Would you rather have a pool in your backyard or a neighborhood pool?

[Wendi]

We have our own pool (and spa). I like being able to relax without dealing with strangers, noisy kids, etc. Of course, my dh takes care of the pool, so I'm spoiled. I get to enjoy it while doing almost no maintenance!

 

We like grilling and eating outside by the pool in summer, and having friends over for pool party/cookouts.

[Kathleen in LV]

Is there any good way to get an estimate of what the costs would be for an inground pool? Not installing one, just the upkeep.

 

 

The costs depend on a lot of factors. If you don't have a lot of experience with pools, it might be valuable to pay somebody to help with the upkeep, at least initially. It's not just adding chemicals & cleaning out the pool. So frequently things go wrong, and if you don't know what you're doing, they can get costly. I absolutely love having a wonderful pool guy who I can call anytime if I hear a funny noise or something isn't working properly. Often he can walk me through the problem over the phone, but he'll come out if it's something serious. And you get what you pay for. I had a guy who only charged $60/month (including chemicals), but he was a complete flake. Now I pay $100/month, and, although it is a lot, for me it's worth it for the piece of mind. And I strongly suggest getting multiple recommendations & conducting interviews before hiring anybody.

 

Another major cost is running the filter, as a pp mentioned. We have a pretty large pool, and I estimate it costs about $50/month or more in electricity. (That's running the filter about 8 hours/day.) It is my understanding that there are more efficient filters on the market that can reduce the cost quite a bit, but of course those filters are more expensive.

 

Also, consider whether you will be heating the pool. Depending on your preference, you may find yourself heating the pool quite a bit even in a warmer climate. For example, we're in Vegas, and even on hot days, if the temperature drops significantly overnight, so does the pool temperature. Our swim season starts in April or May, and even now in June I find myself occasionally heating the pool. If you purchase a home with a solar heating system, that's great. But using a gas heater will increase your costs.

 

If you're considering a particular house with a pool, maybe the home-owner can give you an idea of the costs for his specific pool.

 

For us, we're looking at around $2000/year for upkeep. Crazy, right? But we love it. We can use it whenever we want. If we only want a quick dip, we just grab a towel & go. And if I want to float quietly for a few hours, I don't have to worry about who else will be bothering me. I especially like being the go-to place for my son & his friends, which I expect will be even more important as he gets older. All that being said, we do sometimes go to our community pool to mix things up. But I find it takes a bit of effort to pack up & get there, as well as find an appropriate place to sit where people aren't on top of me & I can keep my eye on my son, so we just don't do it that frequently.

 

I hope you find an option that works for you. Good luck!

[lea1]

I thought I wanted our own pool but dh had one in the past and did not want the upkeep and expense. Our neighborhood has an absolutely wonderful pool and we use it a lot. It has zero-entry or beach-entry or whatever they call it and it has a huge shallow area. Overall it is quite large and our kids really love going there because they get to meet other kids and play with them. It is definitely a win-win for us and I am now very happy that we did not put in our own pool. We don't socialize enough anyway so this helps a bit.

[Firefly]

Apparently we don't have a lot of skinny-dippers in this thread. :D

[Researcher]

Backyard, for sure. I had one when growing up and I never found the upkeep outweighed the benefits and convenience.

 

The community pools always open too late and close to early given the swim season that we have available here. If the pool is in my backyard, I know the water quality and who's been in it. I can also use it at 6am for lap swimming in November if I want to.

[Kelly1730]

Wow, people on both sides of the fence on this one;) We joined a community pool for 23 years and then bought a house with a pool;) I never wanted one when we had small children and lived in a sub-division where the homes were fairly close. I don't want to watch you in your pool and I prefer that you don't watch me either:P Our youngest were 8 when we moved here and it has been wonderful. Dh is the pool boy and he stays on top of it, doesn't take much time. I love not having to pack up what seems like enough stuff for a 3 day weekend for a few hours at the pool. I love when the boys are tired of swimming and go in the house and I get the pool all to myself!;) And it's a big draw to get the adult kids and grandkids to visit too;)

[lamolina]

This is going to be a tough decision! We would be living in the Atlanta area, so i am thinking the season is pretty long right? And our youngest would be nearly 8, so not a lot of small kids around. Plus I think I would prefer to live outside of town with a little bit of land, so there wouldn't be a lot of neighbors trying to climb in!

