Should we rule out buying a house because it has a in-ground pool?
July 12, 2016 10:57 AM Subscribe
Our family is looking at houses. I've found one I like a lot, but I'm really apprehensive about the huge in-ground pool in the backyard. Please help me think through whether this is really something we want to take on.
So yeah, this house I like has a super huge pool that takes up the entire backyard. If you want to see what it looks like, it's in the last photos here: At this point, I don't know the age of the pool or it's condition; I only know that the house was built in 1973. I know nothing about taking care of a pool and how much it costs. I'm also just pretty lukewarm about pools personally, but I have a five-year-old who would be thrilled to have it and my husband thinks it could potentially be a good thing for him since he has back problems and a physio program that he did in the past involved a lot of water exercises. On the other hand, we live in Canada and while it's a heated pool, we would only be using it, I imagine, from June until mid-September. The weather wouldn't really be warm enough in other months. At least I don't think so.
Pros:
- A happy daughter
- Husband able to do important back exercises at home
- Maybe lots of kids would come over to use it and this makes me happy; I love having lots of kids around and for my daughter to have kids to play with.
- Fun BBQs with friends and family
- Maybe we would spend more time at home outside in the summers having family play-in-the-pool fun time
- I could totally see myself floating on some floating thingie with a book and a drink
- I would feel sort of cool having a house with a pool and all
Cons:
- Expensive?
- No room in the backyard for a garden, or a trampoline, or a playhouse or to play soccer or whatever. It's just POOL. HI LOOK AT ME I AM A LARGE POOL.
- We are trying for a second child and the safety aspect scares me.
- If we buy the house and decide we don't like the pool we'll have to fill it in, which could cost up to $15,000 in my understanding
Can you help me think this through? And, can you give me a rough idea how much it costs to own a pool?
So yeah, this house I like has a super huge pool that takes up the entire backyard. If you want to see what it looks like, it's in the last photos here: At this point, I don't know the age of the pool or it's condition; I only know that the house was built in 1973. I know nothing about taking care of a pool and how much it costs. I'm also just pretty lukewarm about pools personally, but I have a five-year-old who would be thrilled to have it and my husband thinks it could potentially be a good thing for him since he has back problems and a physio program that he did in the past involved a lot of water exercises. On the other hand, we live in Canada and while it's a heated pool, we would only be using it, I imagine, from June until mid-September. The weather wouldn't really be warm enough in other months. At least I don't think so.
Pros:
- A happy daughter
- Husband able to do important back exercises at home
- Maybe lots of kids would come over to use it and this makes me happy; I love having lots of kids around and for my daughter to have kids to play with.
- Fun BBQs with friends and family
- Maybe we would spend more time at home outside in the summers having family play-in-the-pool fun time
- I could totally see myself floating on some floating thingie with a book and a drink
- I would feel sort of cool having a house with a pool and all
Cons:
- Expensive?
- No room in the backyard for a garden, or a trampoline, or a playhouse or to play soccer or whatever. It's just POOL. HI LOOK AT ME I AM A LARGE POOL.
- We are trying for a second child and the safety aspect scares me.
- If we buy the house and decide we don't like the pool we'll have to fill it in, which could cost up to $15,000 in my understanding
Can you help me think this through? And, can you give me a rough idea how much it costs to own a pool?
You know what I've discovered in the last six years of owning a house with a nice backyard in Michigan (where the pool season isn't too much longer than in Edmonton)? At least 80 percent of the time I spend in the backyard is spent mowing the lawn. And the time spent by my kids? Around that percentage is time where I've told them "Okay, put down the iPod and get out of the house for an hour."
Maybe you and/or your family are different, but for me, the "lack" of a backyard wouldn't be nearly the Con that you've chalked it up as.
posted by Etrigan at 11:14 AM on July 12, 2016 [20 favorites]
Maybe you and/or your family are different, but for me, the "lack" of a backyard wouldn't be nearly the Con that you've chalked it up as.
posted by Etrigan at 11:14 AM on July 12, 2016 [20 favorites]
the safety aspect scares me
It should. Drowning is one of the most common causes of death for young children.
At the very least you will need to install a childproof fence/gate if there isn't one. But I would not live in a house with a pool with children who were not strong swimmers. The risk is small, but the consequences are horrific, and it would just be an added source of stress. Even if there is an appropriate safety barrier, you'd still have to make sure it was used properly.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 11:14 AM on July 12, 2016 [8 favorites]
It should. Drowning is one of the most common causes of death for young children.
At the very least you will need to install a childproof fence/gate if there isn't one. But I would not live in a house with a pool with children who were not strong swimmers. The risk is small, but the consequences are horrific, and it would just be an added source of stress. Even if there is an appropriate safety barrier, you'd still have to make sure it was used properly.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 11:14 AM on July 12, 2016 [8 favorites]
Just interjecting a slightly tangential thought: looking at your pros and cons list, I'm wondering if this is a house you'll be staying in till you're old and gray, or more of a starter home. Are you guys in career situations where substantially more income could happen down the road, and/or a substantially larger family? If so, might that put you on the market again?
If this is going to be the permanent forever family homestead, I could imagine the lack of yard space cumulatively bugging you more and more. However, if you can imagine moving in 8, 12, 15 years, the "pro" aspects may be fun for a while, and the cons might feel less constrictive.
posted by Quisp Lover at 11:17 AM on July 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
If this is going to be the permanent forever family homestead, I could imagine the lack of yard space cumulatively bugging you more and more. However, if you can imagine moving in 8, 12, 15 years, the "pro" aspects may be fun for a while, and the cons might feel less constrictive.
posted by Quisp Lover at 11:17 AM on July 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure actuarial drowning stats are pertinent here. Take very careful precautions, teach the kid to swim ASAP, and bear in mind as a reality check that insanely dangerous vehicles careen down the street mere feet from your driveway, too. Prudence mitigates risk. There are an awful lot of swimming pools out there; they're not death traps (again, if you're prudent).
posted by Quisp Lover at 11:22 AM on July 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Quisp Lover at 11:22 AM on July 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
We have friends who rarely use their pool due to the cost of heating it. I would make sure you really
understand those costs.
posted by avocado_of_merriment at 11:22 AM on July 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
understand those costs.
posted by avocado_of_merriment at 11:22 AM on July 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Can someone tell me - do you have to heat the pool in the summer, or is it warm enough on its own? Like, is heating just maybe for spring and fall?
