Community pool vs Own pool - from those with experience, is having your own pool worth it? (Dallas: sales, how much)

[pinipig523]

Looking at a subdivision with a very nice community pool... we were initially thinking we would need our own pool but looking at it on paper - there's so many costs included.

Costs of maintaining the pool, water costs, cleaning costs - not to mention how much it will cost to install a pool... it just keeps adding up.

I mean, it's more private to use my own pool but the community pool is nice and bigger than I could make on my own. My only issue is that "will I use it"?

For those that have had the options of both - did you guys regret having your own pool or not?

Thanks!

[txgolfer130]

Some days there was serious regret. The ease and accessibility of your own pool is unparalleled. Being able to use a clean, always available, stocked bathroom quickly is almost worth the price of admission in and of itself in the middle of the summer.

But dealing w/ messes, blown pumps, cleaning, testing and the biggest...people wanting to ALWAYS have the neighborhood parties @ your place! And yes...the cost on top of everything else.

As I said there were days. But the days being thankful for just being able to show up, swim, and then leave...was more than nice. If it's nice, and will be accessible, a community pool is worth it.

[nsumner]

No regret at all. We use our pool almost year round even though it's a 40K gal. pool. We love entertaining outside, as late as we want, no need to make reservations.

Our community pool is nice but it closes at 930pm and I love to swim at night. It takes some maintenance but less now that we converted to saltwater but well worth it.

The only thing I would change on the next one, I wouldn't install an attached spa, just the waterfalls. I would prefer a separate hottub.

Naima

[TXNGL]

We don't have a community pool so not sure how I'd respond if we did, but I love my pool. It came with the house so didn't have to deal with building it. I maintain it (cleaning, chemicals) myself so that is not too expensive. I have to have something looked at by a professional maybe once or twice a year. Since we don't drain our pools in the winter like some people have to do up north, water isn't that much of an issue.

A note on chemicals, you don't have to spend a fortune at pool stores! Google trouble free pools. While I do use chlorine tablets in the dispenser, I use regular generic bleach in the pool instead of chlorine granules. I buy the largest size bleach which costs less than $2 at most places. For PH levels, muratic acid and baking soda. If you go to a pool store for what are esentially the same things (usually labeled as conditioners), you'll pay a fortune.

Heaters can be a drag on your electric bill. I have one but have never used it in 9 years. We tend to use the pool from the end of March until the beginning of October and we dod a lot of entertaining by the pool.

[loves2read]

I have heard that reservation about the spa from other people--
it seems pool is for kids and spa is for grownups and there is more privacy when they are separated...
also the spa could be closer to house and pool at more distance depending on the lot...

we know several people with pools who had them put in mainly because of their children--as the kids age they are less and less likely to use the pool and it sits vacant...but still requires the same level/cost of maintenance...
our CPA guy said he would never own a house with a pool again...
but he doesn't have grandchildren at this stage either...

We lived in Shreveport years ago and didn't have pool at our house but had membership in "swim club". PITA because it was not close so we had to drive probably 15 min each way...not that much fun when your kids are in wet swimsuits...
plus it tends to be an "event" in the sense that you will budget more time because you do have to make a special trip...
we found some of the people there were not our cup of tea in that their kids were not well-behaved and parents tended to ignore their kids so they could socialize...

We bought home in FL recently that already had a pool...that is something that is much more standard than even here in DFW...so the time for using pools is longer in FL than in DFW... our pool doesn't have a spa and is not that large...we have maintenance guy for it since it is vacation home and we aren't there so much now...but it came with the house and we wanted the house very much since it is next door to our daughter's...

Just really consider how often you are likely to use a pool...
we own another house in Bedford bought in early 80s...we never put in pool even when our kids were young and they probably would have enjoyed it...we thought when we went to sell the house that not having a pool might be a downside but we had contract within 30 days of listing...
we would not put in pool in our Hurst house---maybe a "spool" which is larger in-ground spa...but probably not...

[TX75007]

Originally Posted by nsumner

No regret at all. We use our pool almost year round even though it's a 40K gal. pool. We love entertaining outside, as late as we want, no need to make reservations.

Our community pool is nice but it closes at 930pm and I love to swim at night. It takes some maintenance but less now that we converted to saltwater but well worth it.

The only thing I would change on the next one, I wouldn't install an attached spa, just the waterfalls. I would prefer a separate hottub.

Naima

So what is the monthly maintenance cost over time? Including repairs, etc?

[jdallas]

First of all, if you want a pool, make sure to buy a house with a pool. whoever puts it in will always lose that money as the amount it adds to the sales price will not be even close to the expense of having one built.

If you have your own pool, the maintenance expense depends greatly on the equipment and design. A properly balanced/designed pool isn't very much work at all.
For example, DE filters are more expensive up front but easier to maintain and last longer than the cartridge filters. Salt water is less of an ongoing expense as opposed to chlorine but you need to watch for corrosion and keep the pump running longer. I used a tablet feeder and only had to load it once a week for trouble free operation.

For my house in FL, the extended swimming season also means more wear and tear on the mechanical systems. I replace my pump and seals every 2 years ($400) like clockwork. In Dallas, I expect a pump will likely last much longer unless you have saltwater treatment.


I found that I used my own pool much more than a community pool but my ex would say the opposite. For me, I work all day so the community pool was often closed and inconvenient but for her it was more of a social thing so she would meet with neighborhood friends at the pool/clubhouse. During the summer, I never found the community pool to be a place I would want to spend much time. It was loud and over-treated with chemicals.

A friend of mine in Richardson just had his pool yanked out and filled in. The house he purchased had a prefab inground pool which developed a crack/leak during settling and he found that the extreme temps in the summer made the pool deck uncomfortably hot. He planted mature trees and made a nice outdoor patio instead and said he is much happier.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

A neighbor just added a pool, spa, and outdoor kitchen. You can only have so many guests at a community pool and now they and their kids can have pool parties.

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[pinipig523]

In my subdivision, the pool is about 2-3 blocks away. I think I'm beginning to sway towards trying to use the community pool... I just don't want to spend more than I have to on this house.

Maybe I'll get the backyard ready for a certain size pool/spool... I can wait and see how things go and in a few years, I can decide whether we can put in a pool or not.

The only problem is that once the house is built, putting a pool seems like a lot of work... right?

How much clearance along the sides of the house do they need to get into the backyard and install a pool?

I think in my house, we only have a 10ft clearance on each side of the house (100' wide lot x 155' deep).

[ggolf]

Had a pool once, when I lived in Plano. Pain in the butt. Tried to do the chemicals myself and failed. Only used it 3 months or so based on the temp. Used the gas heater for one month but the bill came in and I almost jumped in to drown myself.
Got tired of fishing out the leaves, ducks, opossums, frogs, and one of the biggest snapping turtles on the planet. Big sucker.

When I did use it, it was nice. For about 30 minutes. It's risk/reward. Hey we're not in south Florida. If you have the money, go for it. Realize it does not add value and may deter a buyer of your house because they may be worried about little kids and maintenance. Agree that it's better to buy a house with a pool than to add one to a house that doesn't. Had a community pool in Anna that was just fine, although there were break ins, teens going nuts, and vandalism.