Swimming Pool - is it worth it?

[steveoza]

I'm buying a house with a swimming pool.
Is it worth keeping the pool? Does it really add value to the house?
To me it seems more hassle than it's worth - cleaning, chemicals, water (I live in Cape Town), time. All for a few months a year when it's warm enough to swim in

I'm thinking of either breaking it apart and filling it in or possibly making it smaller.

Any thoughts or ideas?

 

[Icemanbrfc]

I'm buying a house with a swimming pool.
Is it worth keeping the pool? Does it really add value to the house?
To me it seems more hassle than it's worth - cleaning, chemicals, water (I live in Cape Town), time. All for a few months a year when it's warm enough to swim in

I'm thinking of either breaking it apart and filling it in or possibly making it smaller.

Any thoughts or ideas?

Don't get rid of the pool. I would suggest turning it into a smaller splash pool. I know there are places, that can turn that smaller splash pool into a heated one as well. So you can heat it up on winter and cold in summer. Uses less water.

That's what I'm thinking of doing, adding a small splash pool like that

 

[Lupus]

Costs a fortune to close up. Chemicals aren't actually that much either. Blu 52, maybe stabilizer once in awhile, occasionally you'll have to use pH up or alkalinity up. The biggest expense is electricity.

 

[Zoomzoom]

If you chuck a couple of meters of black plastic pipe onto your pump between the in and the out, and lay it in the sun, it will warm the water quite considerably.

 

[ToxicBunny]

If you have the pool then it makes sense to keep it and maintain it... It's not that expensive and it does add value to a property...

If you didn't have a pool then I would def say don't bother spending the stupid cash to put one in.

 

[REAList_1]

I think the Cape has a better climate than the Highveld for swimming.
The value of a pool is debatable. We use it for exercise and we enjoy it very much. But it is heated and once it gets to 28C it is very nice. That’s now when there is no lightning and rain. This morning it is 16 but we winterize it now.
In your case it is also an emergency reservoir.

 

[Mosgi]

Don't get rid of the pool. I would suggest turning it into a smaller splash pool. I know there are places, that can turn that smaller splash pool into a heated one as well. So you can heat it up on winter and cold in summer. Uses less water.

That's what I'm thinking of doing, adding a small splash pool like that

Rooftop solar heating for a pool are actually not that pricey. That along with a decent blanket will allow you to use it quite a bit longer in the year.

I use Blu52 and some touch ups here and there. My pool is generally sparkling unless after a storm. It becomes a bit of a chore but it'its worth it for when you use it. For now I'm looking at my next property and lack of a pool is a bit of a deal breaker.

I saw a friends house this week, an old mining house in Jhb, and they filled it with water plants and reeds which I think works as a potential solution, but it's a lot of work and basically has become a pond which they sometimes swim in. Were in Africa...

 

[Icemanbrfc]

Rooftop solar heating for a pool are actually not that pricey. That along with a decent blanket will allow you to use it quite a bit longer in the year.

I use Blu52 and some touch ups here and there. My pool is generally sparkling unless after a storm. It becomes a bit of a chore but it'its worth it for when you use it. For now I'm looking at my next property and lack of a pool is a bit of a deal breaker.

I saw a friends house this week, an old mining house in Jhb, and they filled it with water plants and reeds which I think works as a potential solution, but it's a lot of work and basically has become a pond which they sometimes swim in. Were in Africa...

Could make a nice Koi pond

 

[maumau]

Could make a nice Koi pond

Rooftop solar heating for a pool are actually not that pricey. That along with a decent blanket will allow you to use it quite a bit longer in the year.

I use Blu52 and some touch ups here and there. My pool is generally sparkling unless after a storm. It becomes a bit of a chore but it'its worth it for when you use it. For now I'm looking at my next property and lack of a pool is a bit of a deal breaker.

