Pool Maintenance & Repair costs

[Dutch]

If I were to buy a house that had a pool (like the one pictured below), how much should I expect to pay for annual upkeep? What kind of hidden costs (repairs) might I end up with?

Also, how much work is it to keep it well maintained?

Any help would be appreciated!

[Flasch186]

Dont know, am interested in the answer and am wanting to swim in that.

[Dutch]

heh, I was actually expecting you to be one of the folks that would have a good idea about these sorts of things.

[CU Tiger]

looks like the pool is enclosed which will help a lot (keep leaves and such out of it)

is it a chlorine or salt system.

Salt costs a tad more to install but is cheaper and MUCH easier top maintain.

One of the hidden costs would be liner replacement, which can be in the 4-7k range every decade or so....but that was with an outside pool so if thats covered it could be better I suppose.

[Dutch]

I have no idea if it's chlorine or salt. I'm looking at real estate websites now and am not in contact with owners.

[Flasch186]

Originally Posted by Dutch

heh, I was actually expecting you to be one of the folks that would have a good idea about these sorts of things.

nope, we dont do much in regards to pools and now that the HELOC market has dried up the valuations of pools and what it costs to keep one up especially when using a vendor has totally gotten thrown into flux.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

looks like the pool is enclosed which will help a lot (keep leaves and such out of it)

Ooh good eye, I didn't even think about that.

is it a chlorine or salt system.

Yep, that's the first question.

Salt costs a tad more to install but is cheaper and MUCH easier top maintain.

I'd say it's actually "quite a bit more" to install (I think ours ran something like $1500-$2000 more) but the difference in maintenance cost is indeed pretty major and the difference in the time you have to spend dealing with it is even bigger.

As for hidden costs ... after last pool season I'd tell you that it's not a bad idea to count on replacing damned near everything after/during the 3rd year.
Various valves failing, pumps dying, replacing two parts on the Polaris vacuum, yadda yadda, ended up adding over $2k to our costs vs the previous couple of years.

Otherwise (and I doublechecked my recollection with my wife) figure on the salt system running about $100-$150/month in season, unless you're going to do the opening/closing yourself then figure on another $600/year for that.

Maintenance, in theory, is about a half hour a week with the salt system. That's what they'll tell you anyway. Reality is that there are several factors that go into your actual time. For example, every tree that can blow a leaf into the pool (and they seem to be magnetically attracted) adds time scooping. The travel distance from your home to the pool supply store to have them check a water sample for chem levels is time each month (unless you're paying them to come out to do the samples, in which case add costs to list above). Heck, how far your chemicals are stored from the pool & how far the pool is from the house itself adds time. I'd guess that a more accurate estimate would be at least an hour a week for the average person with a salt system pool, probably closer to 90 minutes a week often as not (if you're maintaining it properly).


FWIW, I count the pool as one of the biggest mistakes I ever made, just the biggest pain in the butt as a homeowner I've ever had. Now you have to bear in mind that I don't use it period & the only reason we had it installed was for our son ... who pretty much lost interest in it after two years, meaning it's a cash draining hole in the yard now. The only reason I didn't fill it with concrete or dirt or ANYTHING I could get my hands on last year was the eventual hypothetical resale value it adds. Granted, I'm a cantankerous SOB but if you don't have any interest in the pool, I'd say run as far away from one as you can.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Dutch

I have no idea if it's chlorine or salt. I'm looking at real estate websites now and am not in contact with owners.

You added this while I was typing, so I'll throw in a couple more things.

1) If you're planning to hold onto the house for more than 3-5 years then I'd plan to check the cost of retrofitting it for salt if it isn't already in place. The difference in both chemicals & time investment will make it up fairly quickly.

2) If by chance the pool isn't covered, I'd recommend biting the bullet if you can afford it & going with a hard shell cover for winter instead of the soft cover (i.e. tarp). Eliminates the need to go out after every rain & put the little mini-pump out there to drain the water that collects on the tarp.

[Dutch]

FWIW, I count the pool as one of the biggest mistakes I ever made, just the biggest pain in the butt as a homeowner I've ever had. Now you have to bear in mind that I don't use it period & the only reason we had it installed was for our son ... who pretty much lost interest in it after two years, meaning it's a cash draining hole in the yard now. The only reason I didn't fill it with concrete or dirt or ANYTHING I could get my hands on last year was the eventual hypothetical resale value it adds. Granted, I'm a cantankerous SOB but if you don't have any interest in the pool, I'd say run as far away from one as you can.

Actually, those are excellent concerns for me to think about.

[Dutch]

I've been looking for a house to buy in the Tampa area and that picture is just one of the bigger pools I've seen. Most pools seem rather small in comparison...almost like a "Damn it's hot...let's jump in the pool to cool off" size (vs. an actual swimming pool).

I'm not sold on the idea of having a pool, but pretty much 50% of the homes I look for in my price range seem to have a pool. It's something I'd rather not sink a lot of money into since I don't actually have a lot of luxury capital lying around to sink into home upkeep.

[stevew]

Jon pretty much summed up why I won't get a pool. My wife wants to get one, but I can't see putting the sheer amount of money into it, let alone all of the work.

And hell, with the weather up here, we'd get like 2-3 months use out of it at the max.

[Lonnie]

I will add that buying my house with a pool was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made. Of course we don't have that nice screened in enclosure and there are cottonwood trees in the neighborhood.

We have been in the house 9 years and I have replaced the pump twice, the filtration system once, and the pool cleaner once. We had a flood once that filled it with dirt to the extent that it looked like chocolate milk. That took a sump pump and several weeks to clean up. I would estimate $600 a year on chemicals as well.

I will never buy a house with a pool again unless I have enough spare money to pay a pool service to come by and take care of it. However, if it was screened in like the above I might consider it if I couldn't find a house without one.

[CU Tiger]

To add to the group, I hate mine as well.
BUT my wife and kids love it, so its a labor of love.

It is worth it to me for the enjoyment they get out of it, but I wont lie I curse it often.

We put this one in (our 2nd) and I have the fiberglass 1 piece, it is essentially a GIANT bathtub. I have ad it 7 years now, no pump or motor issues, though I researched and paid a touch extra for those. I also spent a bit extra for industrial process grade undergroud pipe an fittings with 30 year expectancies etc....

But I dont plan on moving from here...