Is An In Ground Pool The Right Option For You?
Published: 05/10/2022 | Updated: 29/03/2023
Do you remember what it was like to be young on a hot summer day? What was always your first thought? If it was: “I really can’t wait to jump in the pool?”, you are not alone! Swimming pools provide the perfect summer escape.
For those of us who don’t live near the ocean or don’t have access to public swimming pools in your area maybe you’ve been considering building your outdoor pool in the comfort and convenience of your yard!
Pools have always been a fan favorite, they are a source of great entertainment for people of all ages and provide a great way to exercise, but as much fun as they can be they can at times be a bit of a hassle. Below are the pros and cons of having an outdoor pool in your yard.
We will provide you with the benefits and drawbacks but ultimately it is your decision whether or not an outdoor pool is the best fit for you!
What Are The Pros Of An Outdoor Swimming Pool In Your Yard?
Pro #1 – A Backyard Pool Can Increase Your Home’s Value
First of all, we need to clearly define that when we talk about pools and how they increase your home value, we are specifically talking about inground pools. Meaning, that we are referring to the kind of pool that you dig into the ground and install.
Initially, the upfront costs of a backyard pool may be quite high, however, according to HGTV an in-ground pool can increase your property's value from 5 to 8 percent. Another report by Houselogic also suggested that in-ground swimming pools can raise your property value by 7%!
With the current state of the economy and the housing market, we must start investing time and money to make sure the value of our properties increases, so why not do so with an option that is versatile and provides endless entertainment for you and all your loved ones?
Pro #2 – Swimming Pools Provide Family-Friendly Fun
Remember being 13 and spending all those hot summer days at your friend’s house with a pool or being 7 and being invited birthday party with a pool? The excitement and thrill you felt picking out your favorite bathing suit and taking that first plunge!
Pools are a universal source of entertainment whether you are 7 years old or 70, even your family dog will love a good plunge in the pool! There is nothing more special than building long-lasting memories with your loved ones splashing around in the comfort of your pool.
By building a backyard pool in your own home you will automatically be the family that hosts all the best pool birthday parties for their kids. You can teach your kids to swim in the comfort of your own home and keep a watchful eye on them, and you can even stock up on pool toys and floaties, and you’ve got an entire backyard that provides endless entertainment for you and your loved ones.
Pro #3 – A Backyard Swimming Pool Can Improve The Appearance of Your Yard
A swimming pool can also be a sight for sore eyes and can transform your yard into a beautiful outdoor haven for you and the people closest to you to enjoy. When installing an inground pool there are a variety of design options you can choose from that will create a gorgeous atmosphere surrounding your home.
You could build a traditional rectangular stone swimming pool, which is classic, timeless, and very elegant. You can get creative with your pool designs and opt for non-traditional designs such as a lap pool that can overlook your entire yard and natural-looking swimming pools that blend with nature using real pebbles to accentuate the blue color of the water.
You can design a farmhouse or cottagecore pool and you can even draw inspiration from different cultures with beautiful architectural elements such as a Mexican-style pool, French-countryside pool, or even a tropical Hawaiian-style pool surrounded by palm trees and tiki torches!
Another fun element about designing your pool is you can even DIY your own pool designs, you can design the deck surrounding your pool with wooden panels or stone features, you can opt for desert hardscaping features using large stone ornaments and succulents, and you can go full tropical with colorful flowers, short palm trees, and shrubs!
Pro #4 – Convenience
Perhaps one of the most important pros of having your own inground pool is that you no longer need to drive for miles to your crowded local pool, drive around for an extra 10 to 20 minutes till you find a parking space only to get there and find it packed full of screaming children. When you're a pool owner you also don’t need to fly out to a different city with beach access as you can turn your yard into your own, personal, beach paradise!
Pro #5 DIY Pool Design
A DIY pool design is a great way to cut down on costs and can be a great summer project to partake in.
The best part is the benefit of not having to spend a ton of money and you can use it as a community-building experience!
They require much lower maintenance and are a heck of a lot cheaper! There are plenty of online tutorials you can find to help you with your DIY project or you could go the easy route and buy an above-ground pool and decorate it with a wooden fence.
You can use a waterproof tarp for your DIY project or you could use stock tanks if you want to get creative!