While it's always possible we could move, I definitely don't consider this a starting house. I imagine we would keep it until the kids were grown.
posted by kitcat at 11:35 AM on July 12, 2016
While it's always possible we could move, I definitely don't consider this a starting house. I imagine we would keep it until the kids were grown.
posted by kitcat at 11:35 AM on July 12, 2016
My sisters and I successfully begged our parents into getting a pool when we were kids, and 20 years later my folks still love it and use it regularly every summer. (This is in Massachusetts, which isn't that different a climate from southern Canada.) It really enhances summer barbecues, too—you can't throw a pool party without a pool, after all! They're friendly with the neighbors, and generations of neighborhood kids have enjoyed it each summer (with permission, of course).
It does entail some ongoing expense and maintenance, but then on the other hand my parents have been working on reducing the size of their lawn for almost thirty years now and it definitely reduces the amount of mowing that has to be done.
Honestly, it comes down to whether you personally like the idea of having a pool enough for it to outweigh the added cost. It's not worth it to everyone, really a matter of personal preference. That's why they generally have little impact on the value of a home, positively or negatively.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 11:39 AM on July 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
It does entail some ongoing expense and maintenance, but then on the other hand my parents have been working on reducing the size of their lawn for almost thirty years now and it definitely reduces the amount of mowing that has to be done.
Honestly, it comes down to whether you personally like the idea of having a pool enough for it to outweigh the added cost. It's not worth it to everyone, really a matter of personal preference. That's why they generally have little impact on the value of a home, positively or negatively.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 11:39 AM on July 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
Even though I did not want a pool, we bought a house with a pool when my son was six months old. He is now five.
Cost.
The pool pump is a major fraction of our electricity bill. Our pool is not heated.
We pay someone to maintain it for $70 a month, plus $45 when filter work needs to be done. I thought I would clean it myself, but am way too lazy to work in the heat.
We had to replace the pump once in the last five years. Maybe that was a couple hundred, I can't remember.
Safety.
We had to install a pool fence. For our pool, that was $3,000. However, we still have to make sure that the pool guy doesn't leave it open. That happened recently, and we realized because the five year old was sitting on the diving board yelling "Look where I am!" (he knew he shouldn't be there).
Also, one time my husband was in the pool with the kid (who was then two years old). Kid was learning to climb out of the pool. For safety. He succeeded, then ran to the deep end and jumped in. My husband had to swim for his life to rescue him. Kid was fine, but husband was majorly stressed. I was in the backyard, too, but it happened so fast!!!! After this experience, I'd feel pretty uncomfortable having a bunch of kids over for a party. Adults tend to start talking and stop paying attention. I'd probably feel better if I hired a lifeguard.
Kid has been in swim lessons in case other safety measures fail. He is working on the butterfly now. The pool makes us all take it very seriously.
Bottom Line:
I kinda want to get rid of our pool. But yeah, $15K up front versus a slow trickle of $70/month plus electricity and catastrophic maintenance . . .
posted by pizzazz at 11:41 AM on July 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
Cost.
The pool pump is a major fraction of our electricity bill. Our pool is not heated.
We pay someone to maintain it for $70 a month, plus $45 when filter work needs to be done. I thought I would clean it myself, but am way too lazy to work in the heat.
We had to replace the pump once in the last five years. Maybe that was a couple hundred, I can't remember.
Safety.
We had to install a pool fence. For our pool, that was $3,000. However, we still have to make sure that the pool guy doesn't leave it open. That happened recently, and we realized because the five year old was sitting on the diving board yelling "Look where I am!" (he knew he shouldn't be there).
Also, one time my husband was in the pool with the kid (who was then two years old). Kid was learning to climb out of the pool. For safety. He succeeded, then ran to the deep end and jumped in. My husband had to swim for his life to rescue him. Kid was fine, but husband was majorly stressed. I was in the backyard, too, but it happened so fast!!!! After this experience, I'd feel pretty uncomfortable having a bunch of kids over for a party. Adults tend to start talking and stop paying attention. I'd probably feel better if I hired a lifeguard.
Kid has been in swim lessons in case other safety measures fail. He is working on the butterfly now. The pool makes us all take it very seriously.
Bottom Line:
I kinda want to get rid of our pool. But yeah, $15K up front versus a slow trickle of $70/month plus electricity and catastrophic maintenance . . .
posted by pizzazz at 11:41 AM on July 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
Another point. My friend (who is incidentally a Canadian expat in Southern Californa) has a pool, and she is really friendly with the neighbors. As a result, the neighbors with kids are always asking to use the pool on the weekends. I met up with her recently, and we were going to hang out in her backyard, but she said it wouldn't be fun because the neighbors were there. So she couldn't use her own space! This wasn't the first time, either. This wouldn't happen to everyone, of course. But be prepared to set boundaries.
For your other question, our pool isn't heated, which of course limits the number of weeks we can use it. We asked our pool guy how much it would cost to install a heater. He looked at us like we were nuts, and said "But you're not old! You are young and healthy; you don't need a heater." Maybe that was his way of saying it is super expensive.
Another way to extend the lifetime is to buy a thermal cover. These look kinda like bubble wrap, and they float on the surface of the pool. They are like a blanket that keeps the pool from getting cold at night. They do break down with prolonged UV exposure, so replacing it is another hundred or so every other year or so.
posted by pizzazz at 11:48 AM on July 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
For your other question, our pool isn't heated, which of course limits the number of weeks we can use it. We asked our pool guy how much it would cost to install a heater. He looked at us like we were nuts, and said "But you're not old! You are young and healthy; you don't need a heater." Maybe that was his way of saying it is super expensive.
