Swimming pool?

Question

Hi! I’m thinking when I buy a home to buy one with a swimming pool. I live in Florida. I was wondering, those of you that have a swimming pool how much extra does it cost you? I heard it’s very expensive & not worth it? I really want one though. Does your light bill/water go up super high ? Is maintenance expensive?

Answer

Florida girl here. I hated our pool. Too cold half the year and heating is expensive. Summer gets algae like crazy so you have to sweep it 1-2x weekly or get a robot, plus test it regularly and get chemicals, or get a weekly pool service. You need a screen enclosure to avoid leaf clogs or clean out the drain and filter frequently, but then with a screen youll have hurricane maintenance on the screen enclosure because they can rip or cave in a hurricane. Older houses that dont have a safety gate, youll need one installed (they have to drill into the patio flooring) for child safety and alligator prevention. You have to keep up with chemical balance even on months you dont use it or ot it will eat your surface and resurfacing is expensive. Also check on that in your inspection, when are you due for a resurface cuz it's an added expense. It can be fun to have especially if you just hire people to do everything for you and can afford pool heating, but it's maintenance.

Answer

We live in NY and have an in-ground pool. We’ve spent probably $1,000 this year on chemicals alone. Our’s isn’t heated, so it doesn’t impact our utility bill. But when we have it open, it increases our water bill (if we have to add water to it, like when we first open it for the season) by about $100. My husband dedicates a minimum of 30 minutes every single day to maintaining it (putting in the pool robot, checking chemical levels, skimming leaves and whatnot out of it). It’s exhausting. We’ll never live in a home with a pool again. And I’m an ex-college swimmer, so I always thought having a pool in my home was a priority. After having one, I now refuse to own one again. But that’s just me.

Answer

I have an in-ground pool. It’s 20x40 about 33,000 gallons. Chlorine. I’m in Pennsylvania so we open it in May and close it in October. So far this year I’m in it about $1500 for chemicals. My electric bill goes up about $200/month. The water bill varies, some months I need no water, but last summer we replaced the liner (that was $5000) and it was almost $2000 to refill the pool. We also have a gas heater on it. If we run that it’s about $100 a month extra. We replace the sand in the filter once every 3-5 years for $500. Also remember the expense of floats, and towels, and any other fun stuff. That’s usually $500/year upkeep. It’s definitely an expense, but my family loves it and uses it every day so I won’t ever be without one.

Swimming pool?

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