Pool or no pool?

[poromo]

We've decided to purchase a Designer house on the golf course. Should we get a pool installed in the birdcage ? Can anyone help me out with the pros and cons of having a pool and whether the lack of privacy on the golf course is an issue? We've never owned a house with a pool but many people have said "if you move to Florida, you must have a pool". Are they correct?

[mickey100]

With all the pools in The villages, I'm surprised that people want to spend the money to install and maintain private pools. We don't have a pool - we opted to put in a hot tub instead, and enjoy it very much. We can swim laps at the sport pools which are close by, or just cool off and socialize at the neighborhood pools if we choose.

[ilovetv]

Every neighborhood's adult-only and family pools are extremely nice and there are plenty of them for every village. The sport pools for serious aquatic workout/training are beyond compare.

However, there are good reasons to have a home pool:

Not having to listen to others talk and gripe and gossip;

Being able to swim whenever you want to...scheduled classes take up pool times;

Being able to keep the water at your preferred temperature;

Being able to swim after dusk!!!!


For privacy from golfers seeing in, you can put screens or build a short wall just in the area where walkers could see in.

[Bonny]

We love having our own pool. We just put a small one in. 8' x 16' with a waterfall and it goes from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 feet deep. Just perfect to lounge in or do water aerobics. Very little upkeep. We put solar heat in. Also great to have a few friends over for a pool party.

[stuckinparadise]

We have an appointment with T & D Pools and Spa this Friday during one of our weekend visits. I am in total agreement with ilovetv having the freedom to swim anytime I want is a blessing. Our home is on a lot shaped like a pie piece with a water feature on one side and a horse farm in the back, so we have plenty of room for a pool. If we want to swim for excercise (laps) we can visit one of the many TV pools.

[Beatit]

We are building in Sanibel and decided to get a pool. We have never owned a pool either. It will be a very interesting experience. T&D is building it with a bird cage. They were extremely easy to work with more so than the experience we had with the design team. We don't know anything about pools, but Vera made the process very easy. We decided on a fiberglass with a waterfall and 3 therapy jets, heated and salt water. Can't wait!!!!

[Bonny]

T & D did ours. They are great to work with. Mine has been in for 8 years.

[tpop1]

Had a pool for 9 years in Sarasota ....work ( as a snowbird there was lots of work each time we came down - pool and deck cleaning!) and expense was major reason for selling there.

Supported 3 pools there while only using ours....Neighborhood, country club abd home!!!

It was great though, when the grandkids came....we all lived in the pool for 2 weeks!

[JoeC1947]

If you can afford it, why not, but for me it's not worth the expense and work when the neighborhood pools are so nice and you can socialize. Remember, you're paying for TV pools whether you use them or not.

[RedChariot]

I cannot stress enough how wonderful it is to have your own pool. Ours is small. About 24 ft long, kidney shaped. Cement. 7 or 8 ft deep at one end. We do not have to dress in the heat and go in the car or golf cart to get to a pool. We walk out our door and there it is. There has been a recent thread about the community pools and loud music etc. You will not have to put up with that. T& D pools did the work and we use them for our pool service at about $21 a week. I will not own another house here unless it has a pool. If you have the space, do it.

[Happinow]

We also have a pool and love it. I haven't found any negatives so far. We came from Up State NY and had a pool there and there is no comparison. In NY we felt it was all work and here.....very, very little. We also have solar heat so we can keep it at the temp we want. More advantages is that it is there for you whenever you want to swim. You can have friends over, swim anytime of day and not have to adhere to any pool schedule. We swim, morning, noon and night. What a pleasure it is. We can also have pool floats and you don't have to worry about other peoples music or chatter if you don't want to. If you have T&D clean your pool then you just sit and enjoy. You can always go to the public pool if you'd like to socialize or do laps.

[MACH7SS]

For those of you with solar pool heat on the roof, do you need to run water thru it every day in summer to keep it cool? If yes, how do you keep the pool water from getting too hot? What about leaks and extreme sun exposure? Any info would be greatly appreciated as we are debating adding solar. Thank you in advance.

[keithwand]

Another vote for getting a pool.
Our first pool too.
We did a 15X30 3.5 feet to 5 feet deep and used it everyday before leaving for the summer so it will only be used October through June.
We'll be adding a heat pump (wanted solar) but the pupm is on the opposite side of where the panels would go and I don't want a pipe running across the length of the roof.
Its a great water feature as well.

[Shimpy]

I had a pool in S. Fla. and loved it, but had no option of a neighborhood pool. To tell you the truth, I enjoy our neighborhood pool here more and there is always someone to socialize with. Most of the people I've met have been in the pool. I don't miss the maintance of the pool.
The only disadvantage of a neighborhood pool is you have to wear a swimsuit.

[lovesports]

[QUOTE=ilovetv;527454]Every neighborhood's adult-only and family pools are extremely nice and there are plenty of them for every village.


North of 466 there are some villages and other older villages which have no pools. If you want to use your village pool, be careful what village you buy in. All the new villages, south of 466 have pools.

Oops- Bridgeport at Lake Sumter doesn't have a pool.

