Spinoff of the pool thread, for those in the northeast

[npmommie]

If you put in a built in pool, did it affect the ability to sell your house down the road?
I am pushing hubby to agree to a built in, he says it will only decrease the value of our home if we wanted to sell, because "not many people want the hassle of a built in"

the majority of the homes in our immediate neighborhood have above ground pools, there are 2 with built ins, if that makes any difference.
we don't live in a neighborhood with an hoa.

we have the big 18 ft blue pool now, so he says his compromise is to get a really nice above ground ( "real pool" ) as he calls it, with a nice deck built onto it.

the kids love to swim and are like fish all summer.
so do I agree to the compromise, is he right?

 

[java]

I would love to have a pool! A big beautful built in pool. But that's not in our budget and the above ground is forbidden by our HOA. sad2

I am one that would pay up for a pool at a home but I know they say it's more of a negative. In the northeast there really isn't a very long pool season. I think the above ground pool with the deck is a good compromise! My friend that lives out of my neighborhood has a half sunken pool-(above ground sunken into the ground with the deck and it looks really nice)

Try to think forward and think if you would still want the pool 10 years from now.
(I WOULD!)

 

[npmommie]

Try to think forward and think if you would still want the pool 10 years from now.
(I WOULD!)

LOL, I would too!!!
I do think his compromise is a decent one though.

did your friends sink the above ground all the way into the ground? I have never seen that.

 

[Pigeon]

I'm with your dh. It doesn't increase the value of the home, and it does make a whole lot of people less interested in buying the house.

I'm also in the NE, and when we were buying our house, we looked at a number of essentially identical houses--same square footage, same layout, same age, same school district. The ones with nice in-ground pools (which I'm sure cost more than $30-40K to install) listed for no more than those without. We didn't want a pool at the time (although now I'd consider one if I were looking) and so weren't interested in those houses.

If I lived in the Southwest, I could see the investment, but in the Northeast, a pool is useful for such a short time that it makes no sense to me to spend that kind of money on an in-ground.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Northeast here also. No one does inground pools around here. Not even the huge new builds in the very affluent areas will put one in.

 

[java]

LOL, I would too!!!
I do think his compromise is a decent one though.

did your friends sink the above ground all the way into the ground? I have never seen that.

Nope it's half in half out- but with the Deck all AROUND the pool. Let me see if I can find a photo online- similar

but their deck goes all around with landscaping all around it. I kind of like the photo one better than theirs but shh don't tell.

 

[LSchrow]

depends where in the northeast....
an ig pool is a given in some areas (and not having one will prob devalue a home), but in some areas it would be over the top.

when we were looking to move years ago, we only wanted a home with an ig pool. once we couldn't find anything we liked more than our current home and neighborhood, we put in an ig pool and made our backyard into our own piece of paradise
it was worth every penny, btw.

 

[npmommie]

Nope it's half in half out- but with the Deck all AROUND the pool. Let me see if I can find a photo online- similar

but their deck goes all around with landscaping all around it. I kind of like the photo one better than theirs but shh don't tell.

oh that is a beautiful picture, and a great idea!
the spot we would put the pool actually is an area of our back that is down so there is a slight hill next to it, that I thought would be perfect for a deck that would be at yard level from that side.

that is an interesting idea.

Out of our immediate neighborhood, in our town, there are many houses with built ins, but it certainly is not the norm.
more above ground.

there is one house in town, a beautiful farm house that the owners are renovating beautifully, it has or I should say had a beautiful built in pool, overlooking some mountains way up high on a hill.
anyway, they filled it in ,its gone

I had dreams of buying that property if I ever saw it for sale

 

[Buckeye Princess]

You could try calling a realtor who is experienced in your neighborhood. We know we will be selling our house in 1 year. So I've routinely called a local realtor to consult on various updates we've considered. It has been very helpful. He has been happy to help as it means he will most likely get my business and I like that I'm establishing a relationship and have been able to sort of vet him before committing.

