[Theprofessors]

We will be building our "dream" home in August. Before we meet with the design team and finalize plan we need to get a little input and advice from those of you who have/built an in-ground spa and outdoor kitchen.
Both ideas sound really good in theory but we would like to know if they are practical and useful or a headache? So, we would like to hear from you.
1. Have you found that you have used these two facilities as much as you thought you would? If you had to do it over again, would you build/buy a home that would offer you these two (outdoor kitchen and spa)? Why /why not? What does your cost benefit analysis looks like?
2. Would you consider these to be high or low maintenance? For example:
-- How do the cabinets/refrigerator hold up? Do you find that you have to replace them often due to being exposed to the elements?
-- Does the spa run smoothly? Have you experienced difficulty with the pump/plumbing/breakdown?
-- Do you feel that the spa/hot tub adds a lot to your energy bill? Approximately how much is the increase in monthly electric bill?
-- What kind of questions should we be asking the builder and what should we watch out for?
Any other words of wisdom you can shed on this subject will be most appreciated!
Soon to be Villegers,

The Professors