Having a pool in Spokane... (house, neighborhoods, buyers)

[knoxwell]

My husband is considering a job offer in Spokane. One of the items in our 'Pros' collumn is that we could have a pool... which we have always wanted. We currently live on the West coast of Washington and we could never justify the expense of a pool for the amount of sun we have. We have heard that the summers in Spokane are wonderful. Can anyone tell us if having a pool is a good idea? We know it can get very cold in the winters there... does that present a problem with pools?

Also, we love to garden and we imagined that Spokane would be a great place to have a garden and continue our love of trying out rare plants. We have several citrus trees in pots on our patio that do quite well here... we just have to bring them in in the Winter.

One more thing... if we wanted a house with at least 1/2 acre... are we going to have to be outside the city?

Thanks to anyone who can offer any kind of advice!!

[WendyK]

There are quite a few homes with inground pools in Spokane. The usage time is mostly June-September, so I don't usually recommend them unless people really like swimming. I have also seen some homes with indoor pools that can be used year round. For winter maintenance you would draw down the water level and have the system winterized. There are pool & spa companies that can help with chemicals and maintenance. I wouldn't recommend having your own pool installed because they rarely add as much value as they cost when you go to re-sell. If it's just for your enjoyment, then go for it but don't expect to be able to get more if you had to sell because not everyone will want a pool.
Many buyers I work with say they don't even want to see homes that have pools.
You will love this area for your gardening. I have not seen anyone with citrus trees but you could probably give it a try and bring them indoors for the colder months.
Lot sizes in the city limits are usually 1/4 acre or less, but there are some that are larger. The nice thing about Spokane is that you can get to the outlying neighborhoods (Spokane county) very quickly, and there are plenty of amenities in all areas of town. I would decide where you want to be based on where you'll be working and where you want your kids to attend schools.

[knoxwell]

Thank you so much Wendy. We really want a pool... but it will all depend on the cost of course. We are thinking we will have to come to Spokane for a visit to decide where we want to live. Kids are all grown and on their own... so that is not an issue. Hubby says he doesn't care if the commute is 30 or 40 minutes... because that is what he is used to. But I think the winters there are much different than here so he may change his mind once he has to drive in ice and snow. We would like a nice sized lot but don't want to be isolated so would still like somewhat of a neighborhood setting.
I guess we want it all!

[aplcr0331]

We had a pool at our house on the north side. We have three boys so the work involved was worth it for us as the boys and their friends had a lot of fun during the summer. My middle son swam from mid May to end of September but most mortal people cannot take the level of cold in a pool that dude can take. The summers in Spokane are really great and a pool can be fun. Ditto the above poster on costs and work involved, but if its something you enjoy then go for it.

You really will have to come to Spokane and scout out some areas. Your husbands commute will vary depending on where he works (I'm a genius I know) but it is possible to have some acreage and still have a manageable commute.

My wife is a pretty avid gardner and has a lot of success with all sorts of plants, bushes and trees at our old house. I have no idea what any of them are called but most of them look nice.

What is your price range? Where will your husband be working?

Good luck.