Thoughts on a pool after retirement...

[CountryGal]

It has been awhile since there has been a thread on pools. I retired this year (58 and DH is in mid 60s) and unfortunately our above ground pool needs to be retired as well. I have mixed feelings about what to do next. The pool has primarily been for me and I have done the bulk of the work. To be honest it has been a huge chore and got neglected in times of family crisis. Now that I have more time to maintain and enjoy it I am wondering if we should get another. I'm even considering a possible in-ground. I am not sure if this is momentary insanity or if it makes sense at this age to jump "into the pool again". It is an expensive change to possibly regret.

We are in the Northeast with a dog that would enjoy it too. Not planning to travel much. Mostly short US trips.

What are your thoughts? What has your experience been like with retirement and pools?

TX!

 

[Senator]

I wanted a pool for a long time too.

You will never swim any laps worthwhile in a home pool. You will likely just jump in and sit, or relax and cool off. It costs a lot to have a pool.

Get an outdoor Jacuzzi. It can be used in the winter too. It's a much cheaper option.

Disclosure: I own neither at this point.

 

[aja8888]

Northeast? An in-ground pool?

Part time use, expensive alternative to a Y membership.


Needs winterizing too.

We had a pool in California when the kids were young. Once they left, it was a chore to keep up and we rarely used it.

If you really want to spend money, by an RV that you will only use occasionally..

 

[W2R]

To be honest it has been a huge chore and got neglected in times of family crisis. Now that I have more time to maintain and enjoy it I am wondering if we should get another.

One thing that I have intentionally avoided in retirement, is taking on mandatory tasks to replace the time I used to spend at work.

I want that time to spend freely, however I desire to spend it. For me that was the whole point of retirement, so I am more than willing to make that adjustment rather than filling my free time with more work.

If I was in your situation and wanted a pool, what I'd do is join a gym with a pool. That way THEY do the chores, and you get the fun of swimming when you feel like swimming.

 

[calmloki]

Have an unheated pool in SoCal. PITA to maintain, almost never used, substantial expense...

 

[Bestwifeever]

DH would love a pool. Fortunately we have a lovely community pool only a few blocks away.

Why not price out another above-ground pool as the one you have now seems to have met your needs? It probably would be more reasonable than an in-ground, right?

 

[MRG]

One thing that I have intentionally avoided in retirement, is taking on mandatory tasks to replace the time I used to spend at work.

I want that time to spend freely, however I desire to spend it. For me that was the whole point of retirement, so I am more than willing to make that adjustment rather than filling my free time with more work.

If I was in your situation and wanted a pool, what I'd do is join a gym with a pool. That way THEY do the chores, and you get the fun of swimming when you feel like swimming.

+1

Possibly more. Spend money that makes me more work? No way. Full disclosure I've had 3 outdoor spas, last one was seldom used.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[FUEGO]

We really love the city pools. $1.60 for kids and $3.20 for adults per admission when we buy the punch passes with 15 admissions. Other than the 7-10 minute drive to any one of four nearby pools, there is zero work involved in going swimming. We go in, kids play, we swim some laps, maybe lounge around a bit. Sometimes picnic.

All the pools we visit are heated and it's a great place to defrost in the middle of winter (which is admittedly short in North Carolina). Nothing like wearing a coat and gloves on your way into the pool in January when it's freezing outside and jumping into 83 degree water (after a change of clothes of course).

I doubt we'll ever have a pool at our house though. We just wouldn't use it that much. Unless we heated it, it wouldn't be comfortable to swim in for 6-7 months of the year (water or air temps too low). Add to that the fact that we usually spend a month or two of our summer (prime swimming season) vacationing elsewhere, so the window to actually use the pool is rather limited. It would consume a chunk of our backyard that we use for other things (kids playing). Don't want to clean it or pay someone to clean it. Or pay to fix broken stuff. Or for chemicals. Or extra insurance because of the safety risk.

Our house used to have a pool before we bought it. Fortunately a previous owner filled it in before we bought the place (I'm assuming it's still there underground).

 

[Ronstar]

We're not pool people. I've used our condo association pool maybe 3 times in the last 14 years. I certainly wouldn't have one of my own because of the work involved.

 

[CountryGal]

Below is my list of pros/cons. I have never liked going to public pools and being in the country that isn't an option. I have had a pool most of my life - all above ground. The pool is dead center in the back yard and what you see when you look out the back patio door.

Is there anyone that has a pool and is glad at this stage of life?