But some of you so clearly hate it and some love it a ton, and I guess the only way to know for ourselves is to try it! But what a horrible mistake if we end up to be in the hating it camp.

[Ali in OR]

We love our neighborhood pool--not quite the same thing as what I think some are calling a community pool. It is for only OUR small neighborhood. We, as a group, own it, pay for maintenance in our homeowners dues, etc. It is open all day (like 6 am to 10 pm) from Memorial Day through the end of September. It is awesome--within a short walk, toddler pool, big pool, and hot tub, clubhouse too. Our city pool is nice too, but very crowded, the hours aren't as good, and you have to drive there. The neighborhood pool is everything I want--and I grew up in CA with our own pool. I would never want to go back to the work with that. And we have a better social experience at the neighborhood pool--always running into someone we know.

[Renthead Mommy]

We've done base pools when my son was young. It was okay. Mainly because they had a kiddie pool.

 

By second grade we lived somewhere with a big community pool a mile away. He was old enough and responisble enough to go and to know that he wanted to go. Boy was that a big pain!

 

The following year we skipped the community pool and bought one of those blue above ground pools with the inflatable ring tops. Only three feet deep as that was the biggest we could fit in the yard. We enjoyed that SO MUCH MORE than that huge community pool even though it had diving board s and a deep end and all.

 

Next house will most likely be back in Texas. We will look for a house a with a pool. It will most likely be an inground pool as that is what is most common.

 

As for care, I took care of the little book pool which was pretty easy. But a full inground pool we'd have the pool guys come and take care of it.

[PrincessMommy]

Apparently we don't have a lot of skinny-dippers in this thread. :D

 

 

LOL!! That is one thing I do miss about our own pool. Swimming with hubby under the moonlight after the kids were in bed.

[Julie Smith]

I suppose it depends on how close the pool is. Our large Recreation center with a big pool (Big slide, diving board, high diving board, extra high diving board, ...) is about a 3 minute walk away. I just wish we could buy a season pass.

[PrincessMommy]

This is going to be a tough decision! We would be living in the Atlanta area, so i am thinking the season is pretty long right? And our youngest would be nearly 8, so not a lot of small kids around. Plus I think I would prefer to live outside of town with a little bit of land, so there wouldn't be a lot of neighbors trying to climb in!

But some of you so clearly hate it and some love it a ton, and I guess the only way to know for ourselves is to try it! But what a horrible mistake if we end up to be in the hating it camp.

 

There's plenty of above ground pools that aren't terribly expensive. My sis and her husband had a small round one with a pump (so they had to deal with chemicals) and it was about 4'-5' deep. They put it up and took it down every year. That could be a way to try it out just to see how much your family enjoys having a pool and dealing with the work (although it would be on a much smaller scale). My sis and her husband ended up loving it so much they have upgraded to a more permanent type of above-ground pool... But they are sun lovers and don't mind spending hours out in their pool. They're kids are grown and they hope it will be a grand-kid magnet.

[Renthead Mommy]

Apparently we don't have a lot of skinny-dippers in this thread. :D

 

We didn't have skinny dippers, our lots were only 100' deep and 50' wide, so there was no hiding from the neighbors! LOL!

 

However I was thinking how much more I enjoyed wearing whatever old bathing suit, not worrying if I've shaved my legs, and knowing if I want to just go in in my shorts and after working in the garden in our pool than having to find my good suit and cover up to go the community pool!