Another way to extend the lifetime is to buy a thermal cover. These look kinda like bubble wrap, and they float on the surface of the pool. They are like a blanket that keeps the pool from getting cold at night. They do break down with prolonged UV exposure, so replacing it is another hundred or so every other year or so.
posted by pizzazz at 11:48 AM on July 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
If you decide that you do not want a pool but absolutely love the house, you can always fill in the pool. The house next door to my parents has an inground pool but you'd never know it. The owners long ago filled it with dirt and planted the lawn over it (along with the rest of the yard). You can't even tell where the pool is/was. Obviously the pool will never be usable as a pool again, I imagine.
I don't know how much this would cost.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 11:49 AM on July 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
I don't know how much this would cost.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 11:49 AM on July 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
The lack of a pool fence on that pool absolutely terrifies me. As the parent of a 2.5 year old, I'd feel super stressed about even going over your house for a BBQ because of a lack of barrier. If you buy the house, I'd put "pool fence" as #1 priority.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 11:49 AM on July 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 11:49 AM on July 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
Pools are considered a wash when it comes to the value of a home, just as many people really want one as really don't want them. It's not a middle ground sort of thing.
The usual line of thinking is if you want a pool you buy a house with a pool, it's basically free and putting one in is expensive. If you don't want a pool don't buy a house with a pool. It's usually not crazy expensive or a lot of work to maintain, but if you don't want it or use it then it may seem like it.
The pool finish is the important part to look for, pump etc. are not that expensive or hard to replace.
There is no answer other than "do you want a pool?". I love a pool, and use it constantly. I know people who rarely ever use theirs.
posted by bongo_x at 11:51 AM on July 12, 2016
The usual line of thinking is if you want a pool you buy a house with a pool, it's basically free and putting one in is expensive. If you don't want a pool don't buy a house with a pool. It's usually not crazy expensive or a lot of work to maintain, but if you don't want it or use it then it may seem like it.
The pool finish is the important part to look for, pump etc. are not that expensive or hard to replace.
There is no answer other than "do you want a pool?". I love a pool, and use it constantly. I know people who rarely ever use theirs.
posted by bongo_x at 11:51 AM on July 12, 2016
I grew up in Canada (New Brunswick) and had an in-ground pool. My parents actually had it installed, so it wasn't like it just happened to come with the house. My sisters and I loved it, but my mom... yeah, she hated it. Constant work and hassle, and not from just the normal general upkeep.
- Ours was heated as well, but the heater was frequently on the fritz.
- There seemed to be an expensive repair at least once a year, from the pool cover to the steps to the heater to the ladder in the deep end to the pump to having to replace the entire liner after melting ice tore a hole in it.
- Winterizing it so that there weren't buckets and buckets and BUCKETS of leaves to clean out of it in the spring.
- Trying to get all those damned leaves out every spring regardless of what steps she took to prevent it.
- permanent damage to the hardwood floors from us constantly coming in from the pool, dripping water on the floor. Not only damaged it but also bleached it out from the chlorine.
- And absolutely ditto to your property becoming a neighbourhood hangout, with random strange kids showing up at your door with towels.
Basically, in my experience, pools are a huge liability and hassle and cost.
I'm a grown up now with a 9 year old. He wants a pool. Never going to happen. Never ever.
We also recently (as in a couple of months ago) were house shopping and I eliminated any houses with a pool.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 11:54 AM on July 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
- Ours was heated as well, but the heater was frequently on the fritz.
- There seemed to be an expensive repair at least once a year, from the pool cover to the steps to the heater to the ladder in the deep end to the pump to having to replace the entire liner after melting ice tore a hole in it.
- Winterizing it so that there weren't buckets and buckets and BUCKETS of leaves to clean out of it in the spring.
- Trying to get all those damned leaves out every spring regardless of what steps she took to prevent it.
- permanent damage to the hardwood floors from us constantly coming in from the pool, dripping water on the floor. Not only damaged it but also bleached it out from the chlorine.
- And absolutely ditto to your property becoming a neighbourhood hangout, with random strange kids showing up at your door with towels.
Basically, in my experience, pools are a huge liability and hassle and cost.
I'm a grown up now with a 9 year old. He wants a pool. Never going to happen. Never ever.
We also recently (as in a couple of months ago) were house shopping and I eliminated any houses with a pool.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 11:54 AM on July 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
When we were house hunting I absolutely ruled out any house with a pool. The anxiety about safety issues with young children was a huge negative for me - not just my own kids but any neighbors or visitors who might be using the pool. And also the "taking up the entire backyard" aspect was a big negative for me. Instead, we belong to a local private pool and on hot days it is very easy to go swimming there, and it doesn't take up room at my house and I don't have to do any maintenance!
posted by Mallenroh at 12:02 PM on July 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Mallenroh at 12:02 PM on July 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
It's a lovely pool! Lucky you! You can do container gardens. Trampolines are dangerous. You could invest in solar panels to heat the pool and run the pump. There should be tax incentives for that. Salt water pools are cheaper to maintain than chlorine, so look into that. Having a pool in your backyard makes your home the destination for playdates. Think of it- all the playdates at your house instead of the sketchy house up the street where you know they probably have guns and smoke pot in front of the kids and have dangerous trampolines.
If your husband is willing to maintain it, then enjoy it. It's better than a lawn.
As far as safety goes, you have to teach your children from the beginning to never go out without you. Do not allow the babysitter to take the children swimming. Do not allow anyone to drink while the kids are running about. You can manage this. You keep your child from running into the street, you can keep your child from running into a pool.
posted by myselfasme at 12:03 PM on July 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
If your husband is willing to maintain it, then enjoy it. It's better than a lawn.
As far as safety goes, you have to teach your children from the beginning to never go out without you. Do not allow the babysitter to take the children swimming. Do not allow anyone to drink while the kids are running about. You can manage this. You keep your child from running into the street, you can keep your child from running into a pool.
posted by myselfasme at 12:03 PM on July 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
And since you asked, we heated it all summer. It got turned off/down during properly hot stretches, but otherwise it was on. On the (many) occasions when the heater wasn't working we relied on the big bubble-wrap pool cover. Lemme tell ya, the bubble wrap cover does JACK for making a pool a comfortable temperature. Or maybe we were just a bunch of wussies who got too used to the pool being ~78 degrees.
