To Pool or Not To Pool
 

:confused:We will be moving to TV in about a month; very excited! Part of our "dream" was to have a small salt water pool added to the home in the near future. Now after having spoken to various friends around the country it seems many that have or have had pools complain about the work and expense; some say never again!
Well we still want a small pool but common sense tells me we should pay some degree of attention to the opinions of those who know.
Am still gathering facts and opinions; BLUF; please share any information or recommendations, comments on expense of pool ownership, etc... your information will be much appreciated!:loco:

we love ours and the expense is manageable. The hot tub in the cooler months is a great way to watch the sunset znd takes cre of these old bones

Ours is a smallish pool but very refreshing for a quick dip in the heat of summer

I have sold and built pools & spas most of my adult life. My wife and I had always had a pool or a spa or both everywhere we lived. We moved to The Villages two years ago. First part time, now full time. I am of the opinion that we will probably never own a pool as long as we are in the Villages. Most of neighborhoods south of 466 have so many pools to choose from it just doen't seem to make sense owning one. I do miss my hot tub and might recommend a swim spa. They can be used for exercise, swimming in place against a strong current, or as a hot tub in the winter especially. They are small enough that maintenance is not much of an issue. Can be covered with a hard locked down cover and in most cases,can be drained if needed to be.
Not sure of the costs, I use to install for around 20k, they are fiberglass and installation is pretty quick and minimally invasive. I might also recommend if you think you are going to want a pool installed make sure you buy a homesite that will accomadate the size of pool and enclosure you might want.
If your building new it would be best to do it when the house is being constructed.
D.G.
"Retired and trying to stay that way"

The advantage of having your own "ool" vs. using the many available public pools is quite simple. You get to post a sign that says "ool". You'll get it after a bit of thought.

The best thing about having a pool sized lot is that you have a bit of distance from your neighbors.
We love our pool and have just gone through a few unanticipated expenses totaling just under $4000 for new bird cage screens and a pool pump. They were both 15 years old.
If you are looking for a home look for a lot with access to natural gas as well as correct orientation for a solar heating system. Yesterday the pool temp was 82 after I removed the cover with solar only.

We have chosen to not build a pool because there are lots pools to use, t's one of the best ways to meet people, no worries with supplies laying around, and don't have to pay someone to maintain it.

That being said.... If it is your dream to have a pool! You should do it! I would be afraid you would feel like you missed something by not having your own pool. Many people in The Villages enjoy their own pool out their back door and would do it again. Had I NEVER had a pool... I would probably build on myself. But that is an experience we have already had (and BTW, enjoyed).

First my disclaimer: my experience with owning a pool is in New England which probably doesn't do you a lot of good. We had an inground pool for about 25 years, but after our kids left, and I was the only one using it, it no longer made sense. We filled it in and planted grass! The costs here for chemicals ($100- $200 per year), winter covers, solar covers, repairs to filtration/pumping system, and gas pool heater along with the labor no longer made it economically sensible. When we move to TV we will have two pools within 5 minutes that we can use yet not have to maintain. Think about it- your amenity fees help pay for that maintenance, so why pay the extra for your own. In the end its "to each his own"!

Having your own pool makes the summer more enjoyable. Anytime I come home from tennis or working in the yard, it's great to just jump in. Very relaxing in the evening too. I do not care to use my pool during the winter and so the solar panels are sufficient for warmth. I don't think anyone mentioned aesthetics in this thread. I like both the visual appeal and the sound of waterfalls. We added a large birdcage when we built the pool and it greatly expands our living and entertainment space. I knew the what the cleaning costs would be and found the additional electric to be less than I had budgeted. To pool or not is a big decision. Good luck.

I would say it depends upon how much you think you might use a pool. Yes there are plenty of pools in TV to use but there are restrictions on hours and who can use them. With your own pool it becomes your pool, your rules.
We also had a pool up north and it did require a bit of work on our part. But it did not have a birdcage over it and thus the leaves etc were a pain. Here the salt chlorinator requires little time to take care of the pool. More time though is required in the summer due to the sun (readings every couple of weeks and maybe adding chemicals). Hiring someone else to take care of the pool may cost around $100 per month.
We spend about $65 per month to run the filter and maybe 1hr per month brushing the sides and vacuuming the pool.

Just as an aside, all the neighborhood pools are salt chlorinated.