I saw a friends house this week, an old mining house in Jhb, and they filled it with water plants and reeds which I think works as a potential solution, but it's a lot of work and basically has become a pond which they sometimes swim in. Were in Africa...

I was quoted R100k to convert the pool to a "natural" pond. Its crazy expensive and still requires maintenance.

 

[Icemanbrfc]

I was quoted R100k to convert the pool to a "natural" pond. Its crazy expensive and still requires maintenance.

Sheesh that's crazy.

 

[Mosgi]

I was quoted R100k to convert the pool to a "natural" pond. Its crazy expensive and still requires maintenance.

This is nuts!!! Good grief... it looked like this one basically had some sand filled on one half with brick work in between... and the various reeds planted on one side. Cant see how that would cost the full installation of a new pool.

Must be the mountain tax...

 

[Geoff.D]

30 years later, I know putting in the pool was a bad idea. But if you have one maintain it at all costs. In an area prone to water restrictions, it is a useful reservoir to have for water storage, even if you need to filter the water before use for anything else.

Our pool developed a serious leak. To fill it in the quote was R 60 000. To fix it was R 60 000. Either way a problem. Making it smaller is rather pointless. heating the water to extend usage is not that expensive (a heat pump works well).

If you have kids, it is a great idea to have a pool.

 

[Icemanbrfc]

30 years later, I know putting in the pool was a bad idea. But if you have one maintain it at all costs. In an area prone to water restrictions, it is a useful reservoir to have for water storage, even if you need to filter the water before use for anything else.

Our pool developed a serious leak. To fill it in the quote was R 60 000. To fix it was R 60 000. Either way a problem. Making it smaller is rather pointless. heating the water to extend usage is not that expensive (a heat pump works well).

If you have kids, it is a great idea to have a pool.

If you live in JHB a pool is useful lol

On the coast not so much

 

[Geoff.D]

Yup. We originally put in one because the schools in our area did not have pools and both kids were very keen swimmers. The public pool was quite far away. Then the high school put in a pool and the kids stopped swimming at home. ------ Then it became recreational use only and a maintenance headache. In hindsight, it would have been better to cart the kids to the public pool more often instead of only when their swimming practices were scheduled.

 

[Hemi300c]

Turn the pool into a splash pool 3x4ish
Get a solar blanket with roll up station:- quick no hassle, keeps water in with little evaporation, keeps clean, cuts chemicals by 50% and of course the heated water.
Blue52 is easy but be careful not to overdose as it'll turn your piping to powder. I use one small container and use 50% of everything. My pool 3x4.5

Most importantly make sure little ones are never alone near the pool.

 

[REAList_1]

Turn the pool into a splash pool 3x4ish
Get a solar blanket with roll up station:- quick no hassle, keeps water in with little evaporation, keeps clean, cuts chemicals by 50% and of course the heated water.
Blue52 is easy but be careful not to overdose as it'll turn your piping to powder. I use one small container and use 50% of everything. My pool 3x4.5

Most importantly make sure little ones are never alone near the pool.

The solid blue covers can carry 80kg.
My high school kids used to wrestle on it

 

[Grant]

i'm not sure a pool adds monetary value to a property, but it certainly adds desirability - especially for a young family looking to buy.

i often look after a friend's kids. in the warmer months they are always outside mucking about in or around the pool.
when at home they are sitting around on their phones and tablets spending their days on facebook etc.
the pool has them actually interacting with friends and getting some sun and exersize.

 

[biometrics]

After owning one house and renting two with a pool, imo stay far away. Rather buy a house without a pool.

 

[Hemi300c]

The solid blue covers can carry 80kg.
My high school kids used to wrestle on it

Yeah my two huge dogs used to play on mine, eventually gave way after 8yrs though. 78KG GD x Boerboel and Boerboel 56KG.

The only hassle is to take them on and off.

 

[biometrics]

The only hassle is to take them on and off.

Also had a net. Quite a lot of hassle actually.