And on the (very) few days where the pool got too warm, we just put the hose in it.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 12:03 PM on July 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
And on the (very) few days where the pool got too warm, we just put the hose in it.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 12:03 PM on July 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
One more thing: my mom loves swimming but she almost never actually got in the pool herself. Maybe once a year did she make it in. Sure, she worked a lot and had a really busy job, but it seemed like any free time she had in the summer was spent vacuuming the pool. I also suspect she grew to hate and resent the pool due to how much bloody work it was and how much it cost every year, so that may have also contributed to her not swimming very often...
Also, having to fish drowned mice/moles out from the pool got old. And that was at least once a week. Bleh.
and one last thing: even if your kids can swim that doesn't make a pool safe. falling in when the pool liner is on is very easily done (it happened to me multiple times) and is super dangerous. And falling through the ice in the springtime (it happened to me multiple times) is also super dangerous. So yeah....
I'm pretty solidly anti-pool even though as a kid I absolutely adored out pool.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 12:13 PM on July 12, 2016
Also, having to fish drowned mice/moles out from the pool got old. And that was at least once a week. Bleh.
and one last thing: even if your kids can swim that doesn't make a pool safe. falling in when the pool liner is on is very easily done (it happened to me multiple times) and is super dangerous. And falling through the ice in the springtime (it happened to me multiple times) is also super dangerous. So yeah....
I'm pretty solidly anti-pool even though as a kid I absolutely adored out pool.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 12:13 PM on July 12, 2016
My parents have a pool, and they heat it with a solar cover only. This is Maryland, so the swimming season is somewhat longer; the solar cover definitely extends that versus not heating it at all.
posted by mchorn at 12:17 PM on July 12, 2016
posted by mchorn at 12:17 PM on July 12, 2016
You keep your child from running into the street, you can keep your child from running into a pool.
The safety issue is much harder for a pool. Virtually every kid ever runs into the street at some point. Usually nothing comes of it because A) Often residential streets don't have constant fast-moving traffic and B) Drivers are sentient creatures who actively avoid killing a child. If a small child goes in the water when no one is looking, the chances that this ends very badly are much worse than the chance of disaster from running in the street.
If you get a house with a pool while you have a baby/toddler and a small child, this is something you'll need to have on your mind 24/7. The only way you'll ever be able to even consider not thinking about it for a few minutes is if you put a fence with locked gate around the pool.
Lots of parents have pools and do everything necessary to make sure their kids never go in when they shouldn't, but don't kid yourself that this is as easy as keeping your kid from running in the street.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 12:21 PM on July 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
The safety issue is much harder for a pool. Virtually every kid ever runs into the street at some point. Usually nothing comes of it because A) Often residential streets don't have constant fast-moving traffic and B) Drivers are sentient creatures who actively avoid killing a child. If a small child goes in the water when no one is looking, the chances that this ends very badly are much worse than the chance of disaster from running in the street.
If you get a house with a pool while you have a baby/toddler and a small child, this is something you'll need to have on your mind 24/7. The only way you'll ever be able to even consider not thinking about it for a few minutes is if you put a fence with locked gate around the pool.
Lots of parents have pools and do everything necessary to make sure their kids never go in when they shouldn't, but don't kid yourself that this is as easy as keeping your kid from running in the street.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 12:21 PM on July 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
Okay, for real last thing: As a kid, there was actually a major downside to the pool, and that was that I often felt/worried that the only reason some people were friends with me was BECAUSE of the pool. I remember having more than one "come to jesus" talks with "friends" about how I felt they only liked me for the pool, and sadly I was proven right every time. I started second guessing all my friendships because I wanted to be liked for me, not for the pool.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 12:22 PM on July 12, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 12:22 PM on July 12, 2016 [8 favorites]
I grew up with a pool. my parents put it in when I was about 6 years old, my younger sister would be 4 at the time. You should be fairly strict and aware of pool safety, and swimming lessons for your kids starting EARLY is a must. All three of us were super unlikely to drown even if we had fallen in in our clothes when we were as young as five. Before we had those skills, you're in a lifejacket or waterwings depending on your swimming level if you even want to step off the deck.
I loved having a pool. my parents still love having a pool, even though we're all grown up now. There's nothing like spending summers by the pool. It's fun when you're a kid, it's great when you're an adult, it's good for exercise, and there has been several times in my life that being a very strong swimmer has come in life-savingly handy. My parents put in a pool because they figured it would give us something fun to do all summer and therefore we would not need to vacation. This was true. So the cost is.. maybe cheaper than going on vacation. Now all of us grown up kids come and spend at least a week at my parents house for the summer and a big part of that draw is the pool.
We heat our pool all summer (86 degrees Fahrenheit). My dad maintains it, because it's kind of a fun thing to do, out in the sun to scoop it and vaccuum it and check the levels. However, it's not no-work, so you have to want the results. We are also Canadian (interior BC), and the winterization and un-winterization is actually quite a bit of work.
We really did love it though. I'd love to have a pool again. Especially with kids. my summer memories are almost all pool-focused, and all really fun and awesome.
posted by euphoria066 at 12:25 PM on July 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
I loved having a pool. my parents still love having a pool, even though we're all grown up now. There's nothing like spending summers by the pool. It's fun when you're a kid, it's great when you're an adult, it's good for exercise, and there has been several times in my life that being a very strong swimmer has come in life-savingly handy. My parents put in a pool because they figured it would give us something fun to do all summer and therefore we would not need to vacation. This was true. So the cost is.. maybe cheaper than going on vacation. Now all of us grown up kids come and spend at least a week at my parents house for the summer and a big part of that draw is the pool.
We heat our pool all summer (86 degrees Fahrenheit). My dad maintains it, because it's kind of a fun thing to do, out in the sun to scoop it and vaccuum it and check the levels. However, it's not no-work, so you have to want the results. We are also Canadian (interior BC), and the winterization and un-winterization is actually quite a bit of work.