 

[Pumbaa_]

another question is how long do you plan to live in this house? Is it an area that can easily be fenced off for safety?

An inground pool is so different than an above ground. it can also be deeper than an above ground. Nice to sit on the side and not deal with the deck in general. Bringing food out, cleaning it, dealing with the solar cover.

Comes down to it may not increase your value at all, but if you are planning on being there for hte next 15 years, then that is not a concern realistically.

 

[dawson5]

We walked away from a house with an in-ground pool. Not because we were against it, it just wasn't taken care of. The cement around it was cracking and had done something to the side of the pool. There was a tree too close to the pool, very large tree. Going in, it would be a lot of money to repair the pool, but without addressing the tree, it would be a repeated problem. Add to the issues from inside the house, definitely would have been a money pit. (Basement family room wallpapered in red-velvet spanish style with black paneling half way up the wall. Holes in walls for no rhyme or reason. House was trashed.)

We grew up with a pool (in-ground). I remember the spring clean up and the time it took to keep it clean and usable. We did not have the heater, but that didn't bother us. It was out in the open, no trees nearby, so it always seemed warm. Our house was the go-to place because of it. Always had family over on weekends and long-time neighborhood friends.

I also learned at an early age about users. Just something to keep in the back of your mind.

 

[woodkins]

I don't think you should put in the pool as a way to increase your home value, however I don't think it harms you either. I live on the north shore of Long Island and most people in my area have inground pools, many with rock waterfalls etc. Above ground pools are considered tacky and would take away or cheapen the look of the property/grounds.

 

[MarilIncredible]

It will not increase the value of your home.

Living in the mid-Atlantic, I was not interested in a home with a pool for a few reasons. One being it is only hot enough to use the pool about 4 months of the year. Another is the big electrical expense of running a pool pump. Maintenance is one more hassle I didn't want. And the "attractive nuissance"/uninvited guests looking to take a dip put enough minuses in that column to seal my lack of interest.

If you do decide to get an inground pool, do it b/c you really want one, not b/c you think it is an investment (the same way people should consider DVC/Timeshare purchases, frankly).

 

[Anna114]

I live on Long Island and have a built in pool. When we purchased our home it was NOT a selling point (my husband never owned a pool) Now we love it. I don't think a built in really hurts a sell but it really is not as good a selling point the further north you go. They are a lot of money and as your children grow they will use it less and less. If you think you will get your moneys worth yourself then I would go for it. If you are using it as a selling point, I might think twice about it.

 

[shoney]

i too live on Long Island. When we purchased our current home, the inground pool was a selling point for us. Many of the houses in the neighborhood have them. The ones that didn't weren't selling for any less. From an investment standpoint, I don't think it adds value. If you plan on staying there and using the pool than I think it would be worth it. You just wouldn't get the return on your investment like a kitchen or new bath.

 

[npmommie]

I don't think you should put in the pool as a way to increase your home value, however I don't think it harms you either. I live on the north shore of Long Island and most people in my area have inground pools, many with rock waterfalls etc. Above ground pools are considered tacky and would take away or cheapen the look of the property/grounds.

It will not increase the value of your home.

Living in the mid-Atlantic, I was not interested in a home with a pool for a few reasons. One being it is only hot enough to use the pool about 4 months of the year. Another is the big electrical expense of running a pool pump. Maintenance is one more hassle I didn't want. And the "attractive nuissance"/uninvited guests looking to take a dip put enough minuses in that column to seal my lack of interest.

If you do decide to get an inground pool, do it b/c you really want one, not b/c you think it is an investment (the same way people should consider DVC/Timeshare purchases, frankly).

oh no, I am not thinking of it as an investment to increase the home value, not at all. I am thinking of it as making our backyard into more of a paradise
hubby is worried it would decrease the value. he doesn't care either if it would keep the value the same, just so nothing makes it decrease
we are wooded on our property borders and actually if we go the above ground route no one can see it from either side or the street.

I think I am going to get estimates for each way, and compare the pros and cons of each.
although I have a feeling dh is going to win on this one.