[Paige]

This is going to be a tough decision! We would be living in the Atlanta area, so i am thinking the season is pretty long right? And our youngest would be nearly 8, so not a lot of small kids around. Plus I think I would prefer to live outside of town with a little bit of land, so there wouldn't be a lot of neighbors trying to climb in!

But some of you so clearly hate it and some love it a ton, and I guess the only way to know for ourselves is to try it! But what a horrible mistake if we end up to be in the hating it camp.

 

 

What's your definition of long and your idea of pool weather? We lived there and most community pools are open from Memorial Day- Labor Day and some close in Aug because that's when schools tend to start back up. My friends with their own pools usually swam just a little longer- from mid-April-end of Sept. Atlanta has mild winters but they aren't swimming weather winters.

[Kelly1730]

 

 

LOL!! That is one thing I do miss about our own pool. Swimming with hubby under the moonlight after the kids were in bed.

 

 

LOL! I know this is on dh's "bucket list";) Maybe I should indulge him?:)

[SwallowTail]

We bought our house in part due to the pool in the neighborhood. Previously, we had very much enjoyed the neighborhood pool in our apartment complex. However, I really find I do not enjoy this pool as it very crowded and peple are not as friendly. Also, packing everything we need to go there, including snacks, is a pain. I wish we had one in our backyard We could just get in multiple times per day, and dh and I could swim at night after dd goes to bed. Here in FL, we could use it from April until October. Heated, we could use it all year. It would be awesome. They do cost money though and are a bigger liability.

[Seasider]

As far as community pools - if it's a true community pool, city owned, you just pay an annual membership fee - that's one thing. However, if it is a neighborhood pool owned by the HOA, be careful. When home buying, if you're looking at such a thing, be sure to ask about the HOA's history/ability to raise dues or make assessments to cover pool liability insurance and/or major repairs. One neighborhood we lived in started raising HO dues, adding $150 each year in 3 successive years. Glad we moved...

[Brenda in FL]

This is going to be a tough decision! We would be living in the Atlanta area, so i am thinking the season is pretty long right? And our youngest would be nearly 8, so not a lot of small kids around. Plus I think I would prefer to live outside of town with a little bit of land, so there wouldn't be a lot of neighbors trying to climb in!

But some of you so clearly hate it and some love it a ton, and I guess the only way to know for ourselves is to try it! But what a horrible mistake if we end up to be in the hating it camp.

 

 

We lived in Atlanta for a year - didn't buy we rented. But I was adamant if we did buy that I wanted a pool (inground, not with a liner). Even here in NC - if we buy, I'm looking for pools first!

 

It gets hot in GA!! As far as the "season," you will probably find that your kids will be more tolerant of a longer season than you will. The benefit of fun outweighs the cost of very cold water for kids!

 

Make sure you know about the different pool finishes, (liner, marcite, aggregate). If you are looking at a home with a marcite finish - you may want to negotiate a new finish. We re-placed our marcite with diamond brite and it made a huge difference in upkeep and appearance.

 

The electric utility should be able to give you an estimate of the annual cost for running the pump.

 

In Florida the pools are kept open all year - I don't know what closing a pool entails as far as costs, that would be something to consider as well.

[kroe1]

We swim in our pool daily. We have a pool service so no work for me. If it ever got too expensive to maintain, I could do without it. I do not think my grandchildren would like me as much without a pool.

 

 

[SebastianCat]

We live in FL and use our pool 10 months out of the year. It's solar heated so it costs us $0 to heat but doesn't need to be heated in the summer (May-October). December and January are the only months that it's just too cold to swim.

 

I never wanted a backyard pool until we bought our current house about 4 years ago, when my kids were 7 & 5 (and were strong swimmers). After the kids are grown and move out, I will no longer want a house with a pool. But for now we LOVE it and use it almost every day.

 

Even with a neighborhood pool, you have to pack up towels, sunscreen, etc., and haul it to the pool. If you need to drive (rather than walk) you have to bring dry clothes to change into so you don't get the car seats wet. With a backyard pool, we can swim for 10 minutes, hop out, dry off, and go right into the bathroom to leave wet bathing suits before changing back into dry clothes or hopping into the shower.