Pro #6 – Can Be Used For Hosting Events
DIYing your own pool can help you save money
A pool can be the source of a lot of event hosting. You can throw birthday parties for your children, pool parties for your young adults, and even elegant dinner parties for you and your friends.
Pools can be beautiful centerpieces for sophisticated dinners, you can float flower arrangements and light features on the top of your pool and surround it with elegantly decorated high tables.
On hot summer days, you can invite your friends for a nice evening of cocktails, lounge chairs, and a refreshing dip. The event possibilities are endless and the versatility of how you utilize your pool for each event is also endless and very exciting!
Pro #7 – Pools Provide A Great Way To Exercise
Whether you swim laps, play a game of Water Polo or volleyball, or simply float around on a raft with a cocktail, the time you spend in your pool is extremely beneficial for your overall health, both physically and mentally.
Swimming builds endurance, muscle strength, and cardiovascular fitness, and it helps maintain a healthy weight, healthy heart, and lungs. A swimming pool can teach us to adopt healthy habits and inspire us to spend most of our days outdoors and soak in the sunshine instead of lounging on the couch all day bingeing Netflix and snacking.
How About The Cons?
Con #1 High Installation Costs
It’s no surprise that the initial costs of building an inground pool can be quite high, from the design process to the digging, to the installation, and finally to filling it up. This can be a financial risk to take as it can cost you up to thousands of dollars depending on the size of the pool you would like to install.
The process of building a swimming pool may also take quite a bit of time. When making your decision of whether or not a pool is right for you make sure to factor in the time and cost of the process.
You might also need to factor in the cost of water accessories like a
Some realtors even warn that in the long run, it might be more difficult to sell your home if it includes a swimming pool as some potential buyers prefer to avoid the financial burden that comes with pool maintenance.
Con #2 High Maintenance & Cleanup Costs
Maintenance means additional costs, additional effort, and routine upkeep. Maintenance costs of a swimming pool can be quite high for a homeowner, especially when factoring in all the financial cons that come with it.
It is very important to think about the maintenance and upkeep of your pool as it requires serious effort and could cost you quite a bit. You may need to replace devices that no longer work in after a while such as a pool pump, during the winter you may need to store your pump in your shed to avoid it breaking down.
Cleaning your pool regularly is also a necessity which may be a hassle for those of us with 9-5 jobs and you may need to hire a Pool Boy. Remember to also have your pool repairman on speed dial in case things go wrong!
Ensuring that your pool remains clean is of the utmost importance. You must invest in chemicals that balance the PH of your pool to ensure that algae and bacteria do not form in your pool and make you and your family sick!
Con #3 Pools Can Attract Wildlife and Mosquitos
If you live in Florida, this may come as no surprise to you. Pools attract wildlife, especially if you use fewer chemicals. You may wake up one day and decide to take a refreshing dip in your pool but hold on, there seems to be something floating at the bottom of your pool. You take a closer look, oh, it’s just your friendly neighborhood alligator!
A good idea would be to build a fence around your pool if you live in a hotter state with exotic animals. Keep those pesky critters away or you might find yourself swimming with Ali the Alligator!
Another problem that comes with backyard pools, is mosquitos! Mosquitos are very attracted to water features as they help them reproduce, so by building a pool you are essentially offering them the perfect conditions for breeding grounds, if you’re not careful and leave a window open those little pests will fly right into your house!
Con #4 Strict Safety Regulations
Another factor you really need to weigh out is safety. Pools can be a very high risk especially if you have small children: if left unattended accidents are prone to happen. Homeowners need to pay an extra insurance fee when installing a swimming pool in order to cover pool-related accidents.
Pool fences are not only good for keeping wildlife out, but they are also important for the safety of your young ones. They can also help prevent a homeowner’s liability from increasing since they can reduce the risk of accidents.
What’s Next?
It’s certainly easy to financially dig yourself into a hole with a pool installation project, but that’s why there are professionals and experts to help us along the way with our home renovations. If your dream home includes a pool and you don’t know what to what out for, our experts at ShrubHub are here for you!
ShrubHub helps bring your yard design dreams to life and with the help of our gorgeous design options you can have the pool of your dreams! For a limited summer offer, we have design ideas starting from just $100 so hurry up and visit ShrubHub!