vas25tl

I'm looking for some expertise. We are looking at a house and they have an in-ground pool in the back yard. How hard is it to maintain the pool? I keep hearing it's very expensive and a dreadful experience but I really enjoy our condo's pool and wouldn't mind having my own to use as I please.

Any help is very appreciated. BTW The house is 2 stories, 4 bedrooms, 2 bath with a sauna and a sun room. Fenced in back yard, long driveway, pool, 2 sheds, etc. If anything moves forward, I'll make sure to post some pics.

svtmike

I wouldn't do it. You have to keep the liner of the pool in good repair, chemical costs throughout the time it's open, electrical costs to run the pump, liability insurance cost, adder to your property taxes, start-up and shut-down (winterizing) costs, filter maintenance, etc. etc.

KaMLuNg

iTrader: (5)

lets put it this way... i bought my house with an above ground pool... after having to maintain it for two summers, i only jumped in a handful of times... last summer i took down the pool and built a deck to lounge and entertain...

remember that with the pool comes responsibilities that range from daily to annually... (i.e.. daily = checking water and chemical levels, seasonally = filter cleaning, etc)

doopstr

Have a pool maintenance company inspect and give you a quote on what they would want to maintain it for you. It's best to find out what is wrong with the pool before you put an offer in or at least make your offer contingent on the pool inspection.

Scrib

I am assuming the Milwuakee area?? Pretty short window for swimming. Get it inspected and whatever you do, don't let the seller try and make you pay MORE because it has a pool. Pools add zero resale to a house, IMHO.

Oh and beef up on your insurance policies. Get at least a $1M umbrella policy.

Street Spirit

I wouldn't want the maintenance cost and responsibility but some people I know LOVE the experience and just factor the cost into their annual budget. People are always jealous on the super-hot days and you hear your neighbours enjoying their pools. BUT, you can easily get a summer pass to your closest rec centre and swim at their pool or any outdoor pools or splash pads for much less money, but of course -- just less convenient. Depending on where you live, you may be paying almost year-round costs to only be able to swim in your pool 2-4 months a year.

Also, do you have any children? The people I know with pools love how tired their children are at the end of each summer day because it's almost certain that the kids have gone into the pool at some point. If you do have children, is there any yard space for them to play or is the backyard all pool?

Not sure what your local by-laws are about fencing in the pool area itself (separate from your home) but look into that. Aside from the cost of possibly bringing the property up to code in that way, it will also be a huge responsibility to not only teach your children pool safety but to ALWAYS watch your child AND any other children who are on your property. This not only includes while they're swimming but making sure they haven't snuck out towards the pool when you weren't looking.

vas25tl

What you've said is what's been running through my mind. I can definitely live without the pool, it's just the house is in the subdivision that we both really want to live in and the house/lot is perfect for us.

I wonder how much it would cost to just fill it with concrete and forget about it. I wish the pool wasn't there.

We don't have any kids, but planning on having some soon. There is enough yard for them to play around in. The house sits on 0.94 acre.

Moog-Type-S

^^ To bury the pool, uncertified fill (ie you won't be able to build a structure on top of it)
will run you anywhere from $5k - $15k depending on the size and scope of the pool etc and so on.

Certified is a whole other matter and additional cost.

EL_PIC

I have had 2 in grounds in AZ.
Your answers depend on location of country, age condition size of pool, what equipment, and how its used...
But in 99% cases it is worth no more than 20% of orig investment
and for many coinsidered a waste chemical dump or money pit.
That being said ... if you got the bucks and enjoy seeing refreshing waterfalls and naked babes ... go for it !

The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

If your learn how to open and close it yourself the costs aren't so bad, especially if it's a salt water pool. My parents have theirs on a timer system so the pump/heater only run a few hours of the day.

MR1

Pool service in my area runs $65-100 per month. Taking care of it myself cost about $35 per month. To both figures add $25-50 month for electric. I spend less than one hour per week keeping the pool clean. Total cost annually is max $1800. Add to that periodic parts replacement perhaps $100/year.

We can swim about six months of the year. We might swim twice per week for 3-4 months. Do the math, it's not cheap. On the few days that it's 85 degrees at 10pm, it's priceless. I would only consider a house with a pool if I really liked to swim.

An in ground pool is worth what the typical buyer would pay for it in the neighborhood. Have the realtor find recent similar sales in the area with and without pools. In some areas pools may be worth 20-50%, sometimes zero.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Can't really add too much more to what was already posted. Being in WI I'm thinkin it may be more trouble then it's worth and you may just want to fill it in.