 

DH does our pool maintenance - which includes running the vacuum once a week (we got an automatic creepy crawly cleaner which cuts our time down to nearly nothing - it takes significantly longer to vacuum & brush manually), checking chemicals (and usually adding acid) once a week, and hosing off the filter once every 1-2 weeks. He probably spends 15-20 minutes taking care of the pool each week.

[MistyMountain]

If I lived in a warmer climate I would prefer a neighborhood pool. It would be more social for the kids and they would probably have other kids to play with that live in the neighborhood. I also like to use as much of my yard for gardening so a pool would take up a lot of space itself but when you take in fencing then it is even more. Plus there is the upkeep and the worry of a kid getting into the pool and drowning. Even with a fence up and a ladder that can be taken up I wouldn't feel safe to have my kids play in the yard without me there if I had a pool. I wouldn't need my own personal pool but it would be neat to have one I could walk to or that wasn't far to go to. Growing up we were members of a community pool and that was cool but we had to drive to it. A neighborhood pool would be neat. I really like things like that in the neighborhood that encourage community in your own neighborhood.

[amy g.]

We have had a pool at home for 17 years. We get in it every day during warm weather.

 

 

[MFA323]

When my kids are older, the benefits of having a pool may outweigh the drawbacks. For now, there's no way I'd buy a house with a pool. Our neighborhood pool is just under a mile away. We all enjoy walking through the neighborhood and being with friends and neighbors once we're there. It's great that I don't have to take care of it or deal with broken pipes, pumps, etc.

[BlessedMom]

In our own yard.

[Mom2OandE]

We moved from Wi to Fl and a pool was at the top of our list. I'm so glad we did! Taking care of it isn't that hard. We've had times we were traveling or busy and we used a service for 50 a month.

[PrairieSong]

I have never had a pool but if I could choose I would rather have our own for easy access, if we had a privacy fence or were secluded from neighbors. I don't like a lot of people seeing my white blubbery body in a swimsuit. Family is ok. Having a private night swim with just dh would be heavenly. Cookouts by the pool would be so much fun, too.

[lamolina]

Both sides have very convincing arguments, but I have to say that the idea of having our own just sounds appealing. I usually dread the hassle of packing everything up to go do something, so the idea of just opening the door sounds great. I think it would encourage lots of great family time. Plus we will have teenagers soon enough and I love the idea of the teens hanging out at our house.

 

We don't want to pay to install one though, so looking for a house with a pool really limits the options. Plus I guess it could potentially make resale more difficult

[Tita Gidge]

I live in what's pretty much the armpit of the country, in terms of sweatiness, smell, and overall feel. It's a temporary assignment, thanks be to God. A pool has been the only thing that's kept me from quitting my job and moving as far away from the awful pit to live off of the land, sell my body or anything else it would take to subsidize the loss of my income. This place is truly The Pits.

 

The pool helps. I hate maintaining it, but it's worth it to me. I grew up on the beach so I like to have my daily dip. The nearest beach to me is at least six hours away, and it's probably the world's worst - if lack of tourism and development is any indication, not discounting how dirty, smelly and gross it is in my own (snobby) opinion LOL.

 

We use it daily during the warm months. It's a short but miserable season, maybe June - September. We also use it some during cooler months, but for entertainment. We have boat races and light lanterns for outside meals, etc., for an additional few months each year. It's covered during winter.

 

Times I wish I didn't have it - when stuff breaks. Last summer it was our slide, this summer the filter or something is leaking. It can be expensive but I figure we get as much use out of it as the season allows, so it's a reasonable trade-off. If I had mostly younger kids who would need my supervision out there, I might not love it as much. I have one younger kid who needs me or an older sibling out there at all times, but the rest of my kids can use it if there are three or more of them out there (and there always are). While I enjoy my own daily dip, I'm not enthused by the idea of spending all day every summer out there watching my kids' five millionth identical jump. It feels easier to say no to something that's not in my backyard.

