Views on whether outdoor pool is a bad idea

[user704750]

We are very lucky to live in beautiful place. We won't be moving for at least 15 years (been here for 20).

I am toying with the idea of an outdoor pool. I think it would cost about £150k

I'm not a massive swimmer. DH swims regularly (at the gym). I hate travelling though and am very much a home person. We tend to stay at home during the summer and go away in the autumn and at Easter.

House is worth c£2.5m. Large 5 bed with 14 acres, separate guest cottage. High standard of decor. Based in the Midlands rather than the South coast so a bit cooler.

DC are at university but both are likely to live back at home for post grad study.

Everything I read says a pool is a bad investment but given the house is high end, I'm not sure. A reasonable number of houses in this price bracket in this area seem to have pools (although there aren't that many of them). Can't afford an indoor one which would add tens of thousands to the cost.

We have solar panels which generate excess power in the summer.

Would a pool devalue a higher end home in your opinion? Would it put you off buying the house?

If you can stretch, get an indoor pool. I wouldn’t bother with an outdoor because we just don’t have the weather and being outside they are a ball ache to keep clean but our indoor pool gets used all the time. Between the heat pump and the PVs it’s not much to run and we use the actual room all the time (have a dining table in there etc).
We do the maintenance ourselves (takes 10 mins per week) and have it serviced twice a year which is £150 each time. I’m also on a water meter and pay £40 per month.

I’d prefer an indoor pool

It might make it a bit harder to sell, but is that the end of the world if you're planning to enjoy it for 15 years?

it truly became an issue, you could always fill it in.

I live in the Algarve with a pool we inherited, and honestly it's a pain in the arse even though we can use it 8 months of the year. I definitely wouldn't bother in the UK, especially for the price of a small house.

I’d get an outside jacuzzi and a sauna instead.

I got one 5 years ago. Love it
definitely don’t wish I had an indoor one.
costs about £200-300 a month April-oct.
and £100 maintenance. Youngest is 18, novelty not worn off and now we’re looking at grandkids who will enjoy it.
it does attract friends and family, but luckily we enjoy that!

It cost c50k with a swim jet

Whereabouts are you?

Sunny south east, possibly but the OP is in the midlands…. It would be a hell. No. From me!!

Further north!!

Cripes

If you are using it for just swimming, rather than lazing around and playing in, then consider getting a fastlane endless pool. I had one put in last year - just 14 feet by 7 feet. You can have them in ground or out - I went for semi in ground - so the pool edge is perfect height for me to sit on and swing legs round to get in.

I swim for 30 minutes solid and stay in the same place. Because it's so much smaller, it costs far less to heat- although I only heat mine to 19 degrees as I hate swimming fast in warmer water. I didn't swim much in January or February as it was dull and wet outside so I left it to get cold, but I did swim on both Christmas day and New Years Day, and now the weather had cheered up I am back to my normal routine of swimming every day. If it's function you want rather than swankiness, it's a great, and far cheaper option.

Join a lush local gym with a pool and Sauna and jacuzzi and steam room. My one is pricey but so worth it

I’d go for middle ground and have one of theses
its 1/3 hot tub 2/3 swim spa the swimming pool equivalent of a treadmill you swim against a current generated by jets

I was in your thread about surviving on widows allowance and how you were trying to cut down gas and electricity! Maybe sell up!

We have gym membership and also a gym at home.

But not all gyms are equal

Mine is more like a spa

Yes mine too.

It's not really about that.

We put in a natural swimming pool
and it is the best thing ever. It looks incredibly beautiful and even if you are just sitting beside it it is a joy. It is high maintenance, unless you put in filters and pumps, ours is low tech, but did cost about £150k, including lots of landscaping and planting. I swim every day, all year round. It’s wonderful, no chlorine and lots of wildlife, but I agree it is not for everyone. The consensus is that they add value to the house, vs a regular pool, which looks awful for most of the year.

So what is it about? Genuine question

At that price bracket I’d be put off a house that DIDN’T have some sort of pool but I love swimming and would use it daily.
As it is I’m planning to treat myself to a swim spa for my next big birthday - so I’ve got 8 years to save 🤣

my godparents had an outdoor pool and it did cause them problems when selling. A lot of people were put off by it. They only used it about half the year and it was faff and expensive to heat.
i love swimming and 18 months ago we bought a swimspa with the jets. We’re in Cambridgeshire and I swim in it every day. It costs about £2/3 a day on average for heating.

It's a bit of a weird question.

The question isn't shall I join a gym. We already have a gym at home and in addition we already have external gym membership which gives us access to indoor and outdoor pools, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi etc. I'm trying to decide whether to put in a pool as lifestyle thing. It would be both for swimming and for lounging around. Reality is that DH would use it to swim, I would use to swim but just as much for sitting around and the kids would no doubt use it for entertaining friends.

i intend to
that’s not really relevant here though is it?

Unless you’re letting babies near it unsupervised of course it isn’t dangerous. That comment made me laugh. If it’s what you want and you can comfortably afford to heat and maintain it then go for it. I am also very jealous 😜