No Pool
Pros - more restful to look at, much cheaper, no work
Cons - less fun for us and dog to cool off; need to go elsewhere to swim, need lots of landscaping to “remove pool” (need to pay to fill in hole)

Above ground
Pros - cheaper than in-ground, want new deck in different location, minimal landscaping to redo, less of a safety issue than in-ground.
Cons - covered 7 months of year (eye sore), far from house, lots of bees get under rails and deck, vinyl can tear if dog is in, burst issue with house downhill, maintenance will be an issue as we age but can get help with opening and closing.

In Ground
Pros - beautiful, dogs can go in it, Will tie in well with back deck
Cons - costly, more disruptive to back yard to put in and get landscaped, more of a safety issue, permanent, problems will be expensive, covered 7 months of year (eye sore), may be hard to keep dogs out, Fence will need some work, maintenance will be an issue as we age but can get help with opening and closing.

 

[Moemg]

After looking at your pros and cons I would go with an above ground pool because it is cheaper and if in a few years you change your mind it is much easier to get rid of than a in ground pool . I have an in ground pool but I live in Florida so pool season is long even without heat . A few years ago the pool needed major repairs so I got estimates on removing it . They were horrendous since an engineer would be involved so I did the repairs and use it in the summer.

 

[Live And Learn]

I second the Jacuzzi / Hot Tub idea. I wouldn't let the dog in it, but you can always hose the dog down which they also tend to like when its hot out.

We had an above ground pool up north - never used it after the novelty wore off. We had an inground when we moved south. Used it alot during the summer (but this is Florida, so that means 8 months of the year). Paid $60 / month for maintenance service so the only thing I had to do was empty the basket and skim the water. 2 years ago we moved to an active 55+ community. BEST thing I've ever done. They have two community pools. I don't miss having my own pool but DH does.

Think about the annual cost and see if it seems "worth it" to you. Your list of pro's and con's doesn't have very much about how much you would actually USE the pool.

 

[MichaelB]

We have a small in ground pool (South Fl). The grandkids love it. It's nice to just sit by the pool - coffee and the paper in the morning, iced tea and a book in the late afternoon. A great place to entertain visitors and to grill. It's like a deck - it can be enjoyable just to sit alone as well as a good location to socialize. But it is high maintenance. ongoing expense, and needs a fence and carefully controlled access.

Our visitors from cold climate areas visit in winter and love sitting in the sun. We spend almost all of our pool-side time in the shade.

Alternatives to a backyard pool are a nice deck or a landscaped backyard patio area.

 

[treypar]

I installed a pool many years ago and have an annual pool service to take care of it. While the pool was great in the beginning and was used a lot when our children were growing up, it is not used much now. I am probably going to have it removed soon.

All of my swimming now is done in the indoor pool at my health club.

 

[athena53]

I had in-ground pools in 2 houses, one from 1997-2003, one form 2003-last year. DH and I did all of the work (mostly DH) other than opening and closing the pool. Both were in climates where they had to be closed in winter.


I would not recommend putting in an in-ground unless you really don't care about getting it back in resale. I don't think it adds that much to the market value and some people just plain won't want it. I used it a lot in the early years; the last few years it tapered off as I focused on bicycling and spent a lot of my spare time keeping the weeds down. Typically, I just took a quick dip after getting hot and sweaty from pulling an infinite supply of weds. DH is sensitive to the sun and to chlorine, so didn't use it at all.


We moved last year to a house on a lake, no pool. Life is far less complicated and the lake is managed by the HOA.

 

[rodi]

We had a small pool growing up. I was the youngest so I did all the maintenance as my older sibs went off to college. When I moved out my dad dealt with it a few years - then had it filled in. The cost of heating, chemicals, filtering, etc weren't worth it when he and my mom weren't using it.

I bought the house from him years later. Despite the fact he did everything right on filling it in (pulled a permit, etc) the country records still show a pool, and we get lots of junk mail related to pool products and services.

Sometimes I wish we had the pool... Most of the time not. One son is playing water polo through the rec center - so we're at that pool 2x week. DH or I (we trade) does laps at the other end of the pool while practice is going on. I also participate in a free "senior" aquatic body conditioning class at a nearby senior community's pool. So I'm in a pool a few times a week without the expense or fuss.

The best solution - have a good friend with a pool. Get invited over often.

 

[CountryGal]

More info - Don't plan to sell the house, so resale isn't a factor. Got small inheritance from my parents a few years back that will cover it. There would be no heater, so likely 4 months of the year use and then winterized. We have had a hot tub since we got the pool 22 years ago. It was just upgraded to a new model 6 years ago 7.5'x7.5'. I have been in the hot tub more this week than any other week - to cool off in the heat. We do have a nice deck off of it. DD is in college and living at home.. no other kids.

Why do I want a pool? To cool off, to sit by, for the dog to cool off, to help live without AC more and to get some exercise. Small is fine and if I want to swim swim, I can get one of those tethers.

