[jdoty]

My wife and I bought a house with a pool. It has solar heating and we're able to swim comfortably (82+ degree water) from usually late February to early December. Our first year we had a solar cover that we used and we were able to swim off and on all winter depending on the cold fronts, but it was such a hassle that we didn't use it subsequent years.

When the water is warm enough, the pool gets used multiple times per week. I've been toying with the idea of getting a heater to supplement the solar during the winter, but I'm not sure if I want to pay the higher electric costs, or deal with that stupid solar cover again.

[doggiebus]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Was wondering how many people bought a house with a pool and now regret the decision because they never use the pool.
First time using the poll feature and i see i forgot the once a month option guess it'll have to be a write in..

Sadly we don't use our pool, most my neighbors who bought homes with pools actually don't use them that often. People with children usually use their pools more so. We don't regret buying a house with a pool as it is nice to look at. But in the next house I would buy a house that doesn't have a pool so that we could put in one of those in ground large walk in spas that look like a mini lagoon.

[KathyA11]

We bought a house without a pool and had one put in last fall. Since then, it's been too cold to use it, but once the weather warms up enough, that will change. It's caged, with a security fence to keep our dogs safe. It was an expense, but we look at it this way -- it's our vacation for the next 25-30 years (we're not comfortable leaving the dogs in a kennel to go away), and it's given us much more outdoor living space.

[rmporrett]

We are renting a house with a salt water pool, and forked out $2,600 to have a heater installed so the kids could use it year round. They said they would rather have the pool heated (we're in the panhandle) than vacation this year. They have been in it Fri.-Sun. for the past 3 weekends since getting the heater. It also has a "cage" which we think is great. Nice to be able to open up 3 sets of french doors when the weather is nice without having bugs in the house. If/when we buy in FL we will absolutely have a caged, heated, pool. I might change my mind on the heated part when I get the first gas bill, though. It really is for the kids.

[KathyA11]

We called a contractor who specializes in solar heaters. He'll be coming out on Monday to give us an estimate. Progress already gets enough of our money -- with Rick Scott ready to give them the keys to the candy store, I don't want to give them any more than I have to.

[Songbird42]

When we built our home, we had a pool built, we also had 4 small children, that pool was a Godsent for me, when they were bored, into the pool. Now some 23 yrs later, kids are all grown, gone and the pool sits there. I pay someone to clean it weekly and now that I have sinkhole issues, the deck is cracking, the couping around the pool is cracking. It was worth the $9,000 I paid in the beginning, but would I do it again, hell no especially if I didn't have kids.

[KathyA11]

With the weather warming up, we've been in the pool almost every day, especially with the heater going. It's my reward for a day spent working in the yard.

[ILoveTheChain]

I finally have a pool again, it went in last spring after 3 years without one (our previous two houses had one). The kids and I were going nuts without one. My parents' house has a pool and they almost never used it but have been so glad to have it when entertaining. Dad built a waterfall for it a couple of years ago and that made it less of a place to play and more of a tranquil retreat.