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we have a nice sized back yard in the home we purchased....we are looking at making a pool, or just putting in paved patio, gazebo and are open to any new ideas too.
Pool..I am not so much for it as I feel that you never get the money back, its expensive....probably 35-40k...and so hard to maintain..not to mention that we in the northeast can probably use it only 3-4 months of the year, IF its heated and IF we are lucky...
BUT then some people are big proponents of it, say it increases homes value and its likea resort in your back yard...
plus we wont make a clubhouse, BUT I would rather paved patio or a gazebo space...with landscaping that is easy to manage and looks good too...
so, what is your opinion? and if its patio, gazebo , fire pit, grilling area, MINUS the pool, how much could it cost?
Thanks everyone!
Where do you live? Unless you live in an area that is hot and dry, I wouldn't recommend the pool. Pools are crazy expensive and you will tire VERY QUICKLY of taking care of it.
There's saying about boats that is the same as pools. You don;t want to own one but you want to be friends with someone who does
Oh, and you'll never get your money back if you sell, pools maybe appraise for about 8k when you paid 40k.
Get a large hot tub instead on your beautiful paved backyard oasis!
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.
Yes, Texas would be more like Alabama. We can use the pool unheated for about 6 months. Heated, you can use the pool virtually all year. Not sure how hot Alabama gets but Texas regularly tops 100 degrees for four months straight. Having a pool makes such hot weather awesome.
Homes with pools in my neighborhood always sell at a higher price than non-pool homes, but you're right, you're not going to get the 60k you invested back. It all comes down to the enjoyment factor...to us, the enjoyment factor can't be denied. the kids love it. I can exercise in it (I have arthritis). it provides a nice view. But I won't lie, it can be pricey. the monthly maintenance, since we have the service, isn't much of an issue. it's when the parts die, and die they will. saltwater cells, which are bout $500 just for the part, have a lifespan of 3-7 years only. just one of many examples.
we have a nice sized back yard in the home we purchased....we are looking at making a pool, or just putting in paved patio, gazebo and are open to any new ideas too.
Pool..I am not so much for it as I feel that you never get the money back, its expensive....probably 35-40k...and so hard to maintain..not to mention that we in the northeast can probably use it only 3-4 months of the year, IF its heated and IF we are lucky...
BUT then some people are big proponents of it, say it increases homes value and its likea resort in your back yard...
plus we wont make a clubhouse, BUT I would rather paved patio or a gazebo space...with landscaping that is easy to manage and looks good too...
so, what is your opinion? and if its patio, gazebo , fire pit, grilling area, MINUS the pool, how much could it cost?
Thanks everyone!
If we bought a house we would fill the pool in and landscape in a patio/shade/gazebo/entertaining area. So, in our case, the pool is a liability and would cause us to look elsewhere or decrease the value of the house.
so we are about a 1.5 hr from NYC and winters are very very cold...even if we get a heated pool, i doubt we could start using it until early may...thats about 4 months and we are not avid swimmers, but my kids are....nah i think we shall pass. plus we already spent a lot on getting the house itself, it didnt come cheap...so we would be pricing ourseleves out of the market from resale point of view, and never see the money back.
now an entertainment area sounds great and i doubt itll be that expensive. im hearing 60k for a pool, probably half that price for a patio, grilling, gazebo area?
what did some of you pay for your backyard work on patios, stone pavers, gazebo and grilling areas?
I'm not trying to be rude, but you keep asking for pricing and cost. The fact is, you live right outside NYC and so you'd pay something completely different from me (in NC) or folks in TX, or AL, or FL. There's no way people can tell you what you'll potentially spend, since it depends on how fancy you want it, both in terms of design and materials, how big you want it, and how much your contractor would charge.
Once you know what you want, call in 4-5 contractors to come to your house and provide quotes. THAT'S how you'll know what you will be expected to pay.
For me personally I would not want a pool nor would I buy a house with a pool. In our area it also increases your property taxes. Our season is so short here and people just have above ground pools as they are more reasonable and don't increase your property taxes. We are only about an hours drive from the beaches on Lake Michigan and way more fun then a pool. Pools are more of an asset in Florida and other gawd awful climates.
I'm for a nice patio, pergola, out door kitchen and hot tub. Those amenities work better for our demographic for resale.
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?
Since someone else already suggested hot tub, and you like that idea, I'll add my thoughts. I've had hot tubs when I lived up north (loved them), and I have a beautiful pool that was already built when we bought this house in TX (love it!). The previous owner spent $65K to build this pool. No way would we have spent that much. Our pool has a separate spa (hot tub) area, but I don't use it much because it's not nearly as comfortable or relaxing as a commercial hot tub.
