Is a pool worth it? If you’re an inground swimming pool owner, it’s likely this question has popped in your head at some point. Sure, there are perks to having a pool in your backyard, but there are also some drawbacks you might not have thought about when having it installed.
We’re going to go through some of the major pros and cons to having a pool in your backyard so you can decide if a pool is right for you. If you currently own an inground swimming pool and are deciding as to whether or not it is worth it, this blog should help you make a final decision as to whether you want to keep it, or if you should schedule a pool removal!
Pros
Relaxation
One of the most undeniable perks of having an inground swimming pool is how relaxing it is. After a long or stressful day, there’s nothing quite like taking a nice, long, relaxing dip in your own pool.
Entertainment
If you host many barbeques and parties throughout the year, your swimming pool is most likely a big hit with your guests. In fact, a pool can easily make a home the go-to pool party house.
If you love entertaining, then this is the perfect reason to consider having a swimming pool installed. However, on the flip side, if you’re not a fan of hosting parties and barbeques, you might want to think twice about a new swimming pool.
Exercise
Swimming is one of the best full body exercises one can do. Working out your upper body, lower body, and core, getting into a pool really is an all encompassing workout. If you install a pool into your backyard, you can cancel your gym membership and exercise from the comfort of your own backyard’s pool.
Private
Everybody likes some level of exclusivity. It doesn’t get more exclusive than having your own private pool. If you’ve ever visited a public pool on a hot summer day, you know just how cramped and overcrowded they can become, not to mention the noise levels. If you choose to make your next home improvement project the installation of a pool, you’ll never have to go to your local public pool; you’ll have your own!
Increase Property Resale Value
The addition of an inground pool can improve your property value. If you’re planning to sell your home, a swimming pool is an actionable way to make your home seem more appealing to potential buyers. The great part about this is that, when you’re waiting to sell your home, you’ll have unrestricted access to the pool!
Cons
Having a pool installed into your home’s backyard might seem like the perfect home improvement project. However, there are some negative aspects of pool ownership that you should certainly consider before you finalize any pool installation plans.
Maintenance
One element of pool ownership that many people initially overlook is the need to constantly be maintaining the pool. It is not something you can have installed and simply tend to it when you feel like doing so.
Between testing the water, adding chlorine and algaecide, shocking the pool, regularly removing debris, and cleaning the filters, there are a lot of specific tasks that must be completed regularly.
These maintenance costs can quickly add up, so you’ll need to consider the additional funds, as well as time, you’ll need to dedicate to pool maintenance before deciding it’s time for a pool to be installed.
Danger with Children
Pools can be a safety risk, especially when there are young children in the home. You can, and should, think about installing a fence around the pool’s perimeter. Even with a fence installed, you still might find yourself worrying every time you send your kids to play in the backyard.
Too Busy to Use It
A common complaint from pool owners is that they don’t have enough time to properly enjoy their backyard’s best addition. Between work, family, friends, and regular errands, sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day to utilize your pool.
Depending on your schedule you might realize that, between your career and social responsibilities, you will not be able to spend enough time in the pool for it to be a worthwhile investment. There are few things more disheartening than dedicating all this money on having a pool installed, only to discover after the fact that you will not have the time to use it. Avoid this dilemma by determining whether or not you have enough time to utilize your pool before finalizing any installation plans.
Increased Insurance
Another element of pool ownership that oftentimes gets overlooked is the insurance associated with it. Many people simply don’t think about their homeowners insurance when planning out there pool and are bombarded by their increased rates once the pool is installed.
Depending on your home’s geographic location and the type of pool you’re having installed, your insurance could increase quite dramatically with a pool. You should not only consider this, but speak with a representative from your insurance company, before finalizing your pool plans.
As this post clearly demonstrates, there are many pros and cons of pool ownership. We recommend that you use this blog post as a discussion starter. Sit down with the people in your household and go through each pro and con, so that you can all decide whether a pool will be worth the investment.
At Mikula Contracting, Inc. we can not only excavate your property to install a new swimming pool, but if you decide that your pool was not a good decision, we can gladly remove it. With over 70 years of industry experience, we have the expertise to complete your job on time and on budget. If you’d like to learn more about how the team at Mikula Contracting, Inc. can help with your pool installation or removal, reach out to us today!
