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This pandemic is forcing to us make decisions we never thought we’d have to make. Whether it’s choosing virtual school vs. face-to-face or whether or not to attend a family gathering, we’re now making judgment calls on what’s best for our family based on the ever-changing facts of the virus.
For some families, the pandemic is altering where we spend our money. I’ve heard from several readers who are choosing to invest more in their houses this year than in travel.
And that’s the big decision my family is about to make. In the past, we never considered buying a house with a pool or adding a pool to our current house. We’ve always had a neighborhood pool to go to, until now (it’s closed due to Covid-19).
Texas is hot, y’all! And pool season lasts a long time.
So now, we’re actually considering adding an inground pool and spa to our backyard. My husband actually suggested it earlier this summer, and my jaw dropped. He has never been open to the idea before. But, quarantine makes you do crazy things. I brushed off his idea as a fleeting moment of craziness.
But then we stayed at a Vrbo rental house with a great pool. And since then, I can’t get a backyard pool out of my mind.
Backyard Pool vs. Travel
I would never want to undertake an expense so large that we couldn’t travel anymore. And we all know that even though miles and points offset the cost of travel, there is still a cost to travel. My family likes to take cruises and stay in rental homes where the kids can have their own beds, and those things increase the price of our travel.
But the reality is that building an inground pool in Texas costs a large chunk of money. (And no, our neighborhood does not allow above ground pools.) Aside from the installation cost, there is the cost to maintain it and an additional cost to home insurance.
While getting a pool wouldn’t mean we’d have to stop traveling altogether, it would likely mean we can’t take as many trips over the summer as we have in the past. Practically speaking, getting a pool would likely mean we take two big trips next summer instead of three.
Of course, having a kid in high school has organically reduced our travel. My son has to be home a lot of the summer for tennis practice, so no more 3+ week vacations.
Is a pool worth the cost and sacrifice?
We plan to be in this house for another 9-10 years. That is a lot of years to enjoy a pool. My husband and I will be getting quotes and thinking a lot more about this decision before we move forward.
Are you spending more money on house upgrades during this pandemic? If you have a backyard pool, do you love it and use it a lot? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
I don’t understand the sudden demand for pools, especially here in the midwest. The reasoning goes (or so I’m told) that because of the pandemic, people are spending more time at home, so they’re making home additions. But when the pandemic ends, how will that pricey pool addition look? Taking on $50k+ in debt plus large ongoing maintenance expenses during unprecedented economic instability… no thanks.
Don’t get me wrong, it would be awesome to have our own backyard pool. But there’s plenty of swim clubs and/or community pools nearby in our area. It only requires a commitment for the summer for pennies on the dollar compared to installing a pool. And best of all, no debt.
@projectx Being stuck at home is causing all kinds of ideas we would never have otherwise! My family is avoiding indoor places right now in Texas due to our high numbers, and with our neighborhood pool closed we honestly don’t have a lot of options. But, we are thinking about this idea over the next few weeks because we don’t want to jump into a huge purchase that we may regret in a year.
Yeah we’ve been avoiding indoor areas as well. I’m surprised your neighborhood pool is closed. The vast majority in our area (outdoor pools) are open with capacity limits. Very easy to social distance.
It’s your money, but for me, if I put in a private pool and then the neighborhood pool reopened next summer, or even the following summer, I’d have serious buyer’s remorse.
Steve brought up a good point. When are you looking at? If it’s this year, it’s not going to happen. Business has gone crazy for pool construction companies. I suppose it’s an upside to the pandemic, at least for some.
Having grown up with a pool in my back yard in Miami, I can attest that they can be wonderful. It’s great for socializing and kids love it. As a counterpoint to the expense, how much will a pool increase the value of your home?
@Christian Those are all good questions to consider.
Imagine being in the midwest. If you are not within 10 miles of the Great Lakes; the temps are sweltering. Dew point levels seem to be reaching the 60’s and 70’s (considered oppressively hot) more frequently. The cost of heating the pool is supposed to be significant as well.
All the while, pool season is 3 months long. There can be random stretches of unseasonably cool temps (but….seem to be occurring with less frequency). In the midwest, the cost of a basic liner pool with a minimal amount of cement surrounding it seems to start at 35-$40k.
It seems that anything that resembles a resort (with landscaping, outdoor living space, pool house,etc) will set you back $60-80k. Of course the fence is mandatory as well, which depending on style and size of the yard can set you back $10k. All the while, the pool adds a negligible amount of value to the home in the midwest.
Then like others have pointed out; pool installers run a tight ship. They don’t seem to hire people to scale up their operations when demand is high. Pre-Covid, if you were inquiring in the spring about a pool; the installation wouldn’t be possible until the following year.
Be curious to know if unemployment has negatively impacted demand for new pool installs, or if the demand is higher for reasons like yours (wanting to make your home more like a resort/desirable place to staycation).
In the midwest, this is just an area where you have to commit to the purchase, and expect nothing but the fun experiences in return. For us in the midwest, we would also feel pressure to not take vacations during pool season, so that we could get more value out of the pool.
We tell ourselves that it must be easier to justify in the south. Labor costs are lower, the pool season is longer, and there is less of a requirement to heat the pool.
@Ryan Yeah, I imagine if we lived in the Midwest we wouldn’t be considering a pool. I grew up in Colorado and rarely went to pools as a kid. But here in Texas, it’s totally different. My kids are fish. It’s the only way to keep cool in the 100 degree summers. Our pool season runs April through October.
We have an in ground pool and spa in Phoenix. Be very cognizant of the ongoing costs. Things break. Things need replacing. Rodents live in pool heaters. We have spent thousands in maintenance, upkeep, replacements, and repairs. Think carefully before making this decision.
Thanks for the warning, PT. I imagine that a pool is a big deal in Phoenix.
Yes we are not in the house but we just purchased a new boat for our family we are about 5 minutes from a lake we decided to take the plunge LOL, I really don’t see travel in our immediate future . I have a Disney trip that was planned for Sept. I am getting close to canceling have already lifted and shifted a cruise now for 2021 but unsure about if it will happen.
@Lisa I bet you get a lot of good use out of that boat. I’d be tempted too if I lived closer to a lake. Enjoy!
Good luck, most pool companies in ohio booked until next late summer.
Oof, that’s rough! I guess everyone has the same idea.