We really did love it though. I'd love to have a pool again. Especially with kids. my summer memories are almost all pool-focused, and all really fun and awesome.
posted by euphoria066 at 12:25 PM on July 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
Looks like a lovely pool. You can garden and play football in the front yard.
A rigid cover should solve most of your worries about it when you aren't around, at a cost of a little additional heating. Given the pool is close to tall things on all sides, it will probably require heating all year anyway. You could add solar heating of some sort to cut the bill down (some DIY methods), but I'd see how it goes a season or two first.
My parents love the pool. They probably swim every day, and get the grandkids and nephew's kids, and so on to come over too. We tried the community pool once, but got kicked out 30 minutes after getting there because some kid pooped in the pool. They paid for their own a year later and have no regrets. They maintain it themselves. Here's the trick: do the vacuuming while you are swimming; lots more fun.
posted by flimflam at 12:25 PM on July 12, 2016
A rigid cover should solve most of your worries about it when you aren't around, at a cost of a little additional heating. Given the pool is close to tall things on all sides, it will probably require heating all year anyway. You could add solar heating of some sort to cut the bill down (some DIY methods), but I'd see how it goes a season or two first.
My parents love the pool. They probably swim every day, and get the grandkids and nephew's kids, and so on to come over too. We tried the community pool once, but got kicked out 30 minutes after getting there because some kid pooped in the pool. They paid for their own a year later and have no regrets. They maintain it themselves. Here's the trick: do the vacuuming while you are swimming; lots more fun.
posted by flimflam at 12:25 PM on July 12, 2016
We filled in a pool at our last house. It wasn't cheap but it was a one-time cost. (We did a lot of the work ourselves, and it was in really bad condition - like a tree was growing in the shallow end.)
(The tree was growing in the shallow end because the family two families before us had lost a child in the pool and never dealt with it again.)
(Which is why we just filled it in.)
posted by warriorqueen at 12:35 PM on July 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
(The tree was growing in the shallow end because the family two families before us had lost a child in the pool and never dealt with it again.)
(Which is why we just filled it in.)
posted by warriorqueen at 12:35 PM on July 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
We had a house with a pool when I was 7-10 and I loved it. I was in the pool pretty much all summer and friends would be over a lot as well. We had a heater put in. We didn't use the heater during the summer but did use it in May-early June and September to get more use out of the pool. This was in Toronto which probably has longer and warmer summers than Edmonton so you'd likely use the heater a bit more. From the pictures it looks like you have a pretty large deck so you still have a place for BBQs so between that and the pool your backyard has all that it needs as far as I'm concerned.
The people who ended up buying the house from us filled the pool in which felt like a big waste to me.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:38 PM on July 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
The people who ended up buying the house from us filled the pool in which felt like a big waste to me.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:38 PM on July 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm in Ontario and have an inground 18'x36' rectangular vinyl lined pool. It's been over 72F (yes, even in Canada most people prefer F for pool temps) since the third week of May (I opened the pool in the first week of May). It's currently 85F. We just use a dark blue plastic solar blanket. It's 3 years old, and was a "5 year" blanket. The only damage was from when it was rolled up to fast and get creased/stretched/ripped a bit. We're usually still using the pool into early/mid sept. Once it was still swimmable in late Sept. I consider 72F swimmable for the kids, but we usually have a last and first "huzzah" where we jump in just befrore closing or after opening (once the chems are safe) when it's in the 60-65F range. We've had the pool get up past 88F where it just feels too warm for swimming and we stop leaving the solar blanket on.
I handle the pool work myself; it usually is about 1-2 hours to open the pool, and 3 hours to close the pool (mainly because of pumping water out below the jets so they can be blown out). I spend about 1 hour weekly vacuuming and brushing the pool. Having lived here 4 years, I know the pool/chlorine levels so well that I usually add it blind, and only sanity check the levels bi-weekly. I spent 5-10 hours doing a lot of reading (see below for link) when I first got the pool.
We have the "giant trampoline" sort of safety cover that we have for off-season safety, along with times that we've replaced fence sections. It can be put on with one person, but because of time walking back and forth it's 3x faster with one person. The solar blanket is similar, much faster to put on with a 2nd person, along with the fact that putting it on without a second person ends up with a lot more water on top and wrinkles (I.E. less effective).
I get most of my info from http://www.troublefreepool.com/ - they're big on doing things inexpensively but well. I use about $125-175 in chemicals and test strips per year for the seasonal pool and all-year hot tub. We plan about an extra $200 per year (that will roll over) for both inexpensive things like o-rings and plastic clips for the solar blanket reel, as well as more expensive things like skimmer, pump and sand to change out the filter and solar blanket.
Additional to that, we plan on replacing the liner in three years. Last year I was quoted approx $3500 for a 20-25 year liner, installed. We bought the house with a 15 year liner that was ~10 years old.
Yes, there's local pools that we can go to (there's one literally a block away). But what time do they have open swim? When's lap swim? Yeah, things are limited, the hours change throught the year. We went to pools with our kids about 1-2 times per year excluding swimming lessons before we had a pool. With a pool they swim 2-5 times per week june - early sept.
My big reservation with the pool was I knew I'd love it the first year, but was afraid how I'd think in 5 years. This summer, despite good temps, I just haven't had/made the time to use it as much. So I spend a lot of time supervising the kids (12 and 16, both reasonable swimmers), but I'd say I'm lucky to actually be in the pool an hour myself per week. As nice as the solar blanket is for the temperature, if I only want a 5-10 minute dip to cool off, knowing that it takes 2-3 minutes to open the pool and that it's a two person job to put the cover on means that I'll skip it for myself. I like the pool. I think I'll still like the pool in 10 years. But I'm not telling people to never live somewhere without a pool.
posted by nobeagle at 12:48 PM on July 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
I handle the pool work myself; it usually is about 1-2 hours to open the pool, and 3 hours to close the pool (mainly because of pumping water out below the jets so they can be blown out). I spend about 1 hour weekly vacuuming and brushing the pool. Having lived here 4 years, I know the pool/chlorine levels so well that I usually add it blind, and only sanity check the levels bi-weekly. I spent 5-10 hours doing a lot of reading (see below for link) when I first got the pool.
