Pools more trouble than they're worth? Outdoor play for kids in summer? (buying a house, landscaping)

[markas214]

For those who own a pool or have owned one do you use it? Do you ever wish you didn't have it?

I have 3 kids 3,6 and 8. We're will be moving soon and I believe that we should have a pool with a fence and alarm along with a grassy area with a nice sturdy playset. Since it is so hot in the summer I would imagine that even if we move to a place with a community pool it will be too hot in the daytime to use. I figure we can use our yard when the sun gets lower in the late afternoon and early evening. Any thoughts. I don't want my kids trapped in the house all day and then with nothing to do at night.

I am not worried about operating costs and will pay a pool service for weekly cleaning and maintenance. My kids are the type who love water and never want to get out. How many good months a year do you get out of your non heated pools? What time of day during the summer do you use your pools and yards?

[summers19]

I'm glad you posted this question. I'm thinking the same thing as my husband and I are thinking of buying a house with a pool. We've heard nightmares about maintenance, costs, etc. but our boys, too, love to swim and be in the water. We think it would be great to have a pool for summertime fun. My boys are 6 and 4.
I'm eager to hear responses from families that have pools and what their experiences are.

[Ponderosa]

If you have young kids pools are worth every penny. They will use it like you would never imagine. Once they get older and are grown or gone, the pool, for most, is just an expensive piece of landscaping. On the other hand, a pool is eye candy even if you don't use it and a yard without a pool is boring and nobody want to go out there.

[radraja]

I am not worried about operating costs and will pay a pool service for weekly cleaning and maintenance

Even the more "professional" things you can do yourself. It's not hard. Just test the chemicals in the water every so often, and change them as needed.

Trust me, you won't want to pay for people to come out every week. It's not necessary. I could understand having them do deep cleaning or something once a month, but the routine weekly things you won't need help with.

[Captain Bill]

We don't have children living at home, but we have a pool, and we're very happy we do. When the grandkids come over, or when guests come over with children, the pool is great. It's also relaxing to sit on the back patio by the pool.

We have a pool service that costs about $80 per month including chemicals and for me it's well worth it because I tend to slack off checking the pool because of my lack of time. They keep it clean and keep the chemicals balanced better than I could do myself because they have the knowledge.

About every three months they backwash the filter and add diatamatious earth to it, and that charge is $75 total.

[sablebaby]

The thing to really keep in mind is watching your kids around the pool. We have too many drownings here in the summer.

[jenkaye]

Pools are a must with the kids, it's how you can handle the summers here. Yes they can be a pain from time to time but the postives outway the negatives. I wouldn't live here without one and I have elementary school kids that love it. We have the grass area and playset with a fenced pool and it has served us well. Good luck and go for the pool!

[altus2006]

Have there been problems with bees attacking people in their pools?

altus2006

[kdog]

We've only had our pool for a year, but so far it's a godsend. Pool time is a chance for the entire family to bond. And it's so gratifying to see your young kids get comfortable in the water.

A couple of things we feel we did right I will share with you. The first is to get an attached spa. We use ours year round. Takes 20 mins in the summer to heat, and over an hour in the winter, but that's still very minimal expense. There's nothing like sitting out in the spa, under the stars at night after the kids are in bed, with a glass of wine. Mmmm.....

The other thing we did was to get an automatic pool cover. It has so many advantages. For one thing, it's the only safety device you need. No fence, no alarms, no special door latches, nothing except for the autocover. It keeps bad stuff out like blowing sand, leaves, bird poop, animals, etc. It eliminates water loss due to evaporation, keeps chlorine in, and keeps the heat in which extends your swimming season. The only downside is the cost -- they're expensive! But they're not that bad when you factor in the money you save from not needing the other safety features, the money you save on chemicals, water, heat, and cleaning bills. Highly recommended.

[Dennisc23]

Thant sounds like an excellent idea. How expensive was it?