Having a pool at your hotel while on vacation is always fun, but what is it like to have one in your backyard? The day-to-day of in-ground pool ownership is a bit more complicated than it seems, but if you're a person who loves to swim, then the rewards might be worth it for you. Read the real pros and cons of pool ownership below and decide for yourself.
Maintenance
From skimming the pool and cleaning out filters to scrubbing the walls and chemically balancing the water, pools require substantial upkeep. You can hire a pool company to come in and do these chores for you for a fee, or you can do it yourself for the reasonable cost of supplies alone, but it will take about an hour of your time a week.
Monthly Bills
In addition to the expense of maintenence, expect to see an uptick in your utility bill and increase in your homeowner's and liability insurance.
Repairs
When pools need a big repair — think liner tears, concrete cracks, water filtration system breakdowns — expect big bills, and often a big headache.
Climate
The weather where you live plays a big role in how often you'll get to use your pool. Having a pool open four seasons in a warmer climate means you'll get a lot more out of it than you would in colder climates where you have to pay to have the pool opened and shut every year just so you can use it in the Summer.
Resale
Pools don't generally add value to a home, but in warm climates where pools are standard, a lack of pool can actually hurt the home value. Conversely, in cooler climates, pools appeals to a smaller slice of the marketplace and can actually make it harder to sell your home. And if you install a pool, you shouldn't expect to make the money you invested back when you move.
Safety
Families with small kids are often wary of pools, and with good cause: they pose a scary drowning hazard. For this reason, it's often a legal requirement that you put up a fence around the pool, which can be expensive.
Lifestyle
For the family who will regularly dip in the pool, who will spend all Summer swimming, and whose lifestyle will generally be elevated by the presence of the pool, the time and money that goes into having one is completely worthwhile. At the end of the day, the argument for and against pool ownership seems to be based on how much the individual family enjoys it.