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I personally would not put in a pool, but my reasons are because of the expense and bother of maintenance and because of safety issues. I would absolutely love a fire pit, which can be used in Fall and in Spring. I think you should put in your yard the thing or things you would get the most pleasure and use from. A pool might add value, but it would only appeal to a certain segment of buyers.
What things appeal to you? What things are you willing to maintain? When you answer those questions, I think you'll know the answer.
Our pool service is 160 per month including chemicals. Our time is far more valuable so it's worth it. All we want to do is go out and swim...no weekly cleaning, basket emptying, purchasing chemicals. Lawn care and pool care are the services that are a must for us
Depending on where you live, a pool actually adds to the value of your home (within reason, of course). For me, at least, I wanted one so if a house didn't have a pool that could be a deal breaker. After this past summer, I can't believe we went 12 years without a pool.
Skip the pool since you won't be able to use it very often. Build a bit patio with a grilling area, a seating area and tuck a big hot tub in there somewhere. We added a big wooden deck to the back of our last house which incorporated a hot tub into the corner. It was easy to keep up since it's a lot smaller than a pool and has a cover on it. We used that back deck a lot. Eventually we will build another one or move back to that house.
The hot tub was built halfway down into the deck so you could just sit on the edge and swing your legs over to get in. No climbing up and over or having to get down to the ground to get in or out. The halfway up was almost like sitting in a chair on the deck so we were able to have hot tub parties and the folks in the hot tub were able to be part of the group without being heads down by the floor.
A fire pit would be a lovely thing to have. And perhaps a porch swing, too.
Our pool service is 160 per month including chemicals. Our time is far more valuable so it's worth it. All we want to do is go out and swim...no weekly cleaning, basket emptying, purchasing chemicals. Lawn care and pool care are the services that are a must for us
Right, I think I pay more? Not sure because it comes out of my family trust. The pool here is usable about 6 to 7 months of the year, and is an asset, yet not worth the cost of a new one, about 15K I believe?
Clearlake-Tampa-St. Pete area has around 8 months use, so, it is more an asset. I think south Texas would be more like here in Alabama?
Doing it yourself is lots of work and attention. I would rather not have it.
I would only consider putting a pool in if its what my family desperately wanted and would use consistently.
They are expensive to build and in no way will you come close to getting that anywhere close to that expense back as appreciation.
They are a costly to maintain, especially if you don't do all the cleaning, chemical treating and repair yourself.
If you are coming at this as idea to do something just because you want to overhaul your backyard then I strongly recommend you look elsewhere. Put in a brick/rock patio, with an outdoor kitchen or something.
thanks everyone, looks like we wont be putting in a pool. you guys have only echoed my concerns and I do have two little boys, and so the idea of a pool scares me anyway.
We will build a gazebo, outdoor grilling area and i think the hot tub is a GREAT idea, easier to maintain and can be tucked away into the corner.
does anyone know how much an outdoor grilling, gazebo and patio might cost? 1000 sq ft covered?
thanks everyone, looks like we wont be putting in a pool. you guys have only echoed my concerns and I do have two little boys, and so the idea of a pool scares me anyway.
We will build a gazebo, outdoor grilling area and i think the hot tub is a GREAT idea, easier to maintain and can be tucked away into the corner.
does anyone know how much an outdoor grilling, gazebo and patio might cost? 1000 sq ft covered?
You homeowner insurance rates would be higher, especially if there is not a fence around the pool to keep the little ones from wandering over and falling in. Ask your agent how much more per month it would cost.
Later, when they are older, you would be liable for any accidents that their friends might have while using the pool.
If you are like many people and you once lived in an apartment complex with a pool, think back to how often you used it. If you didn't use it daily, then why bother?
We have a yard that is 25 feet deep and 60 feet wide. Not a lot of space. All of our lots are 60' X 100'. Our homes design places most of the open space up front. Not that you get a lot of open space on a 6,000 square foot lot.
Here is our plan for our yard.
Most of it will be tiled over. Large 18 x18 tiles. The left back corner becomes an outdoor kitchen area. Between the house and the outdoor kitchen area my wife wants it covered with either a gazebo or outdoor room furnished with over some nice outdoor furniture. Along the perimeter we will have palm trees and ferns. outside the covered area we will have an outdoor sitting area with a fire pit. To the right of the fire pit we will have a Jacuzzi. We had talked about putting in a small pool but I don't see us using that very much and as the kids get older they will probably use an out door living area more than the pool. The entire yard will be surrounded by a block wall fence that is stucco color coated to match the house.
I hope that does not sound too busy. I just see the area outside, an area that we are actively using now, as an extension of our home. All we have done so far is plan it out. This is also some time off as we want to pay cash for it and do not have the cash right now. LOL
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