I've owned two Hot Spring hot tubs, both were the Van Guard model. In the summer, we would turn the heat off and use it as a place to cool off. It was large enough that two adult size raft-float things would fit. I love floating in water, and the hot tub served that purpose just as well as a huge in-ground pool. I highly recommend that brand. I did tons of research, read message boards (I don't think I'm allowed to name them here), and actually bought both of my tubs used for about 1/3 the cost of new. They were in great condition, of course I did an entire sanitize procedure on every square inch including all the piping, jets, cover, etc. But even new, at $12-13K, that tub would have been a fraction of an in-ground pool. And being up north as you are, you will love it in the winter! Hot tubbing during a gentle snowfall is heavenly!
we have a nice sized back yard in the home we purchased....we are looking at making a pool, or just putting in paved patio, gazebo and are open to any new ideas too.
Pool..I am not so much for it as I feel that you never get the money back, its expensive....probably 35-40k...and so hard to maintain..not to mention that we in the northeast can probably use it only 3-4 months of the year, IF its heated and IF we are lucky...
BUT then some people are big proponents of it, say it increases homes value and its likea resort in your back yard...
plus we wont make a clubhouse, BUT I would rather paved patio or a gazebo space...with landscaping that is easy to manage and looks good too...
so, what is your opinion? and if its patio, gazebo , fire pit, grilling area, MINUS the pool, how much could it cost?
Thanks everyone!
Small KOI pond is better...Make 3-5, set up the area as a peaceful place to sit and think.
Fence it in with a nice slatted fence and invite friends over for bar-b-que.
No worries about pool fights, or people being tossed in the poll (And smacking heads against decks)
we have a nice sized back yard in the home we purchased....we are looking at making a pool, or just putting in paved patio, gazebo and are open to any new ideas too.
Pool..I am not so much for it as I feel that you never get the money back, its expensive....probably 35-40k...and so hard to maintain..not to mention that we in the northeast can probably use it only 3-4 months of the year, IF its heated and IF we are lucky...
BUT then some people are big proponents of it, say it increases homes value and its likea resort in your back yard...
plus we wont make a clubhouse, BUT I would rather paved patio or a gazebo space...with landscaping that is easy to manage and looks good too...
so, what is your opinion? and if its patio, gazebo , fire pit, grilling area, MINUS the pool, how much could it cost?
Thanks everyone!
I agree with your hesitation about doing the pool thing. They are generally not a good investment. Buying a house with a pool (or installing a pool) is like buying a new boat. The best days of ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it Pools are way too much maintenance for the return on the investment, and the insurance liability is tremendous. Most pool owners think they will use their pools much more often than they really end up using them, and the pool needs maintained year-round, used or not. Many other Texas residents share my opinion, even though pools are very popular here, not surprisingly. But for those who truly use their pools a lot, they are great fun. My neighbor two doors down has one, and her family uses it a lot throughout the summer months for pool parties and barbecues. She jokes that the only reason she had her teenage son was so she would have a free pool guy, since it's his job to maintain their pool every week
I don't think pools increase home value at all. At best, you can expect to break even when the time comes to sell, and quite likely lose money on the deal. As a matter of fact, the existence of a pool can deter potential buyers when you're selling. When I was out looking for my last house, one of the dealbreakers was a pool, and I am by no means unique in that requirement. I didn't want to pay to maintain one, so I didn't look at any homes with pools. Buyers who want a pool can pay to install a pool if the home they buy doesn't have one, but buyers who don't want a pool are stuck if they buy a home that already has one. You can't undo a huge concrete hole in your backyard.
I would go for a covered porch, if I were you. My wife and I love ours and we go out on nice nights, have drinks, listen to music, and watch the birds and squirrels. It's so peaceful; our little private peace of heaven, and it really reduces the temperature inside our home from the rear.
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No way would we have spent that much. Our pool has a separate spa (hot tub) area, but I don't use it much because it's not nearly as comfortable or relaxing as a commercial hot tub.
Pools are way too much maintenance for the return on the investment, and the insurance liability is tremendous. Most pool owners think they will use their pools much more often than they really end up using them, and the pool needs maintained year-round, used or not. Many other Texas residents share my opinion, even though pools are very popular here, not surprisingly. But for those who truly use their pools a lot, they are great fun. My neighbor two doors down has one, and her family uses it a lot throughout the summer months for pool parties and barbecues. She jokes that the only reason she had her teenage son was so she would have a free pool guy, since it's his job to maintain their pool every week 
