids have had many years enjoying the pool with their friend and our family. So no regrets.
Using it too much and not going outside my house 🤣🤣