Installing a pool (Plano, Howe, Cool: how much, houses, landscaping)

[PTN96]

Can anyone give a ballpark figure on how much it costs to install an average pool?

[Souleiado]

Around 40k

[PTN96]

Thank you much. I was thinking 40-50k. The house we like doesn't have a pool and I wanted to see if it would be feasible to put one in.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by PTN96

Thank you much. I was thinking 40-50k. The house we like doesn't have a pool and I wanted to see if it would be feasible to put one in.

If you want to hit a number you'll need to do a couple of things. First make sure you understand all items within your bids precisely and prioritize the things you must have verses things you might compromise. Second, pre plan carefully. Will you need to bury overhead power, move electrical boxes, how much your fence will need to be modified etc.?

I've payed for four new pools.
Things I must have:
1. Variable speed pump(s)
2. A non-plaster surface. Plaster costs less because it is not as good in at least three ways - stain resistance, algae resistance and durability.
3. A DE filter. DE is just better.

Things I can compromise over:
1. Deck materials.
2. Saltwater systems. They are cool and they work well but they are not a necessity. Plus an in line salt unit may be added later. We don't have one on our new pool and no one misses salt.
3. LED lights. Cool but expensive.
4. Serious landscaping. Do it next year.

Best of luck.

[ChristieP]

And keep in mind that you will get very little of that price back in resale value...

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

And keep in mind that you will get very little of that price back in resale value...

I disagree with you.

[ggolf]

Originally Posted by EDS_

I disagree with you.

Not sure why. We looked at multiple houses and the ones with pools wound up on the bottom of the list. Had a pool in a house in west Plano and it was nothing but problems. Only used it for about 4 months and had to maintain it 12 months. For some reason it attracted every critter God created.

The best compromise is to live in a subdivision that has a community pool.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by ggolf

Not sure why. We looked at multiple houses and the ones with pools wound up on the bottom of the list. Had a pool in a house in west Plano and it was nothing but problems. Only used it for about 4 months and had to maintain it 12 months. For some reason it attracted every critter God created.

The best compromise is to live in a subdivision that has a community pool.

You are one family.

There are lots of data out there about pool % return in the south. IIRC one of the realtor associations says the premium is about 11% of home value. Which sounds about right to me.


ETA - to some degree the more expensive the home the better the pool's return seems to be-.

[ChristieP]

Originally Posted by EDS_

There are lots of data out there about pool % return in the south. IIRC one of the realtor associations says the premium is about 11% of home value. Which sounds about right to me.

So if you spend $40k to put a pool in a $200k home, it only increases the home value by $20k and you've just lost 50% of your investment. Ouch.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

So if you spend $40k to put a pool in a $200k home, it only increases the home value by $20k and you've just lost 50% of your investment. Ouch.

No. The return is more the less expansive the home. However, more folks who buy less expensive homes will not buy homes with pools creating a semi conundrum.