[NECHFalcon68]

For those of you with solar pool heat on the roof, do you need to run water thru it every day in summer to keep it cool? If yes, how do you keep the pool water from getting too hot? What about leaks and extreme sun exposure? Any info would be greatly appreciated as we are debating adding solar. Thank you in advance.

The water is not running thru the solar as we have it set at about 80...and our water temp today is 90, due to sun shining on the pool (lanai faces west)...on days without sun it was in the 85-86 range w/o solar. When there is a breeze, it actually feels cool when you get out

Someone recommended that we run it during the night to cool it, but havent done that yet.

[ijusluvit]

[QUOTE=ilovetv;527454]Every neighborhood's adult-only and family pools are extremely nice and there are plenty of them for every village.


North of 466 and other older villages have no pools. If you want to use your village pool, be careful what village you buy in. All the new villages, south of 466 have pools.

Oops- Bridgeport at Lake Sumter doesn't have a pool.

I'm amazed to read such an incorrect post. I won't take the time to count them, but there a lots of adult, family and sports pools north of 466.

[lovesports]

:boxing2: Maybe you didn't understand my post.
Hey, I was just responding to ALL villages have pools. ALL villages Don't. I know many do. So I guess we agree on that. However, I won't list all because there are many. Here are a few:
Village of Alhambra doesn't have a pool.
Village of Del Mar doesn't have a pool.
Village of Glenbrook just has a priority.( which means you have to pay extra to use it)
Village of Harmeswood doesn't have a pool.
Orange Blossom has the only family (or kids pool) for many villages.
La Zamore doesn't have a pool.
Village of Piedmont doesn't have a pool.
Silver Lake and Country club villages don't have a pool.
Spring Arbor doesn't have a pool.
There are many more.
So I agree there are many pools north of 466. What I said is not all villages have pools as ilovetv stated. Also I can tell you the pool at Tierra del Sol is very crowded as so many villages feed into it.
So I say again if you want to swim a lot in a village pool be sure your village has a pool.

[lovesports]

[quote=lovesports;529369]

I'm amazed to read such an incorrect post. I won't take the time to count them, but there a lots of adult, family and sports pools north of 466.

I agree with you. I tried to make my post clearer.

[CMANN]

We've decided to purchase a Designer house on the golf course. Should we get a pool installed in the birdcage ? Can anyone help me out with the pros and cons of having a pool and whether the lack of privacy on the golf course is an issue? We've never owned a house with a pool but many people have said "if you move to Florida, you must have a pool". Are they correct?

The cost about a hundred a month to maintain.

There are community pools that are pretty good.

In 3 years, I have observed people in their own pools about 3 times.

You decide.

[jane032657]

We did not install a pool but we did buy the Michael Phelps Momentum Swimspa Swim Spas by Master Spas: MP Signature Swim Spa (http://www.michaelphelpsswimspa.com) Momentum model

It is above ground swim in place pool, or you can enjoy it as a pool to cool off in, with propulsion jets you can set at varying levels, and a hydrotherapy spa on the other end. It is 19 1/4 long; 8 ft wide and 4 ft deep. It has waterfalls, lights, music, rowing, foot massage, dual temperature for the swim part vs the spa. Awesome for arthritis and water aerobics. We got the 80 amp service. We are looking forward to enjoying it every day and in the evening hours in the spa. It did have to be lifted by a heavy duty crane over the villa and placed in the birdcage and it went perfectly. They retail for about $45,000 and need little maintenance.

Just another alternative.

[jimbo2012]

Sounds like about the same cost of a full size pool with cage, but the main thing is you enjoy it.

A pool I'm sure is great, but I wonder after a while how much use it gets.

U not only have the cost of the pool/cage but U need a bigger lot, maintenance etc.

You do have the opportunity to have friends over and parties around the pool but U also I would think meet many folks at the community pools as well.

As the thread asks -- no pool

[uujudy]

I think I read it on TOTV that if you have a pool you must also have a pool alarm on your doors to the lanai, and there's no way to deactivate it. When the weather is nice I love having the house open, so that might be something to consider when deciding whether or not to have a pool.

[Threeputt]

Even with a neighborhood pool 1 mile away I love having our own. We can just pop out whenever, go for a quick swim after a hot day on the links or after yardwork. Step inside for a cold one, always have a chair, run inside when weather threatens and play music however we like it....

LOVE IT

[NECHFalcon68]

I think I read it on TOTV that if you have a pool you must also have a pool alarm on your doors to the lanai, and there's no way to deactivate it. When the weather is nice I love having the house open, so that might be something to consider when deciding whether or not to have a pool.

Mine was wired so that it is plugged into the same outlet as the garage door opener. I unplugged it. and removed the batteries from wall switch used to shut off the alarm.

[Bonny]

They put small alarms in the upper corners of the doors & windows that lead outside. You can just undo them.

[Happinow]

I think I read it on TOTV that if you have a pool you must also have a pool alarm on your doors to the lanai, and there's no way to deactivate it. When the weather is nice I love having the house open, so that might be something to consider when deciding whether or not to have a pool.

There is a way to deactivate the alarm...we did. We have two alarms, one on the main sliders off the living room and one on the French doors in our bedroom. Both are deactivated.