I guess another con is that any pool will require some landscape work and ultimately weeding/maintenance (the biggest issue). Making the whole area grass would be a lot simpler.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Over the years we've always just gone to the local pools, bought memberships in pool clubs or often an annual pass to the local waterpark. The waterpark has slides, lifeguards, many pools and a lazy river. It used to be $40 a season per person so it was a great value when the kids were growing up and it doesn't cost much more than that these days.

There has been a lot of press lately on germs at waterparks and public pools so I'm not sure about that option these days, but in the years we belonged I didn't notice any ill effects.

We also had friends that filled in their pool and others that have frequent pool parties and really enjoy their pools, so I guess it really depends on much you would personally use and enjoy it.

We're asking ourselves the same question about an RV. I like the idea but we're just not sure how much we would really use one.

 

[CountryGal]

Daylatedollarshort - the RV isn't happening here. We are mostly homebodies and don't host many parties.

You make a great point. Water quality is so touchy, I would never go in a public hot tub. Even a public pool is tough to imagine, though I have been to one indoors for exercise.

I used to be real casual about water chemistry, but now I watch it closely. You can have a lot of health issues if it isn't good.

 

[Sunset]

We had a pool above ground, found as time went on we used it less and less. I got rid of ours myself, they come apart easily.

My thoughts on the issue:

No Pool
Pros - more restful to look at, much cheaper, no work, filling in hole is cheap, can have a large vegetable garden where it was located.
Will need to go elsewhere to swim which allows socialization.

Above ground
Cons - covered 7 months of year (eye sore), lots of wasps/bees get under rails and deck, vinyl can tear if dog is in, burst issue with house downhill, maintenance will be an issue as we age but can get help with opening and closing.
Costs every year about $200 in extra electricity to run pump, and $150 - $200 in chemicals, plus few hours every week to vacuum, clean, test ph, cl.
Increase in insurance liability


In Ground
Cons - dogs can go in it and drown, happened to my neighbor 2x !!
costly, more disruptive to back yard to put in and get landscaped, more of a safety issue, permanent, problems will be expensive, Buyers will not like it 20 years from now.
covered 7 months of year (eye sore), may be hard to keep dogs out so they will drown under the cover.
Fence will need lots of work with autoclosing gates, maintenance will be an issue as we age but can get help with opening and closing.
Increase in insurance liability

 

[RockyMtn]

Love our pool! Here in Az they are an asset when a house is sold. We also have a spa attached to ours. We also have a Baja Deck where you can sit a lawn chair in about 16 inches of water and sit under an umbrella and be nice and cool on those 105 degree days here in the desert.

 

[RobbieB]

We had an above ground, a Doughboy and it was fun. But they are a lotta work. And if you don't pay attention you will have a "green pool" It lasted well past it's warranty.

I do miss it especially now since I'm retired and am thinking hot tub/spa for easing the old age pains, I know I don't want a ladder.

But I may get one of those "pool inna box" ninety nine dollar specials and just toss it inna trash at the end of the season as a "trial spa"

Who knows, only one way to find out eh?

 

[Aerides]

OP my parents have a pool, So. Fla. I don't. They treat their own so they save on the maintenance, and other than that general upkeep isn't bad. They got it in 83? re-finished once, and a couple stains now they are looking to fix. My dad does most of the maint, self-clean with barracudas, and plenty of local pool supply shops, or plenty of options for pool maintenance. It is nice to look at, soothing, nice focal point for the backyard. They have it screened as bugs in FL make that almost a requirement. Grandkids love it. But it's also usable twice as long as yours would be. Is a heater for offseason worth it to double the use?

If they were asked to put one in today and didn't have it, they would say no. It sounds, however, like you'd really enjoy it, so if the $ isn't an issue to install I'd vote go for it since you don't have another local option.

I would like to put one in my yard, we have the room. We ER next month, and if after 5 years in we're on track, I'll convince my DH as I do want a water view of some sort, and it's that or move lol. In the meantime a really nice gym near me has a tropical paradise outside pool, and an indoor one as well, so I am planning to join them real soon to tide me over. I have a large patio/deck now, and it's nice, but no water. I like the idea of coming home from a run and just jumping right in since my yard is fenced. Or finishing up and hour of gardening in a florida summer and again, just jumping in.

But if/when I do get the pool, i will enjoy redoing the landscaping and making it a "grotto" kind of thing, with like a rock waterfall going in, all designed to make my backyard more like a tropical haven.

 

[RobbieB]

Yeah Baby!

Heaven is good -

 

[MRG]

CountryGal, you know the work involved and the cost. You also know how much enjoyment you get from a pool, we don't. You know how to fund it. So what are you waiting for?