NPR: If you have a backyard pool

JenninMA

Do you love having it and get a lot of use out of it? Or is it a pain to maintain? DH is suddenly on a pool kick. I'd love to have one at some point but wonder if all the maintenance is a huge hassle?

monchichi

• We did growing up. Getting chlorine, skimming, brushing, maintenance, etc. were a lot of work for my parents. ?BUT we swam every.single.day....multiple times a day! ?It was well worth it for my parents and us

oparcm

My dh and I both had them growing up but they are a lot of work for living in MA where you don't get to use them that often.  We compromised and bought one of those pools that you fill with water and they are soft sided but have a filter.  We figured we'd see how much we use it with dd and decide if we should do  a more permanent one.  So far, she loves it.  But my neighbors around me all have pools and hardly swim in them. 

emiliemadison

You're in MA? I'm going to vote "not worth it". You'd only be able to use it for a solid 3 months out of 12. The only time I'd think an in-ground pool was worth it is if someone lived in TX or FL or somewhere that would allow for virtual year-round use.

The maintenece is a lot: time, money etc. Having to winterize it each year and then reopen again in the summer is also a huge headache (and not cheap). And unless you live in a tropical climate (like FL or even TX) then you wont get a return on what you spend if you sell the house. Plus, if you live in an area where pools are not the norm, then it can be harder to sell a house with a pool.

Personally, I'd much rather spend a few hundred a year on a family pool pass and drive to the pool than spend $30K+ (not including increased insurance premiums, proper fencing, and maintenance) on a pool for my yard. The safety issues also scare the bejeezes out of me. Totally JMO.

mags2041

I'd kill for a pool right now, considering how hot it is here and how swollen I am right now.  But I think you'd get more use out of pool if you lived somewhere where you'd be able to use it more.  I swear in AZ people use theirs about 9mos out of the year...

lona.hunn@gmail.com

I'm in the midwest and true, we don't get as much use out of pools as the southern states, but we live for them in the summer. When I was a kid they were a lot of work. They really make it idiot proof nowadays with the salt water pools and even the clorinated ones...If you've got the money, I'd say go for it..

mommynow

We have one and we hardly ever use it.  We would use it more but I'm not comfortable taking the kids in by myself right now and DH works all the time.  Ours is maintained year round and it is pretty easy (no winterizing needed). We just bought a salt water chlorinator so it will be even easier.  Once the kids are better swimmers, I plan on using it a lot more.

JenninMA

PMQ:

I live in a climate where we'd only be able to use a pool 4, maybe 4.5 months per year and we cannot wait to get one. Because of our clmate I insist on a pool heater to extend how long we can swm in it...no one likes swimming in a pool that's 60 degrees, I'm an 80 degree + girl! I really don't care how much work it is...I have no interest in getting a cottage like DH had growing up, or a cabin-cruiser boat like I had growing up, we plan on turning our backyard into our "cottage" and saving ourselves the drive every weekend.

We plan on an in-ground pool, a hot tub and some kick-a$$ landscaping. This is our "forever" house so I don't mind pouring lots of money and effort into it. I'm hopeful that once I return to work after my year mat leave with this baby we'll break ground on a pool!

 This is kind of the way we're thinking. The warm might not last as long in MA as it does in other parts of the country but I think we'd love it during the summer. The salt water pools seem like the way to go.

jessicaclare

We had one growing up (in Wisconsin). We got probably 5 months of use out of it (my parents heated it, though, which is expensive). As long as the water was warm, we were in there nearly every day from May-end of September. We swam A LOT. My sister and I were also friends with a lot of the neighbor kids and they came over too. I know my parents always said it was worth it for how much we used it, but it was definitely a lot of work and a lot of money every year. Once my sister and I were older, we helped a lot of with the maintenance, though.

I will say that the pool did make it harder for my dad to sell the house once my mom passed and my sister and I were moved out. Because they are so much work and not usable every month out of the year, it takes a certain buyer to want to buy that. Especially because it was an inground, so it wouldn't have been as simple as just removing it like an above ground. 

Kelly Madonna

We are discussing one. I doubt we'll do it yet but we know that we would definitely use it, the bulk of the year too.

JOEBunny

Great question.  DH and I were just talking about this.  I think we would like it.

DesignerMama

I grew up with one and loved it! We bought a house with a pool about three years ago and I don't regret it at all. Yes, it's spendy (about $1000/yr for opening, closing, chemicals, and maintenance for pool and hot tub about 4 months) but it's cheaper than a week at a resort on a lake. And we don't have to drive there.?

We didn't use it much last year, since S hated it until mid-July. And this summer has been colder than usual. But I can't wait until she's a little bigger. I think we'll use it just about everyday then. If I had my way, we'd be in it every day.?