We have the "giant trampoline" sort of safety cover that we have for off-season safety, along with times that we've replaced fence sections. It can be put on with one person, but because of time walking back and forth it's 3x faster with one person. The solar blanket is similar, much faster to put on with a 2nd person, along with the fact that putting it on without a second person ends up with a lot more water on top and wrinkles (I.E. less effective).
I get most of my info from http://www.troublefreepool.com/ - they're big on doing things inexpensively but well. I use about $125-175 in chemicals and test strips per year for the seasonal pool and all-year hot tub. We plan about an extra $200 per year (that will roll over) for both inexpensive things like o-rings and plastic clips for the solar blanket reel, as well as more expensive things like skimmer, pump and sand to change out the filter and solar blanket.
Additional to that, we plan on replacing the liner in three years. Last year I was quoted approx $3500 for a 20-25 year liner, installed. We bought the house with a 15 year liner that was ~10 years old.
Yes, there's local pools that we can go to (there's one literally a block away). But what time do they have open swim? When's lap swim? Yeah, things are limited, the hours change throught the year. We went to pools with our kids about 1-2 times per year excluding swimming lessons before we had a pool. With a pool they swim 2-5 times per week june - early sept.
My big reservation with the pool was I knew I'd love it the first year, but was afraid how I'd think in 5 years. This summer, despite good temps, I just haven't had/made the time to use it as much. So I spend a lot of time supervising the kids (12 and 16, both reasonable swimmers), but I'd say I'm lucky to actually be in the pool an hour myself per week. As nice as the solar blanket is for the temperature, if I only want a 5-10 minute dip to cool off, knowing that it takes 2-3 minutes to open the pool and that it's a two person job to put the cover on means that I'll skip it for myself. I like the pool. I think I'll still like the pool in 10 years. But I'm not telling people to never live somewhere without a pool.
posted by nobeagle at 12:48 PM on July 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
We bought a house with an in-ground pool 19 years ago. I thought it would be great. In actuality, it's about 20% great and about 80% a pain in the neck. First of all, what ever it costs to maintain your pool - you can't NOT spend that money. You can't say one summer, "the pool cost is not in our budget, let's skip it this summer" because if you don't do the chemicals and run the pump and do maintenance cleaning, your pool turns into a green swamp and you have a bigger more expensive problem. Also, when it comes to safety - my oldest is 17 and I still won't let her go in the pool alone. Nobody goes in the pool alone. When they were younger, every time they went in the pool, I had to, also. With your situation with no pool fence, I would feel obliged to never let my young kid into my own backyard without me in attendance. Also, a pool (to me) is boring. If I could float and relax, it would be great. But no,... I'm always watching my kids. Drowning can be silent. (Maybe I'm too darn anxious to be a pool owner.)
posted by molasses at 12:54 PM on July 12, 2016
posted by molasses at 12:54 PM on July 12, 2016
My family moved into a house with a pool when I was a teenager. I can't speak to the cost of chemicals/electricity/wear and tear, but there is a maintenance ritual that you definitely have to keep on top of; keeping an eye on the PH and chemical levels (ours used bromine instead of chlorine), vacuuming the bottom of the pool, emptying the filter basket of leaves, pine needles, bugs and frogs. Partially draining and covering the pool for winter, uncovering, refilling (with city water) and shocking it in the spring. Depending on where you live other wildlife (skunks, raccoons) drowning can be a concern. Ours was unheated, but we did have a thermal/solar cover like pizzazz describes above and it worked quite well, especially if we left the pool covered during the day if nobody was using it. It was on a great big reel so one person could turn a crank to quickly uncover the pool, but re-covering it required two people, one to grab each corner and unroll it evenly. This was in central New England, and with the cover I don't remember warmth being an issue from mid-May through early September. Grain of salt: family also swims in the ocean in Maine where the sea temperature averages in the 60s (F), so "warmth" is perhaps relative. I'd say typical temperature was in the mid-70s at high summer.
While I was still a teenage kid living at home, having a pool really was pretty awesome, and being tasked with basic chores like vacuuming and emptying the filter basket was totally worth it. Our neighborhood layout and makeup was such that we didn't really have the "random kids inviting themselves over" problem, although in hindsight I'm sure my parents were always at least partly on edge any time my siblings or I had friends over to swim. My whole family did use the pool a lot, but my overall impression was that my parents were ambivalent about it. And we did have yard area in addition to the pool; if forced to choose one or the other when househunting, I'm pretty sure my parents would have gone with 'yard' in a heartbeat.
As much as I enjoyed having a pool as an older kid, I don't think adult me would find the responsibility (financial, maintenance, worrying about my young nieces and nephews' safety, general liability) worth it to have a pool of my own.
posted by usonian at 1:05 PM on July 12, 2016
While I was still a teenage kid living at home, having a pool really was pretty awesome, and being tasked with basic chores like vacuuming and emptying the filter basket was totally worth it. Our neighborhood layout and makeup was such that we didn't really have the "random kids inviting themselves over" problem, although in hindsight I'm sure my parents were always at least partly on edge any time my siblings or I had friends over to swim. My whole family did use the pool a lot, but my overall impression was that my parents were ambivalent about it. And we did have yard area in addition to the pool; if forced to choose one or the other when househunting, I'm pretty sure my parents would have gone with 'yard' in a heartbeat.
As much as I enjoyed having a pool as an older kid, I don't think adult me would find the responsibility (financial, maintenance, worrying about my young nieces and nephews' safety, general liability) worth it to have a pool of my own.
posted by usonian at 1:05 PM on July 12, 2016
Can someone tell me - do you have to heat the pool in the summer, or is it warm enough on its own? Like, is heating just maybe for spring and fall?
As a datapoint, some friends of ours bought a house with a pool a few years ago, one of the reasons being that the husband (now 50yo) has a bad back (and truthfully he uses it almost every day after work). They heat their pool pretty much every day, and we live in Southern California (their town is in a very warm climate, not on the coast). So yes, I would be surprised if you would feel comfortable in a non-heated pool, even in the summer.
