New backyard pool - good or bad idea?

[Carpediem]

The frogs are OK, but they really don't like chlorine.

Ugh....we have lots of squirrels and frogs! Plus, our dog is a frog eater.

 

[Katsmeow]

You might consider either a standalone spa or a swimspa. I think we might have gone the swimspa route if we hadn't bought a house with a pool. Another option would be consider a "spool" which is a very small pool with a spa. Those can work fine with limited space. That said -- 1/4 acre really isn't limited space. The house we are buying is .3 acres and has a fairly large pool and there is still plenty of backyard.

 

[imp4]

A pool is much like a boat, they're great when your neighbor owns one!

 

[WestUniversity]

DW and I (empty nesters) are thinking about installing a pool in our small backyard. We live in the deep south so we'd get several months usage from it and we don't plan on moving anytime soon, if ever. I do wonder what I'd have to do with the pool if we were to go away for 1-3 months.

Just curious what others' experiences have been. If you installed a pool, any regrets? Any 'gotchas' to be aware of?

Had a pool years ago. Don't ever want another one. It was a hole in the ground I poured money into.

It was great at first and the family really enjoyed it, but like all things the new wore off and it was another thing to maintain.

I can see getting a hot tub... much less maintenance. No more pool however...

 

[lwp2017]

DW loves to swim daily May to October when water is over 85 degrees. We live in south Texas.
We put up a round Doughboy 25 years ago.
Upgraded to a large in ground 2 years ago with an in-floor cleaning system.

Budget for a pool service unless you enjoy tinkering with it.

 

[mexexpat]

I insisted on having a pool when we were house hunting last year. DH did not want one, argued against it, but lost.

Guess who uses the pool more than I do?

 

[CountryGal]

I went through this 2 years ago and have a post floating around here somewhere. I'll be brief.

- we are early 60s and in PA
- I have had pools all my life and our above ground was about at end of life (end of safe life).
- I did not want another above ground pool. The liners aren't of great quality and I did not want to risk flooding out our neighbors house.
- We got estimates and planned for an in-ground pool. Came very close to pulling the trigger.
- Once I started adding up all the related installation expenses, we started to rethink.
- 8 years ago my Dad got sick with cancer, then Mom got sick with cancer and then dealing with their passing. We went 3 seasons without opening the pool. It was VERY hard to bring the pool back to normal.
- A local lady lost her husband and began to get dementia. Their inground pool went green and unmaintained. They are very hard to deal with when you are done with them.
- Life happens and the pool will likely take a back seat. We are trying to make our house MORE maintenance free - not less.
- We have had a hot tub for dozens of years. The first year without a pool it became a "cool" tub. That was ok - but missed the HOT tub.
- Last summer I got one of those Easy Set pools and LOVED it. It was enough to cool off with and do some exercises in. That was really all I needed it for. Looking forward to my little pool again this summer.

 

[mexexpat]

We do not do our own pool maintenance. I don't know anyone who does here in Mexico. And while we don't have a pool at our FL home, plenty of our neighbors do, and all of them use a pool company. I don't think they charge very much.

If I were farther north in the US than NC, I would not bother with a pool as the season would be too short. Lived in Northern VA for 30+ years and the few families we knew with pools said it wasn't worth having one.