[tainsley]

Just had a pool put in by All Seasons. It's beautiful and we love it. Only problem now is we never want to leave home! Did I say problem? It really is nice having a pool right outside the door. I feel like I am on vacation everyday!

[shcisamax]

We have found in addition to the utility of the pool, it contributes to our wonderful view. It is so nice to look out from the house to see water...has a cooling effect without even going in.

[Happinow]

Just had a pool put in by All Seasons. It's beautiful and we love it. Only problem now is we never want to leave home! Did I say problem? It really is nice having a pool right outside the door. I feel like I am on vacation everyday!

We feel the same way about not wanting to leave our home! While our neighbors are running around trying to find something to do we are relaxing by the pool....music or no music, cold beer or cold tea, popcorn or cheese and crackers. The choice is ours. If we want to socialize it only takes a phone call and we have lots of people over to enjoy it with us. I've yet had someone refuse an invitation to a private pool. We love it!!

[dsned]

I bought a house with a pool and if I had a choice I would either not have one or have a very small one. I enjoy using the sport pools and since I do not want to sit in the sun I wouldn't use the other neighborhood pools. As for mine, I covered the birdcage and there are some plants around it so privacy is not a concern for me.

[Count'n the days]

When we moved to Houston (similar climate) we added a pool. Used it a lot at first because our son was young and we entertained around the pool often. When it was new and we were using it often - the additional expense seemed justified. As time goes by, obviously there are additional expenses to repair and replace items - not cheap. I would not add that expense to our retirement budget, especially with all the pools available in TV. Of course if I knew money would never be a concern, I would love to have one under a huge bird cage with a summer kitchen. I'm just too conservative to spend our retirement nest egg that way.

[glgene]

I bought a house with a pool and if I had a choice I would either not have one or have a very small one. I enjoy using the sport pools and since I do not want to sit in the sun I wouldn't use the other neighborhood pools. As for mine, I covered the birdcage and there are some plants around it so privacy is not a concern for me.

How do you cover a birdcage? Side shades, or what?

Gene

[Jersey Girl]

We've decided to purchase a Designer house on the golf course. Should we get a pool installed in the birdcage ? Can anyone help me out with the pros and cons of having a pool and whether the lack of privacy on the golf course is an issue? We've never owned a house with a pool but many people have said "if you move to Florida, you must have a pool". Are they correct?
Only you know what's best for you based upon how often you think you'll be using it. It is definitely convenient to have it right outside the door, family does enjoy it when they visit, and landscaping can solve any privacy issues you may have living on the golf course.

On the downside when deciding, also take into consideration your utility costs plus the T&D Pool & Spa's cost for weekly maintenance...in our case, $22.50 per week. They are a great company though and we've been very happy with their service. It also requires a bigger lanai that needs cleaning.

[Bonny]

We do our own pool. We only have to vacuum it about every 4 - 6 weeks. Put some chlorine in & that's it. Definitely wouldn't pay to have that done.

[Bonny]

Here is a picture of our small pool. Just 8 x 16. Of course had to throw in a picture of my grandson. LOL

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/40856_1357596303286_5236423_n.jpg

[shcisamax]

I just realized that outside of poromo's original post, there is no follow up from this poster on this thread. I think we are talking to ourselves :) Wouldn't be the first time.

[Bonny]

Yep, we do that alot ! :blahblahblah:

[shcisamax]

So essentially we are explaining to ourselves that this was a good idea. very amusing.

[Bonny]

So essentially we are explaining to ourselves that this was a good idea. very amusing.

Okay, where's the like button ? We need one of those. Maybe I just spend too much time on FaceBook. :)

[shcisamax]

I think this is as close as it gets to "like" :coolsmiley:

[designerko]

I looked at pre-owned golf course lot homes and it seemed those with a pool sold first. I'm not a big swimmer but love to look at water so we put a pool in our new home. It's great to plunge in for a quick refreshing dip! It's very small but no regrets. Another neighbor put in just a spa for the same reason. We have a 4 tile high wall for the Florida Fall on the golf course side. Gives a bit of privacy but the golfers are watching the course, not us.

[asianthree]

sure the golfers are watching the course

[phylissdavis]

Very smart indeed. I thought the same thing why buy a pool when there are so many here already.

[poromo]

Thank everyone for your comments and suggestions. My wife and I decided to install a pool and birdcage on our golfront home.
Should we have the pool and birdcage installed when the house is being built have it added on after we move in?

[Bonny]

We had ours done right after. T & D gave us a better price doing it after. Of course you have to check. That was 8 1/2 years ago.

[shcisamax]

This is my two cents: We installed at the same time because we didn't want to lose the summer. You can't even get permits until you close. If you don't care that it isn't done right away then you can do it after. That said, I would still do it with T&D. They did a great job and it is seamless with the house. BTW: Once you are after market with any company that does business with VT you are low man totem pole. They defer to their biggest customer :)

[tainsley]

Our pool was done six weeks after the hole was dug, just what the All Seasons promised. Began in mid May and was completed by the end of June. Haven't gotten out since...more wrinkled than ever! LOL