I am currently building my own house and my wife has made the comments about my shop costing the equivilent of a pool…to me it is a “no-brainer”.. My lectures on how it is very similar to a child wanting a toy and then never playing with it have gone like the wind. How many of you have run into clients regretting the pool and how many have really used it. We have a 7 and 13 girls. We have 5 acres. we live in texas. So the only argument I have is the regret issue.
I could very well wrong. It might really nice treat……hmm! ahck! ptuy!
let me know.
Replies
I can only speak as one who grew up with a pool in my childhood. That four foot high, twelve foot diameter puddle got use every day the temp broke eighty till we were outta the house.
I have plans on installing an inground here at some time in the future.....now that I`ve talked the DW outta a jacuzzi that I KNOW I woulda regretted, I`m working on lanscaping that will permit a decent size concrete pond.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
HAH!
A builder that does not want a jacuzzi must be a young builder.
SamT
LOL! 38 yrs. young....much as I might enjoy it from time to time, with four kids, I`m quite certain it will receive more attention with a feather duster than its intended purpose. I`ve checked back with nearly every one of my clients whos project included the intallation of a jacuzzi....all have admitted that the $ would have been better spent elsewhere. I`m figuring the 20 sq. ft. originally alloted the unit will come in handy for his and hers vanity sinks and larger shower. Two areas I already know will be apreciated.J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
What are you some kind of homo or somethin? Best investment in my marriage I ever made was installing the jacuzzi, just through the French doors outside the master bedroom! Kids are gone now, which means swimsuits are optional and nature just takes it course! You may be too young to cath my drift there. Experienced, but still dangerous!
Edited 5/29/2003 11:02:12 AM ET by Dave
> You may be too young to cath my drift there.
Or maybe I`m just still young enough that the jacuzzi isn`t necessary. ; )J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
I have an uncle in Ohio with about the same amount of acreage property he used to live on.
(Wealthy M.D.)
He filled in a rather large pool with dirt and planted a vegetable garden.
I always wanted a lap pool and for sure my wife would get good use out of one as well as our boys.
My impression is the European way of maintaining the pool via ultraviolet light is becoming more common vs. using chemicals.
A similar system was shown in a recent FH article on rainwater collection.
Can only give you my own experience. We have three boys: 7, 11 and 11. Our pool is used every day from the end of May until the end of September, and often is used 3-5 hours a day in the summer. Really, the kids use the pool. The adults use the pool deck: we have 4 or 5 tables there, large spa, shade cover, BBQ, etc., and we basically live out there in the warm months.
The kids and the grown-ups both use the spa, and it gets used year round.
The shop is used nearly every day as well, and is used year round by both kids and adults.
There always seem to be extra kids around here. That could be a drawback if you don't like to supervise and feed other people's kids. I love it - I know where my kids are and I know their friends. I've even made friends with their friends.
Guess it depends on how your family likes to spend your time. Could you make a shop that opens out onto the pool deck? Wouldn't that be way too cool? Then you could work/putz while supervising the kids, and you could jump in and cool off whenever you wanted. Hmmmmm- might be onto something there.
"A completed home is a listed home."
Will your family use a pool? I can't answer that.
My kids (daughter 12, son just turned 11) are pretty active. We live on a lake and they swm all the time in the summer. Everyday, all day.
I'm just finishing up installing a pool, plastered it yesterday morning and filled wiith water in the afternoon. As the last water truck pulled away, my kids dove in. They swam again after school today. I know that with my kids, the novelty will not wear off. I'm in CT...I'd think a pool would be appreciated in TX.
How active are your kids? Lots of TV/gameboy/nintendo/hiding from the sun? Or lots of sunshine/sports and hunting around outside looking for bugs?
My neighbors? If they had a pool, they would have forgotten about it by now. Heck, they get in their car and drive the 200 feet down the driveway to get to their mailbox. Serious.
My pool is, without a doubt, the worst financial investment I've ever made. Cha-ching! But it'll be a great investment in my family.
I thought it was mandatory in Tx to have a pool??? :)
and get the damn hot tub, tell me that wouldn't be nice after a hard day in the sun to jump in the pool, cool of then soak in the hot tub for a while with a cold beer
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, Professionals build the Titanic.
I think that with a lot of careful planning five acres might be a large enough lot for a pool and a proper shop. Just barely though if you really crave those tools. I say go for it, you can always add fish if you don't swim enough!! Take back that hot tub arguement, they do feel nice when you are stiff.
Dan
shop is already a done deal. It is built and i am using it as a tool to build the house. By the way,..if you saw my shop it would make you sick to your stomache. Paint booth, back 20 feet is an apartment i just finished painting today. I still have a 40 by 40 to play in.
my point of this post is to take a poll to give to my wife as proof that a pool is a waste of money...as I said,...I could be wrong!
Every time you get in it, you get all wet.
What's the good in that unless it's the second saturday of the month of september ? Even then, it would take an awful lot of soap to get a good lather in one of those things. A good heart embiggins even the smallest person.
Quittin' Time
I did the boat thing for about 15 years. 2nd happiest day of my life was watching that thing go down the road behind someone elses truck.
As I get older I find it very appealing that I can enjoy great recreation in my own back yard. DW and me are investigating right now. We have decided on a shape and have ideas regarding patio, fencing and landscaping.
Like any project though....at least double what you think it will cost....
Ditch
Doesn't sound like you're getting the help you were looking for, so......
You might talk about resale value. I've read that the money you sink into a pool will only net you about half that in added value to the house.
Don't know about a shop.
The gene pool could use a little chlorine.