[Papa_lecki]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

The best you can hope for, is your pool increases the value of your home by about 6%. That's for a fairly new pool, with minimal maintenance and updating needs.

The added value of pools has been decreasing for years, even in FL. Small, personal "spa/pools" are in style, large pools are not.

TV attracts notoriously unsophisticated buyers, so it might be a few years before the local market catches up with the regional market, but it won't be long before pools will be the worst home improvement investment you could possible make ... it's close already.

I've had 2 homes in Florida with pools. I was within a few days of filling in one of the pools, when I sold the house. The other house, I wished I filled in the pool. They both cost me a small fortune in maintenance, chasing leaks, fixing pumps, heaters, etc. It never ends with a pool.

Totally makes sense - NO ONE wants a pool in Florida, but T&D has so much demand to build new pools that you have to wait 18 months to get one built.

[Ptmckiou]

South of 44 in the new area, the houses with pools run $100,000 more than the same model house on a similar lot without a pool. If you don’t want your pool, sell your house and pocket your $100K and buy a house without a pool . Problem solved.

We just built our 12x32 saltwater pool with T&D. It was $175K.

[Bay Kid]

I'm lucky that I have use of 3 pools within walking distance. I would have a pool company winterize the pool and place under cover.

[Papa_lecki]

Originally Posted by Bay Kid

I'm lucky that I have use of 3 pools within walking distance. I would have a pool company winterize the pool and place under cover.

That would work if you’re planning to sell within 6 months.
That would COSTt you money (a lot more than the operating costs) if you’re not selling for a few years. NO ONE will buy a house that’s been mothballed for a few years. You’ll need to open the pool to sell, then fix what broke.

[OhioBuckeye]

Originally Posted by billethkid

We are frogs and plan to stay in this home......which has a pool.
While it is probably a long way off (we hope) there will come a time when we will have no use for the pool.

One option is to just maintain it for it's visual benefits and beauty.

There must be various ways to fill it and re-purpose the space....which we also would not need...there are some benefits to no longer having to maintain a pool.

I know there is a science to how to fill the pool and use as "garden" space....trees/flowers/etc....walkway/benches/etc.

Has anybody actually done this?

__________________________________________________

They’re just another big expense or something they have to brag about, House Ins. Is higher, constant chemicals, maintenance on pumps, then a lot of people just use them a yr. or 2 then they just sit & bankrupt you!

[Kenswing]

Originally Posted by OhioBuckeye

They’re just another big expense or something they have to brag about, House Ins. Is higher, constant chemicals, maintenance on pumps, then a lot of people just use them a yr. or 2 then they just sit & bankrupt you!

They bankrupt you? I take care of my own pool and it costs me About $300 a year between filter, chemicals and cleaning supplies. If I amortize the cost of a new pump I guess I could add $250 a year. I cant imagine $550 a year or even $1,000 bankrupting anyone. If money is that tight it might be time to sell the house with the pool. realize the gains then buy something more economical.

[justjim]

Originally Posted by Papa_lecki

Totally makes sense - NO ONE wants a pool in Florida, but T&D has so much demand to build new pools that you have to wait 18 months to get one built.

Supply and demand is why the cost to build a pool is close to double in the last five to six years. Much of the cost was brought on by Covid. Now that Covid has subsided and the cost of maintaining a pool has gone up substantially, some are questioning the cost benefit. Totally understandable.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by Bay Kid

I'm lucky that I have use of 3 pools within walking distance. I would have a pool company winterize the pool and place under cover.

Winterizing a pool works up north where there are long cold winters. Pools in the Florida climate need to have the pump/filter run and have the water balanced or they will quickly turn into a science project of nasty growth. Also, many pools can’t be completely drained or they will literally pop up from the pool deck because of the high water table.

[Snowbug]

Originally Posted by billethkid

We are frogs and plan to stay in this home......which has a pool.
While it is probably a long way off (we hope) there will come a time when we will have no use for the pool.

One option is to just maintain it for it's visual benefits and beauty.

There must be various ways to fill it and re-purpose the space....which we also would not need...there are some benefits to no longer having to maintain a pool.

I know there is a science to how to fill the pool and use as "garden" space....trees/flowers/etc....walkway/benches/etc.

Has anybody actually done this?

__________________________________________________

It may be time then, to sell and relocate.

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by OhioBuckeye

They’re just another big expense or something they have to brag about, House Ins. Is higher, constant chemicals, maintenance on pumps, then a lot of people just use them a yr. or 2 then they just sit & bankrupt you!

If one can afford a $170,000 pool I don’t think few hundred dollars a month is a worry. If you add up a new build custom house, plus a pool, add in a view site, cost is upwards of $800,000 plus. Pool maintenance and insurance is drop in the bucket

[BlueStarAirlines]

Some of these comments are hilarious. The maintenance of a pool is largely inconsequential. I pay under $600 a year and do it myself. Even if you pay someone , its around $150 a month or $1800 a year. Some people pay more for cable tv than that!

The desire for pools are not waning, and can't wait for an authoritative link that backs up that wild fallacy! I lose count regarding how many pool applications are submitted every week for ARC consideration.

[Arctic Fox]

Our neighbors have a pool which they have never used and every week they have a cleaning service attend to it. We have lived opposite for over thirteen years so they must have spent quite a bit just keeping it going (for the once-a-year visit by the grandchildren).

I personally would rather use that space for something useful, even if just a sunken garden. Maybe a wine cellar!

[JSR22]

Originally Posted by OhioBuckeye

They’re just another big expense or something they have to brag about, House Ins. Is higher, constant chemicals, maintenance on pumps, then a lot of people just use them a yr. or 2 then they just sit & bankrupt you!

Not true. We put in our pool 9 years ago and use it constantly. They are not expensive to maintain. We have a weekly pool service for$130 a month that includes cleaning and the chemicals. My house insurance did not increase by much. What increased by a large percentage is the resale price of my home.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

The best you can hope for, is your pool increases the value of your home by about 6%. That's for a fairly new pool, with minimal maintenance and updating needs.

Nonsense! We wanted a home with a private back yard and a pool and looked long and hard and couldn’t find anything close to our maximum budget. We were able to buy a very nice home with a private back yard and build a beautiful brand new pool with a huge birdcage and come in well below our budget. Pools add significantly to the resale value of homes in the Villages, especially homes that are not already very expensive high end homes.

[NavyVet]

I love my pool. We bought our third house here nearly 6 years ago. The only reason we had moved yet again in our 20 years in TV was to have our own pool. It was around 2013-14 that I gave up trying to get lap lane times at the 'sports pools' and trying to actually swim at the 'adult pools' was impossible. All these "pools" in TV are a joke. They are volleyball/water aerobics/walking/gossip pools. None of them are "swimming" pools. It was the one amenity I used before TV started getting so over-crowded.
The privacy is wonderful and I sure don't miss rude people stealing the lane you've been waiting in line for or driving across TV to find lap times.
We added solar heat to extend the pool season, a high quality hot tub, and a fire pit for the winter. No more having to travel, we now "stay-cation" in our own oasis. Worth every penny.
And yes, we still use the pool every day, weather permitting.