Swimming Pool Investment
 

My wife and I are debating whether we should have a pool built at our new home. For those owners who have installed pools, if given the chance would you do it again? We have never had a pool before, so we are not sure what additional equipment should be added to the design to insure minimum maintenance and operating costs. Any assistance on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

We'd do it again in a heartbeat. What you build depends on your lifestyle. My wife is a regular lap swimmer but we are near a lap pool, so we don't have to have a "swimming" pool. We have a small pool and spa which is perfect for us. The spa is a wonderful refresher after any exercise or when it's either cold or hot outside. We mostly relax in the pool also. By having the combination, the circulating water keeps both clean and almost maintenance free. A salt chlorination system is the way to go, solar heat is terrific, if you have a south exposure roof where you can put it unobtrusively. With the pool and lanai on the east/south sides we get the wonderful morning sun.

T&D will probably build your pool if you do it with the house. but I suggest you contract with them separately from the house contract. This way you will have more control and communication with the design and construction. They are the best, but arrange things in advance. They have a waiting list of several months. I can connect you to one of their construction managers if you can't seem to get through the wait time. A pool isn't really an investment for us. It's part of that 'dream' lifestyle we hoped to have some day, and the enjoyment is what matters most. We aren't tied down with it either. If we are gone for a while, we have T&D take care of it. Good luck!

I wouldn't do it. I really appreciate our spa, but I think going to the community pool is fun to meet and talk to people.

We have been here two and a half years. We have had a pool installed in our last four houses but thought we would be happy to use the neighborhood pools when we moved to TV. Not so for us. We are currently having a pool built with T&D. We contracted back in August and work just began last week. They are so busy with new builds they are not even taking any private contracts at this time. If you want a pool, I would add it to your build or be prepared to wait. For me a pool is a must for this climate in the summer plus I love the convenience of having it right outside my door!

I know this is not very scientific, but when I drive my golf cart past homes with pools, I almost never see anyone using them.

I have had a pool most of my life and was in the pool business most of my adult life prior to retiring to TV in 2009. It's hard to justify a pool here because of the availability of community pools that we are already paying for.
Pros: Privacy, always open, control of temp., convenient, especially if you have heath issues, great for when kids and grandkids come to visit. Cons: Costs to install, maintenance expenses, safety and liability, insurance cost may go up, costs per swim would probably be in the hundreds especially if your not here year around, the worry of something going wrong when your not here. With that said, I believe it's like a boat or rv, it's a lifestyle. If I had the room in our current house I would probably put in a fiberglass swim spa (not an Endless Pool). Best of both worlds. Can be used for exercise, swimming laps in place by way of a big jet at one end, can be used as a spa, easy to maintain, you can keep a cover on it and locked down when out of town, in some cases can be drained if your away for a long time, (not usually recomended because of underground water tables). Check with your installer about that. Good luck!

I have no doubt you haven't as I've experienced the same but not from a golf cart. However, there are probably many of us where you cannot see the pool or even the deck because of it's positioning or landscaping, giving it privacy. Our new pool is not visible from any road, golf cart path or golf course and withing a year or two it will probably be blocked from neighbors view by the landscaping just put in.

We decided to put in the pool for several reasons. First of all, we are water people. Instead of being on water which I think may attract more wildlife of the undesirable type, we decided to put in the pool which runs the width of all the back sliders and provides a really nice view with the golf course behind. The extended summer is much nicer just being able to jump in rather than hike down to the community pool. The kids are more likely to come see us :) It isn't that costly to maintain. It is lovely to sit outside and listen to the waterfall while having coffee or wine or dinner.
We would likely put in a pool again but maybe not quite so large. On the flip side, if you don't mind waiting, because T&D always takes care of TV first, move in and think about it.

Who wants to wear a clingy, wet, drippy swim suit all the time?

That's our main reason for a PRIVATE pool. We have one here in B'ham, and we'll have one in TV, when that time comes.

Our pool was installed back in June. We love it! With the exception of the past three weeks we are in it everyday. Would do it all over again!

the only reason i would have a pool was to go skinny dipping. otherwise the neighborhood pools are just fine and i never have to clean it.

Private/Community Pool Depths
 

What is the maximum depth a homeowner must abide by when having a private pool installed?
Also, regarding all the pools in The Villages, how would I find out the maximum depth of each.

Why not go skinny dipping in the neighborhood pools.

Not sure but I had my pool go from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 feet which is ideal for us and for pool parties.

Ours is 5 ft or 5 1/2 ft and it begins to get incrementally more expensive as they go deeper. It also would cost more in heating. If you call T&D, they should be able to answer that question.