Whether you live with a pool or don't you will need to teach your kids to swim and good water safety. But there's a lot of other stress around safety issues that people have mentioned above that wouldn't make it worth it for us (we have a 5yo and a 1yo). I can't even imagine the worry I would go through that neighborhood kids would be getting into the yard and the pool when we weren't home (and yes, that does happen).
For a different side of the coin, we belong to a family gym that has a pool, which 5yo LOVES, and asks to go to on a daily basis. But when work got busy for a few months and we simply couldn't go, we were able to suspend our membership and save that money ($70/mo). As someone said above, that's not an option when you own the pool yourself.
posted by vignettist at 1:11 PM on July 12, 2016
As a datapoint, some friends of ours bought a house with a pool a few years ago, one of the reasons being that the husband (now 50yo) has a bad back (and truthfully he uses it almost every day after work). They heat their pool pretty much every day, and we live in Southern California (their town is in a very warm climate, not on the coast). So yes, I would be surprised if you would feel comfortable in a non-heated pool, even in the summer.
Whether you live with a pool or don't you will need to teach your kids to swim and good water safety. But there's a lot of other stress around safety issues that people have mentioned above that wouldn't make it worth it for us (we have a 5yo and a 1yo). I can't even imagine the worry I would go through that neighborhood kids would be getting into the yard and the pool when we weren't home (and yes, that does happen).
For a different side of the coin, we belong to a family gym that has a pool, which 5yo LOVES, and asks to go to on a daily basis. But when work got busy for a few months and we simply couldn't go, we were able to suspend our membership and save that money ($70/mo). As someone said above, that's not an option when you own the pool yourself.
posted by vignettist at 1:11 PM on July 12, 2016
What a lovely house! I can see its appeal! I can't speak for the costs, but I would worry about safety if you see it as a neighborhood hangout. My sister's best friend's little brother drowned at a pool party at a friend's house with zillions of adults around, and I could never get that out of my mind. It was the saddest funeral ever, and I can't imagine how the family who owned the pool feel about it, even though it was not at all their fault.
posted by EtTuHealy at 1:23 PM on July 12, 2016
posted by EtTuHealy at 1:23 PM on July 12, 2016
My parents bought a house 15 years ago with a pool. We are all grown and gone and there were no grandchildren on the horizon but the very first thing they did was fence the pool for liability reasons. If a neighbor's child wanders into your garden and drowns, you are in deep shit.
Since you have to fence it anyway, I think that would address your own household's safety concerns.
posted by DarlingBri at 1:32 PM on July 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
Since you have to fence it anyway, I think that would address your own household's safety concerns.
posted by DarlingBri at 1:32 PM on July 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
As others have mentioned, your electric bill for running a pool pump can be a pretty substantial. If you are decide to go for a place with a pool - and if the existing pump has been in there for a few years - you will probably get substantial savings by going for a variable speed pump rather than a constant speed one.
As a former pool owner - I found that some of the maintenance tasks were a bit zen for me - and actually a form of relaxation. I liked being in the open air and there was something satisfying in getting the water looking great. Not all people are like that of course. But if you don't have somebody to hand who is going to have a go at these tasks themselves - then you are looking at a big jump in costs to get anybody else to do it.
In terms of temperature: if you swim regularly then you will find that you can adapt yourself to swimming in much colder water than you might think you can at the end of the year.
posted by rongorongo at 2:20 PM on July 12, 2016
As a former pool owner - I found that some of the maintenance tasks were a bit zen for me - and actually a form of relaxation. I liked being in the open air and there was something satisfying in getting the water looking great. Not all people are like that of course. But if you don't have somebody to hand who is going to have a go at these tasks themselves - then you are looking at a big jump in costs to get anybody else to do it.
In terms of temperature: if you swim regularly then you will find that you can adapt yourself to swimming in much colder water than you might think you can at the end of the year.
posted by rongorongo at 2:20 PM on July 12, 2016
We got a pool when I was ~10 yrs old. It was great as a kid until we each hit 16 and then rarely used it after that. The annoying maintenance usually fell to me. I hated that.
Our dog almost drowned one night. I have a friend who's puppy drowned in their pool. A little girl drowned in a neighbor's pool in my area two years ago.
When my wife and I were house shopping, I refused to even consider a house with a pool.
posted by LoveHam at 4:21 PM on July 12, 2016
Our dog almost drowned one night. I have a friend who's puppy drowned in their pool. A little girl drowned in a neighbor's pool in my area two years ago.
When my wife and I were house shopping, I refused to even consider a house with a pool.
posted by LoveHam at 4:21 PM on July 12, 2016
Darling Bri's comment about a neighbour's child wandering in and drowning is my biggest pool nightmare. You can train and watch your own children and threaten them with dire consequences should they break the pool rules (we had a well and were told that the surviving child would have the shit beaten out of them if the other drowned, it made us both behave). I would want a super high and secure fence so that not only were little kids protected, you didnt get teens sneaking in to use it if you were away.
That said its a very nice house. And if you like the house and dread the pool. you can always fill it in.
posted by kitten magic at 4:40 PM on July 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
That said its a very nice house. And if you like the house and dread the pool. you can always fill it in.
posted by kitten magic at 4:40 PM on July 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
A slightly different perspective - I'm a former lifeguard, was certified for pools and natural bodies of water (so, everything but ocean) and did summer camp (watched kids).
I would never buy a house with a pool. Anyone can drown (even swimmers) in very little water, and it is very quick and can be very quiet. Lifeguarding is boring as f*ck... Until it's not, which is what makes it hard to do. It's too easy at home to get distracted (do not go pee, get a snack, read anything, etc) and kids are unpredictable (sleepwalking? A seizure? Horsing around too rough? Tipsy teenagers?)
If you want to go swimming - *go swimmig* where that is the main thing and there is nothing to distract parents from watching *all the time* or even better, there's a lifeguard.
If you keep the pool, fence it, get a hard top cover, get insurance, and along with everyone learning to swim and general water safety, maintain CPR certification.