Having lived "up north" most of my life, I dreamed of having my own pool so when we moved to FL we found a place with one. I must say it is all I had hoped for and more. I love being able to walk out my door and hop in the pool anytime i want. i'm someone who hates to exercise, but swimming and doing water aerobics seems like fun, not exercise to me. I also like to turn on the underwater lights at night as it gives off a beautiful blue glow. Our pool man comes weekly and takes care of cleaning and chemicals, which costs $125/mo. There is added costs for running the pump but it doesn't seem to be much. We just bought a home in TV with a lot big enough for a pool. We've decided to give it 6 months before making a decision but must confess, I am already missing the joys of our own pool

Building a pool on my side lot. Using an ozonator for most of the sanitation (small amount of chlorine only needed). I used an ozonator in my hot tub in MA and it worked great. Anyone here tried it for their pool? Not too late for me to change.

thanks,

I have a small (12 X 28) pool and cage (1200 square feet) and enjoy both the extra outdoor living space and pool. However it is not cheap. I budget $5000 a year for the pool. So far it has come in around $4000 a year. This is weekly maintenance, repairs, electricity, gas and solar heaters, painting pool deck, screen repairs, extra water, and a few other costs. This cost is very accurate as I have another home to compare electric, gas and water bills with. Someday when I get tired of the expense, I will move to eliminate it, for now we enjoy it a lot.

Gee, the pool guys doing our neighborhood pool told me liquid chlorine was metered into the pool and not "aqua salt". Could be wrong......will ask again tonight when I see the crew.

Question for Pool owners!
 

Is property insurance, specifically liability, noticeably more expensive with an in-ground pool?

When we added the pool I reported it to the insurance agent and learned that there was no additional cost. Surprised me.

Home value
 

I don't know about TV, but a pool doesn't increase your home value here.

Liability no. For our renewal this year we questioned our agent on replacement for our solar panels and pool filter. Answer, not covered. The policy was amended to add coverage for both at a cost of less than $50 yr. Since we also have an liability umbrella policy they did not recommend changing that.

Pool or not
 

We did not own a pool before coming here two years ago. We have a small salt water pool and a hot tub. We use our pool every day in the summer and the tub most days in the winter. We had a solar heater added to the pool and I do all the maintenance. Takes about an hr a week and that includes chemicals and scrubbing. Take your water to T&D offices (there are two of them) and they will check your chemicals and give you a list of what needs to be done. Costs are around $100 a year for chemicals, maybe a little more. Salt generator with a UV filter makes for very clean water. Make sure to add an auto-fill and your work is cut way down. No adding water or pumping water out if it's too full.

Have to agree with you on the effort. I had the cholorine pool "up north" and it was a PIA. Our new salt generator pool installed in March seems to take care of itself. Checking the system takes all of 5 minutes, vaccum every other week. Still cannot justify giving T & D $100 plus a month to take of my pool.
I too take advantage of their water testing.

Yes Pool!
 

Hi. We have bought a lot on a Golf Course and paid a whole lot more than we wanted to because our dream is to have a pool in Florida! We had a pool in our home in Upstate NY, which can't even compare to one in TV. We could only use it for a few months a year and it got dirty often because of leaves. However, in TV we will have a birdcage so much less to vacuum and think about it this way....when you get up in the morning you may just want to jump in the pool without having to fix your hair to go out to use the public pool, you may want to have an iced tea or beer by the pool by yourselves, you may want to go skinny dipping (don't tell your neighbors), after all we are entering the best time of our lives...go for it! And, if you want to entertain, you have your beautiful pool right there in your back yard! We are sold. Between the two of us we will have plenty of time to vacuum the pool. Just think, you'll be able to get some exercise, float on your favorite float and entertain without even leaving your back yard. If you feel you want to meet other people, heck there's a lot more to do to meet others. Just my opinion...we are going for the pool!!! Good luck!

Oh wow... the pool guys I asked told me it was salt... ?
Whichever it is, they administer it well... can't taste salt, and see no chlorine damage to eyes, skin, hair or swimsuit. All pools I've seen are sparkling... and there are no chemical fumes anywhere.

There are a couple of good reasons to have your own pool despite the many beautiful ones TV offers.

- Evening and night swimming - TV pools close at dusk or before, which often seems too early

- Privacy

- Relaxation poolside without hearing the gossips and complainers

all good points -

also: Having your own shade area. In the mid-summer I love the water but I also need the shade when not in the water.

Pool
 

We lived in Tampa for 23 years before moving up here to TV. When we moved to Tampa from Ohio the first thing we had to do is install a pool. I think it is a dream of everyone who comes from the north to have a pool which can be used most of the year. It was great for awhile but eventually we found we were not using it that much. My wife lost interest in it and except when the family visited, I was the only one using it about once or twice a week. The work to clean, maintain, shock treat, vacuum, adjust the PH, clean filter, etc seemed to take more time and more expense. Later we moved to a new house in Tampa which already had a pool and we continued to devote time and money maintaining the pool without really using it that much. Every time we went out of town for any time we came back to a green algae pool. Finally we paid to have it professionally cleaned and maintained on a weekly basis. Not cheap!!! Then we had some major expenses in replacing the pump, draining the pool to re-marcite the pool, replace the solar heating tubes, etc. When we moved to TV we celebrated because we escaped the pool. No maintenance, no work, no higher insurance premium, no worry about the danger of the pool when grandchildren are here, etc. Now all we have to do is get in the golf cart and enjoy our neighborhood pool. No work or expense. What a pleasure.