Here in NC, we put in a pool and it was great. Hardly needed any maintenence, keeping it up was a simple as hitting a few buttons on the control panel to alter chlorine, etc, and we didn't close it. Left it open year round. Of course in the winter it ran a lot, so electric was higher then normal, but no big deal really. But swim season ran from mid-April to Halloween... and that's without a heater or solar cover. Even just buying a solar cover for a couple hundred dollars could have taken us into November... probably close to Thanksgiving. And we probably could have been in around St. Patty's Day. We just didn't want that long of a season, so we didn't bother. 6-7 months was plenty for us.

So your answer will really depend on what kind of pool it is. Is it vinyl, gunite, fiberglass, etc? Is it a salt-water pool (ours was) or do you need to add chlorine and other chemicals via a traditional filter system? How big is it? What is the swim season there in Milwaukee? Things like that will determine if it's worth it or not. Since the pool is already in you do not really need to worry about getting an ROI on it... so that's pretty much irrelevant now. So really the bottom line is do you want to maintain it? If it's an older pool you may want to drop a couple thousand into a salt-water system which will make it cake to maintain. Seriously, if I spent 1 hour a MONTH, that was a lot. Plus, our new house has a pool that needs some work... so we are going to get a filter system and power it via solar panels eliminating the extra cost of running it. That's always an option as well.

So, if you want a pool and will use it... go for it. If you're going to swim 4 times per season, probably best you just fill it in. Either way, if you like the house and it's in a community you want, I wouldn't let the hole in the back stop you as there are always options...

johnnysquire

I have a plaster in-ground pool in a similar climate to you. If the pool is in good shape (get it inspected by a reputable pool service) you can budget $1K-$1.5K a year to cover operating and eventual maintenance. If you've ever owned a boat or vacation house, a pool is easy. It gets used alot as I have younger kids and an at-home wife. No/grown kids certainly changes the value proposition.

It'll take you a little while to get comfortable with the chemicals, but it's not hard. Opening and closing can be DIY or by a service for a couple hundred bucks. Since you're planning kids, you should find out if there's a child-proof fence (removable, within a couple feet of the pool - not the one around the yard). There's a great forum you should check out - troublefreepool.com.

vas25tl

Thanks for the answers! I am more of a DIY person than calling in for service so if we do end up buying the house, I'll be maintaining everything. We are still looking at it because it truly is the only house we like that's on the market and it's very rare to get into this subdivision.

Although the pool season is short here, I still think the pool will get used every weekend in the summer. I use our condo pool quite often.

johnnysquire

I'm a DIY guy too, but I'd suggest getting a pro to do the closing the first time unless you have a buddy who's done it before in your latitude. If you leave water in the pipes or equipment, you're looking at thousands of dollars to fix whatever the ice destroys.

vas25tl

Decided against getting a place with a pool.

silver3.5

When I was looking for a house, we saw a couple that had pools as well, both in-ground and above ground. Depending on the size and condition of the pool, it may have added $5-15K to the value of the house. At first, me and wife said we would love a house with a pool, but later consider against it due to extra cost of maintenance and we have little kids running around. Even a fenced pool is still a risk when no adult supervision is around. Also, in Wisconsin, you may get to use it 3-4 months max, unless it's heated or indoor. I say if you really like swimming, get one with it. If not, it may not be worth the extra headaches. I love basketball, thus, my house have a full-size half court in the backyard. After a hard work day, if the weather is 50 and above, I'm out playing one on one by myself.

thunder04

iTrader: (1)

I think it was for the best.

Make friends with someone who has a pool...perhaps a future neighbor?

svtmike

This. Pools and pickup trucks are the things you want your friends to own.

ttribe

Meh, we love our pool and the maintenance isn't that bad. But (and it's huge in this case), we live in the Phoenix, AZ area. We do exactly nothing to winterize our pool and can use it for a much longer period of time during the year.

2001AudiS4

Is that just playing with yourself? That's best left for indoors away from prying eyes.

silver3.5

Hahaha! Exhibitionist!

dom

I'm on the fence about getting a pool and have been for about 2 years now. The great summer we're having isn't helping.

Lets say I accept the negatives:
- Short swim season up here
- Opening and closing costs
- Maintenance & maintenance costs

What type of pool? Leaning towards above ground but still finding costs pretty high.

In ground is obviously expensive, but what type would be better? Vinyl lined or Fibreglass? Fibreglass seems like a no brainer, but am I missing something?

dallison

I understand that you aren't getting it now, but i would suggest everyone check to see how much homeowners is witha pool, i don't know if it's super expensive compared to without.

When we buy our next house i hope it has a pool, but i won't pay extra for it. I have helped my uncle close and open his ingound pool, so i have an idea of the amount of hours it requires just to do that.

If you dyi, it could be a good purchase.

Every 10-15 years or so it will need to be redone so that will cost an arm and a leg.

Scrib

My bother in law has a fiberglass, sister in law has a vinyl lined. I'd go fiberglass all day. Never have a liner to replace, easier to clean. They do cost more, but the pros outweigh the cons.

dom

Still don't know if I want to dish out the 25-30K needed for an in ground but an above ground is looking like 6 to 10K anyway.

Anyone here with an above ground? Is it heated? Do you need it heated? If so what are the best options? Gas and solar seem like the only options. Gas would require me to run an underground line to the back of the yard ($$), something I wanted to avoid by going with an above ground. And solar is about 2.5K more. Do the solar blankets work at all?

The Dougler

iTrader: (1)

We've had pools all my life. Always in ground so I can cover those. In ground is generally nicer aesthetically and offer more function. I commonly hear people mention maintenance as a major consideration but these days with salt water pools and creppy crawlers to vacuum any debris it's typically under an hour per week maintenance. Winterizing is a cinch if done properly takes about 3-4 hours, the first time might take you a little longer but once you develop your system its easy. My dad and I can close ours in about 2 hours now. Our last pool we installed in 1991 and the liner is just wearing out now, it will need to be replaced next year however 20 years is a long time and probably not typical. That being said if you are concerned about liners put aside a few extra dollars each month so when you need one it will be easily covered.

I find above grounds an eye sore and their longevity is questionable. After 5 years they typically look really dated and become more dreadsome. I'm not sure if salt water above ground pools exist, they probably do but if not then that's more maintenance for managing chemicals etc.

There are other considerations with in grounds too, do you go sport pool that maxes out at 6 ft or have a full deep end. Space is a huge consideration too.

Another option lol is buy a 17-18ft boat, you can get the fam out on the water and have all the fun of the pool, but sell it in 2 years when they get bored and get most of your money back.

dom

I hear you, above ground's look like crap. Unless you cover the entire thing with trees.

I just don't think I'm ready to commit to a in ground. My yard isn't that big either. Because of a shed, I can only go with a 16x12 or so.

I was hoping to spend 3-4k on an above ground and go from there. But installed they're much more than that.

MR1

How about spend 1/4 of that on beer and hot dogs for neighbors with pools?

YeuEmMaiMai

how about one of those walmart pools? do those actually work?

jspagna1

We've had an above ground for the last 8 years and it really depends on the style you get. I had the same concerns about above ground pools looking ugly with the old ones haveing those side braces having to hold up the walls.
Above ground pools have come a long way and mine is 52" high and is 15' x 30' oval. The walls are self maintained (no braces) and 8 years later it looks just as good from day one. I powerwash the walls every year and just this season got a new liner for it.
Aesthetically we had the deck from our house built so that you walk down to to the pool. So no climbing stairs or anything. When standing on the deck it appears to be an in ground pool.
Then I have stones put around the pool so there's no need for grass and weedwacking around the pool.
Granted the deck and the stones and everything cost more than the pool itself. So it's really how much you want to invest in it and how crazy you want to go.
I figure if I get sick of it, it's a lot cheaper to just take it down rather than having to fill in an in ground pool.

Jleev6

ok a little late here. I have a pool and I feel that the maintenance is that bad. The chemicals are very inexpensive if you buy the right type. I have a floater that holds chlorine tablets and i really think I have spent less than $150 a year on chemicals. It also sucks up about an hour of my time to maintain the pool every week but I like being outside.

The electricity to keep the motors running daily is a different story. I believe that the electricity bills alone are $50-$75+ a month just to keep the motors running. I absolutely hate that part.

I enjoy having a pool and one of the key reasons of why I purchased my home was because of the pool. I like hosting and hope to add an additional exorcize method to my routine.

SaraSmiles

Yeah I'm late here too. We bought out house w a 20x40 inground pool. Everyone says how much work they are but we had no problem. We just replaced the sand in the filter and that was cake. We needed 300lbs of it so the back of the TSX was low for awhile haha. Once u have it cleaned and chemicals in it all u have to do is run it a couple times a week and add chemicals when ya need it!