I dunno. It's like having a gun in the house - it's fine as long as all safety precautions are taken all the time...I.e. It's fine until it's not, and then someone's dead. Ugh.
Maybe go get CPR and/or start lifeguard certification and see how you feel.
posted by jrobin276 at 4:42 PM on July 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
I would never buy a house with a pool. Anyone can drown (even swimmers) in very little water, and it is very quick and can be very quiet. Lifeguarding is boring as f*ck... Until it's not, which is what makes it hard to do. It's too easy at home to get distracted (do not go pee, get a snack, read anything, etc) and kids are unpredictable (sleepwalking? A seizure? Horsing around too rough? Tipsy teenagers?)
If you want to go swimming - *go swimmig* where that is the main thing and there is nothing to distract parents from watching *all the time* or even better, there's a lifeguard.
If you keep the pool, fence it, get a hard top cover, get insurance, and along with everyone learning to swim and general water safety, maintain CPR certification.
I dunno. It's like having a gun in the house - it's fine as long as all safety precautions are taken all the time...I.e. It's fine until it's not, and then someone's dead. Ugh.
Maybe go get CPR and/or start lifeguard certification and see how you feel.
posted by jrobin276 at 4:42 PM on July 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
Oh and friends of mine with three kids had a pool. We loved it but I know the parents found the maintenance a massive pain. When the kids were grown they sold that house and moved literally around the corner to a place with no pool. Thinking about that move now, they were clearly willing to eat all the transaction costs of that move (including paying a substantial amount of stamp duty on the new place) to get away from the pool.
posted by kitten magic at 4:42 PM on July 12, 2016
posted by kitten magic at 4:42 PM on July 12, 2016
How close are you/would you be to a public pool? Can your kids walk/bike to it with their friends when they get older? One of the things I love about living where I do in Ontario is that there are a ton of services- we have pools and splash pads all over the place.
I personally wouldn't have a pool with little kids just because the potential for drowning is so terrible. Bbq's will not be relaxing for awhile because someone will always have to be on alert in a way that you don't have to be when the kids are just running around in a sprinkler.
I have no experience with heating but I have friends who continue to go into their lake until it gets below 16 so it may just depend on your tolerance.
I would take the money you'd save and book a nice cottage on a lake every year instead.
posted by betsybetsy at 5:32 AM on July 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
I personally wouldn't have a pool with little kids just because the potential for drowning is so terrible. Bbq's will not be relaxing for awhile because someone will always have to be on alert in a way that you don't have to be when the kids are just running around in a sprinkler.
I have no experience with heating but I have friends who continue to go into their lake until it gets below 16 so it may just depend on your tolerance.
I would take the money you'd save and book a nice cottage on a lake every year instead.
posted by betsybetsy at 5:32 AM on July 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
Re gardening: There's a lot of room for fun ornamental gardening in the front, and you could rip up some deck/patio in the back to do other things, like an 'Italian' garden with garlic, tomatoes, and basil or whatever you're into. Or an herb garden, or salad garden, etc.
You could also get into container gardening--in addition to the regular container gardening stuff (search on Pinterest for inspiration!) there are tropicals you can overwinter. Weird palm trees and bananas and elephant ears--they can overwinter, dormant, in your garage, come out in the spring, and you can create a tropical setting in Canada. Pretty cool!
You can't do that with all of the 'tender perennials' -- some will simply die in your garage, but many can overwinter in the garage, the basement, etc. I grow caladiums in zone 5B and all I do is dig them up when it starts getting cold, let them dry out, and stick them in a shoebox in my office to sit there all winter. For that I get these kind of cool foliage plants with bright reds in a shady Massachusetts garden. Pretty cool. Hardy water lilies can be grown in (still water) container gardens and overwintered in wet sand in the garage--I'm in my first year of trying that out so I can't testify to how easy it is...but my point I guess is you don't have to give up gardening because of the pool.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 4:31 AM on July 14, 2016
You could also get into container gardening--in addition to the regular container gardening stuff (search on Pinterest for inspiration!) there are tropicals you can overwinter. Weird palm trees and bananas and elephant ears--they can overwinter, dormant, in your garage, come out in the spring, and you can create a tropical setting in Canada. Pretty cool!
You can't do that with all of the 'tender perennials' -- some will simply die in your garage, but many can overwinter in the garage, the basement, etc. I grow caladiums in zone 5B and all I do is dig them up when it starts getting cold, let them dry out, and stick them in a shoebox in my office to sit there all winter. For that I get these kind of cool foliage plants with bright reds in a shady Massachusetts garden. Pretty cool. Hardy water lilies can be grown in (still water) container gardens and overwintered in wet sand in the garage--I'm in my first year of trying that out so I can't testify to how easy it is...but my point I guess is you don't have to give up gardening because of the pool.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 4:31 AM on July 14, 2016
One thing to keep in mind is that most people are probably answering from the perspective of having had a pool in a warmer climate. I have great memories of hanging out in the pool all summer at my grandparents' houses, but that was in Southern California where the average highs are well above 80F (27C) all summer and there are frequent heat waves that get up to over 100F (38C). Personally, I'd prefer a house with a pool if I lived in a hot climate, but I wouldn't find it worth the downsides somewhere that it's not uncomfortably hot all summer. In my experience, once kids/families get over the novelty of having a pool, many (though not all!) end up only going in when only it's hot out and they want to cool off.
posted by insectosaurus at 6:53 AM on July 14, 2016
posted by insectosaurus at 6:53 AM on July 14, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
One thing I like about this particular pool you're looking at, is that its regular shape would lend itself to a high quality rigid cover. Friends of mine have one like this that supposedly can take the weight of an adult walking onto it and it's on some sort of mechanical doohickey that makes it easy to take on and off. So safety is pretty solvable, at least it looks solved at my friend's house.
Also - yeah it takes up a lot of the yard, but something about a pool makes the backyard feel much more festive and sociable. People like to come bbq, sit around the pool, etc. even when they're not swimming.
posted by fingersandtoes at 11:12 AM on July 12, 2016 [7 favorites]