Close
 

My wife wanted a pool! AS long as she did not have to clean it!

She wanted a pool that was within walking distance or a quick cart ride.

We found a beauty in Tamarind Grove! It even comes with the nicest people we have ever had the pleasure of chatting with. At least last July while on our lot buying trip and it was still 95 out!

I do admit some homes with the huge Bird Cages and beautiful pools look wonderful. And we are still eye balling a soft sided hot tub for our lani.

I do not want to have to baby sit something that costs us money.

Figure TV built us some nice ones might as well use them.

Ice
 

[QUOTE=Happinow;422840]Hi. We have bought a lot on Ft Walton Golf Course and paid a whole lot more than we wanted to because our dream is to have a pool in Florida! We had a pool in our home in Upstate NY, which can't even compare to one in TV. We could only use it for a few months a year and it got dirty often because of leaves.

Gee in the winter you didn't skate or play Hockey on it. Just kidding, You make a good point about owning one. Don't know about the Skinny dipping. I would have to loose about 25 and hit the gym! Gravity is my enemy.:oops:

I love salt water pools. Makes the skin feel really soft. I don't think the neighborhood pools are salt. I would love it if they were. Who do we talk to about that? Thanks.

I'm really confident that the neighborhood pools (at least the newer ones) are salt. At least that is what they told me when I asked.

Salt water pools
 

Yep......I was also told by many swimmers that the pools in TV are salt water pools.........not only nice to swim in......but much kinder on the bathing suits. The chlorine eats my bathing suits something terrible in our pools up north. Bring on that salt water!

[quote=CarGuys;422963]We didn't skate on it or play hockey on it in the winter. It was mostly covered with 2 feet of snow! But it was beautiful to look at and swim in in the summer. As far as the skinny dipping....we are both in pretty good shape...nothing to be ashamed of here! Good luck with the gym...LOL

[quote=Happinow;423227]Know all about two feet of snow I'm from Syracuse area!

I owned a pool in S Florida when the kids were young and so were we. I loved it then but wouldn't want one now if you gave it to me. I did the maintaince myself and enjoyed many parties with neighbors. Now I would only use it occasionly and much prefer to use the neighborhood pool where all our friends meet. They can come and go whenever they want and I don't even have to be there if I don't feel like it.

On a trip
 

Yes and when on a Cross Country Harley trip Ruth and I are not worried about the pool back home. Love the empty nester life!

I see you ride a Gold Wing! You don't have to worry about that.

We were from up North --we always wanted a pool but never had one .

We moved here last Oct and by March had a pool installed --the best thing we could have done --Love it ---

I maintain it myself --after the first month or so getting the chemicals correct --its really is easy --as stated before --its screened in --never gets real dirty --except for some dust that comes through the screen (and several plants that we needed to have ) !!!!! -----------

in the summer we use it every day --had a solar heater installed --keeps the water at 87 all season and into late Oct --

If you can --move in then decide if you want the pool --

Good luck:wave:

Gotcha!! Nice play on words....

We went on a trip when we had our pool and the neighbors had the nerve to ask us if their daughter could hold her birthday party at our pool while we were gone. We would be libel for anything that happened.

Pools are so beautiful and so posh to have...
 

I kinda would like to have a pool. Sweetie doesn't want to mess with one. He points out that we aren't avid swimmers and that it would be just another task to maintain it. He says if we want to take a dip we have our choice of lots of the pools available to us. In Hadley, we were about 30 yds from the Odell pool and we used it a lot the first year and then not so much afterward. I think, even if you don't swim all the time it is beautiful to look at.

I think if it is your dream, you should do it.

I think that someone said that it costs about five thousand dollars a year to maintain a backyard pool like most have here. Is that correct? I probably remembered that wrong. I would prefer a villager answer me on this one and not a pool advertiser.

Swim Spas
 

We are putting in an 18 foot above ground swim spa, salt water. Supposed to be easy to maintain and gives us the pool and hot tub combo, waterfall, lights, river jets, ozonator, aerobics, etc. This will go in our Hacienda Villa yard.

Can't wait for a pool
 

Gracie, after we get our house and pool built I will invite you over so you can swim! We'll have tea and crumpets! We may be coming sooner than we thought. TV running special again...may up our time frame by 2 months! That would put us in TV beginning of May instead of middle of June! :MOJE_whot: