Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We moved from Cali in August and my kids are 7 and 10.
I suppose that means I and they will get 10 good years out of it.
I'm thinking along the lines of kelly237, in that my kids will be at home and have their pals over here.
I don't mind doing the maintenence if they are happy.
We're in Flowers and they have a community pool and who knows, maybe the kids would rather go up there when they become teenagers. You know, getting away from the old folks. Right now I'd rather have them here.
My dream of getting out of LA to a bigger home, quieter lifestyle and better environment/schools for my girls has all come to fruition.
It took 2 long years of open houses, staging, keeping rooms clean, etc to get here and I want this to be perfect for them, we all worked very hard.
I'm often surprised to find a smile on my face just seeing a deer on the way to work or hearing geese overhead. I'd forgotten how to smile just for me and lost a part of myself that I didn't even realise was gone and hope you folks know how blessed you are.
thanks
Hey dodgerfan,
We moved here from SoCal almost 4 yrs ago. Couldn't wait to get our kids to a quiet safe place and slow down. I like your post...I know just how you feel. Once you get here you start to decompress. Good for you...do what makes you and your family happy! By the way, I grew up with a pool, and it was great...total neighborhood hangout!
Pool = tons of costs, liability,headaches, and lower re-sale value for your home (for those who don't want to deal with the first three).
A pool does not necessarily lower the resale value of a home.
I definitely believe that the ROI on a pool is nearly nil, but saying it doesn't carry a value of its own is not the same as saying the value of the property is reduced by the installation of a pool.
A pool owner has to consider the cost of a pool as an expense that will not be recovered when selling.
To maximize the return on the expense, plan the pool area to integrate into the outdoor living space of the home. It should be accessible, not tucked off on the lot where it will be ignored.
And the home should offer an access area to the pool that avoids wet kiddos bringing water in on hardwood floors or carpet.
A big service entry area that also may serve as a mudroom is a nice functional amenity.
A cabana for dressing and showering is a nice addition too.
Then a pleasant patio with entertainment and grilling space, with a covered porch adjoining.
Now you have an attractive outdoor living area that is inviting even when the pool isn't being used.
Best return on investment, but still an expense that will not be fully recovered at resale.
Consider a pool with other than a vinyl liner for maximum value.
A lot of what has been posted re: pools is true, some is not. I retired from my swimming pools business 4 yrs. ago. I can say without a doubt that your own pool can be the best investment you may make.
Yes, your pool is free, but it is not yours. Mine belongs to me alone. I have it all to myself--and my dogs. I can swim in it at midnight; I can skip the bathing suit, too!
I enjoy my pool year round. It is part of the peaceful view I see out of my huge windows every day, even when it's snowing. For me my pool is so much more than someplace to swim laps.
Vinyl liner pools seem to have a zero to negative value on homes(aboveground and inground). Concrete/gunite pools with Diamond Brite or Pebbletec finish are(I believe) quite the opposite. Every home for sale has it's pros and cons but definately I would say becareful when buying a home with a vInyl Liner pool and don't believe everything you hear about chemical savings either. Vinyl liner pools don't need chemicals or use less chemicals? heard this one before haven't you! It's all BULL!!!!!!!!!! It's not the pool that needs the chems, it's the water within these pools that DOES though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Different amounts of chems for gunite vs vinyl and similar for fibreglass. There is no such thing as savings when it comes to vinyl. Good luck
Just to chime in, I bought a pool with my own hard earned $'s, and I pay for the maintenance, which is not cheap (I pay $55 per week), and it's fantastic. We use it from early April - late October. Kids spend the entire summer in it. We have family come from out of town and spend the entire vacation in the backyard. This summer we have family coming in for around 6 weeks in a row and I know the pool will be used the whole time. It's all set up with nice shaded seating area, fireplace, grill, screened porch, the works. You can spend morning, afternoon and night there. It's like having a luxury 5 star resort in your backyard. Maybe it won't be great ROI in $ terms but it will be great ROI in life quality terms.
And I live in a big subdivision with a community pool. Let me tell you the day we were all in the pool and saw a nice brown floating thing and then the pool was closed for days was the day we stopped going to community pool. We go to the pool opening party once a year and that's it, and then we tend to avoid the pool.
And at the higher end of homes (high hundreds and above $1m) it is definitely a very attractive feature. No doubt some buyers will be put off but many won't buy without. Many new homes in that end the buyers put luxurious pools in.
I have a vinyl lined pool and it is great. The only other one I would consider is fiberglass. The smoothness of vinyl and fiberglass makes it easier to deal with any algea.
I salt system and on opening I add some salt. Thats it for the salt for the year and maybe some other chemicals for the initial balace
during the season, just shock every 1-2 weeks and add some muratic acid (liquid form cheap from lowes) and thats it. empty baskets and use an auto vaccum. Nothing else.
i got a vinyl pool because the cost is about 30% more for fiberglass and I like the fact that to "renew the pool" when the the time comes will be a ton cheaper than other pools.
When I was ready to buy over a year ago I looked at every house on the market (in my price range) with a pool. There were only a handful, it was very depressing. We instead opted on buying a house with a large backyard and no HOA so we could add our own pool. Well this year we are installing a fiberglass pool and gas heated hot tub. The construction will hopefully finish up this week, but I have already been in both. I chose fiberglass in that it's more durable than a liner pool, but still thousands lest then gunite. It came with a 50 year warranty on the shell which will repair and cracks for free. Can't talk about cost of owning yet, get back to me in a few months
I've noticed a lot of NC residents who hate pools, I'm not sure why this is. I have a feeling most see it as something for kids/children and don't enjoy it themselves. Others are not outdoor types who would rather be in the central air. In any case don't let them deter you, if you plan to live there for many years to come and will enjoy the purchase, why not ignore resale thoughts and do it for you. My pool is costing less then a new car to buy, will hopefully last longer, and be more enjoyable, especially with a hot tub for year round use.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My pool
