Kind of want an inground pool, but . . .

[Anonymous]

Worried it will be too much work and expense and we will regret it and not enjoy it as much as we think we will. Have you put in a pool? How did it work out? Worth the investment?
Moving to a house with a pool is not something we are considering, as we love our house, neighborhood, and school pyramid. Not moving any time soon so the effect on resale value is not a huge concern for us if we'd get many years of enjoyment out of the pool while we are here.

Talk me out of - or into - it, please!!

[Anonymous]

Do you like kids coming over a lot ?

[Anonymous]

We have a pool and love it. PP the only time other kids come over to use it is when we invite them. So much better then going to the public crowded pool. Yes it is a money suck but we wouldn't trade it. We send about 1 hr total if that maintaining per week.

[Anonymous]

You will get a lot of negative answers. There are a lot of good reasons NOT to get a pool in this region. You an only use it part of the year; safety issues; can actually hurt resale value of your house; etc.

That said, we put in a pool with attached spa 4 years ago and absolutely love it. It cost a bomb (six figures including extensive natural stone patio, water features, trex decking, etc.). However, we absolutely love it and we use it all the time from end of April through November (we have a heater and use the spa mostly during spring and fall months). There's nothing better than relaxing in the spa on an October evening with a glass off wine! Our kids are in the pool every day in the warmer months. We swim either early morning or after dinner all the time. Our yard went from being an unused insect-infested lawn, to an outdoor oasis.

You control who comes into your pool and who doesn't. We have never had a problem with unwanted neighborhood kids crashing our backyard. It happened once, I talked with the parents (who strongly disciplined them), and it never happened again. You can get gates that lock (you must have a fence around yard) and also can get safety fences that go around the perimeter of the pool if you're worried about kids falling in. There are also safety automatic covers which you can use to keep the pool covered at all times - they can supposedly hold an elephant!

We are aware of all the negatives, but we really wanted it and use it and the yard every single day. I was an active swimmer as a child and wanted a pool my entire life. If you only "kind of" want a pool, I would probably advise you not to get one. It's a huge expense to build. If you've always wanted to have one and know you'll be out there all the time, and can afford it, I'd say go for it.

Oh, and maintenance on new pools is minimal. I highly recommend getting a saltwater pool - no chemicals involved at all. Opening and closing the pool each year costs us around 1200.00 and it's the biggest expense - but we have a big pool. Some people do it themselves - we don't. We have our pool company come out just once a month to check water balance, add salt as needed and check filters. This is something you can easily do yourself, but I like them to just check on things to make sure all is in good working order. Each visit is $135.00 (again - we have a big pool. It's less if you have a smaller pool).

Lewis Aquatech is the best pool company in town. Probably the most expensive too - but they are top notch professionals and have a great design team. Our pool is gorgeous.

Good luck with your decision.

[Anonymous]

8:43, that is incredibly helpful! Thank you for taking the time to write all of that!

I think we really have wanted a pool for a long time but were deterred by the cost and the idea that it would be a ton of work (we don't really enjoy that kind of upkeep and prefer to hire it out, e.g., we don't mow the grass ourselves, etc.). I know my kids would love it, and we would love it for entertaining, being able to host pool parties, and things like that. I don't mind having kids over a lot, though I also have no problem with establishing rules about when other kids are invited/allowed to come and about being firm about times when we just don't want company.

Did Lewis do all of the work for you, including the patio, decking, etc.? Maybe it would be worth having them come and take a look and at least give me some ideas of the possibilities and a ballpark of the cost we are talking about. Our backyard would need a complete overhaul to go along with the pool and it's a little overwhelming to start thinking about how much work is involved.

[Anonymous]

I hated the idea of having a pool when we bought, but my husband convinced me that it would be fine. This is the first year we really used it (previous years, kids were too young) and WE LOVE IT! Needless to say my kids love it and I found myself drawn to it too (hard to believe since i am not a water-type). 8:43 was very detailed. Our biggest expense is the open/close. It costs us ~800/year. My husband takes care of the rest. I would love to add in a heater eventually so we can enjoy it during the colder months. No problem with unwanted kids swimming as we control who we invited.

[Anonymous]

It is a ton of work. We have (had soon!) a nice lap pool (the house came with it). I actually just hired a contractor to remove it, which is super-expensive too but I hate that pool with a passion I thought I reserved for things like trashy baby names and Walmart shoppers.

I end up doing all the maintenance which is so time-consuming for a working mom of 2 young kids, I worry constantly about the kids being out of my sight, and repairs are unbelievably expensive. Especially for the safe cover we have, which seems to break on an annual basis to the tune of a couple grand. I will so happy when it is a nice grassy spot instead.

[Anonymous]

10:38, what about the pool is a ton of work? Can you be more specific? We'd be willing to have a service do a lot of the upkeep & open/closing it, but I don't want to be out there skimming leaves for an hour every day.

[Anonymous]

Be wary of the naysayers, OP. PP here. There are a lot of people here looking to pee on others' parades, so to speak.

If you can afford it, why not? If not, MYOB and wallow in your own.

Informative PP, did you find it a problem with the neighbors at all? Or are they more wealthy and can buy their own if they want it/belong to their own clubs, etc.? I would think in upscale neighborhoods, leeches are less of a problem

I am being frank here after seeing some bad situations in non-welathy neighborhoods. Because the leeches would also be litigious, of course!

Great thread, for the most part! I too am wondering about a pool. We would prefer the jacuzzi be separate, as we don't want everyone in it, frankly. We are considering a seperate porch and patio. Would Lewis do that?

Are the salt water pools most expensive? What is the bulk of the expense (I would assume digging and installation)?

Our back yard is currently "open", so we would need to put a 6' (is 7' allowed in FX?) fence, plus some trees for height. We would likely put the pool closer to our house, than further back.

Is your pool closer to your house?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually just hired a contractor to remove it, which is super-expensive too but I hate that pool with a passion I thought I reserved for things like trashy baby names and Walmart shoppers.

Wow.

[Anonymous]

OP: do an aerial search around in the nicer neighborhoods. There are a lot of pools in the suburbs.

[Anonymous]

i couldn't deal with the liability and worry of other people's kids in my pool.

We live close-in and a couple friends have in-grown pools. They were great when kids were small. Our kids are now around 8 and older and these pools are just not fun for them because they are tiny.

We joined a pool this summer---there are 3 pools to choose from---diving boards, etc. and lots of other kids. My kids prefer to go there then to their friends house with the pools and these kids often come along with us since they can't safely dive in their pools.

Upkeep is a bitch so our friends tell us. If you have the space and are pool people do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i couldn't deal with the liability and worry of other people's kids in my pool.

We live close-in and a couple friends have in-grown pools. They were great when kids were small. Our kids are now around 8 and older and these pools are just not fun for them because they are tiny.

We joined a pool this summer---there are 3 pools to choose from---diving boards, etc. and lots of other kids. My kids prefer to go there then to their friends house with the pools and these kids often come along with us since they can't safely dive in their pools.

Upkeep is a bitch so our friends tell us. If you have the space and are pool people do it.

Why would other people's kids be in your pool unless you invite them with their parents and then it's their parents responsibility to watch them. Public pools, despite of their size are crowded for the most part, not that you will be able to leisurely float on your mattress sipping a drink or do laps without interruptions. Besides, private pools are not necessarily tiny and lack the depth for diving. If OP is designing her own pool, she can certainly choose the size and features she wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i couldn't deal with the liability and worry of other people's kids in my pool.

We live close-in and a couple friends have in-grown pools. They were great when kids were small. Our kids are now around 8 and older and these pools are just not fun for them because they are tiny.

We joined a pool this summer---there are 3 pools to choose from---diving boards, etc. and lots of other kids. My kids prefer to go there then to their friends house with the pools and these kids often come along with us since they can't safely dive in their pools.

Upkeep is a bitch so our friends tell us. If you have the space and are pool people do it.

Why would other people's kids be in your pool unless you invite them with their parents and then it's their parents responsibility to watch them. Public pools, despite of their size are crowded for the most part, not that you will be able to leisurely float on your mattress sipping a drink or do laps without interruptions. Besides, private pools are not necessarily tiny and lack the depth for diving. If OP is designing her own pool, she can certainly choose the size and features she wants.

Do you have older kids??? Nobody brings their parents to a playdate after a certain age---I, personally, don't send my kids to their friends' houses that have a pool alone...which is why we don't have many in the summer when their pool is uncovered. The mother trusts the kids because they can swim...but I worry that there are always accidents and nobody is watching--hitting head. Kids start to get crazy----doing flips off the side, using the rafts as surfboards (jumping from the side...can a few have slipped and nearly cracked their heads on the side). No thanks.

Teenage boys are the most fearless. I recall boys jumping from the upper deck into the pool when the parents were at work.

Go for it--if any of that sounds appealing....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i couldn't deal with the liability and worry of other people's kids in my pool.

We live close-in and a couple friends have in-grown pools. They were great when kids were small. Our kids are now around 8 and older and these pools are just not fun for them because they are tiny.

We joined a pool this summer---there are 3 pools to choose from---diving boards, etc. and lots of other kids. My kids prefer to go there then to their friends house with the pools and these kids often come along with us since they can't safely dive in their pools.

Upkeep is a bitch so our friends tell us. If you have the space and are pool people do it.

Why would other people's kids be in your pool unless you invite them with their parents and then it's their parents responsibility to watch them. Public pools, despite of their size are crowded for the most part, not that you will be able to leisurely float on your mattress sipping a drink or do laps without interruptions. Besides, private pools are not necessarily tiny and lack the depth for diving. If OP is designing her own pool, she can certainly choose the size and features she wants.

Do you have older kids??? Nobody brings their parents to a playdate after a certain age---I, personally, don't send my kids to their friends' houses that have a pool alone...which is why we don't have many in the summer when their pool is uncovered. The mother trusts the kids because they can swim...but I worry that there are always accidents and nobody is watching--hitting head. Kids start to get crazy----doing flips off the side, using the rafts as surfboards (jumping from the side...can a few have slipped and nearly cracked their heads on the side). No thanks.

Teenage boys are the most fearless. I recall boys jumping from the upper deck into the pool when the parents were at work.

Go for it--if any of that sounds appealing....

OMG, there are so many ways for older reckless boys to get in trouble without a pool involved. If you let them into your property, doesn't mean they don't find ways to hurt themselves, pool or no pool. And if you are really that worried about getting sued for life by their parents, then make them sign a legal disclosure or insist the caretaker is always with them. Your pool, your rules, you decide who comes in and when and with whom.