 

Times I'm glad I have it - too hot or too expensive to fill summer hours doing anything else. It's nice to just go out, play, exercise, and enjoy the pool. It's inexpensive to invite another family over, grill some dinner and blend some margaritas and call it a party. Way cheaper than eating out, way less messy than having another family's kids joining mine in tearing up the house, and way more fun than sweating it out at a park.

 

It's an expense, though. I have my sons do maintenance, which helps. If we only used it a few times each month during the warm months, I'd go with the neighborhood pool. Let it be someone else's headache and your pleasure place.

[Sheila in OK]

I just installed an above ground pool in our yard and love it. Use it every single day and I know it's clean and my pool rules rule. :)

 

This. We have had the Walmart type above-ground pools for the last several years and just upgraded to a larger one this year with a salt water filter. The maintenance is really not much work at all. The kids are in it every single day--definitely worth it! The community pools in our area are about a 15 minute drive away and are always super crowded (and who knows how clean the water is). So this works better for us.

[Murphy101]

This. We have had the Walmart type above-ground pools for the last several years and just upgraded to a larger one this year with a salt water filter. The maintenance is really not much work at all. The kids are in it every single day--definitely worth it! The community pools in our area are about a 15 minute drive away and are always super crowded (and who knows how clean the water is). So this works better for us.

 

That's what I started wi after researching and reviewing what to do.

 

Intex 16' x 48" above ground pool, upgraded the pump it came with to a salt water generator system. Piece of cake to take care of. Crystal clear. Fun. Convienent. 1/3 the cost of paying for an above ground install bc I did it all myself (with some child laborers).

 

And some of the neighborhood pools are expensive! Even the city one's aren't cheap for a family to use daily. And we are in ours every day.

[ksr5377]

My parents have a pool and up until this summer I would have said a community pool, just because of all the work. However, this year they switched to salt water, and it's WONDERFUL! Much easier to maintain, they're not adding chemicals all the time, it's been great. And I should point out that they do all the work, not me =) and they're moving soon and plan on putting in a pool there as well, so I think it really depends on how often you think you would be in it. Oh, and we're not in a warm-weather state, so it really only can be used at the most for 4 months a year.

[LucyStoner]

In my area a backyard pool would be useful for about 17 minutes each summer. I would much prefer a community pool. As it is we have neither but we go to the Y and it's nice to be able to swim all year. They are open from 5am- 9:45 pm so we're covered.

[DawnM]

We have a 24' above ground pool. The older boys don't like it anymore and say they have outgrown it. It makes me sad. They will go in a large pool with friends.

 

Our neighborhood is too small (24 homes and everyone has at least 2 acres) to have an HOA or a pool and I detest HOAs, but there is a pool a couple of miles away we could join for $500/year. We probably won't though. We don't know anyone there.

[Rivka]

We have a membership in a neighborhood swim club. I love it. There's a fantastic kiddie pool, zero-entry with lots of sprayers and other features and enclosed by a separate fence. The big pool is huge, and well-divided with two separate shallow areas, one that appeals to younger kids and one where the tweens and teens hang out and play. Parts of the property are shaded by trees, plus there are plenty of big beach umbrellas in the kiddie enclosure. More than enough loungers. Spotless changing rooms. And there's a playground and picnic tables up in the shaded part.

 

The best feature of the swim club is built-in playmates for my kids. Plus lifeguards, so my 8yo can go in the shallow end of the main pool while I'm up in the kiddie enclosure with my 4yo.

[Wildcat]

We also have a neighborhood pool (@ 250 homes) and the 'rules' state children under 14 are not allowed without an adult.

 

We are strictly limited in the number of guests we can have (2 per family), so having friends over to swim almost never happens.

 

We aren't allowed to reserve the pool for parties.

 

There is a 'no alcohol' rule.

 

**No one follows the rules and when caught, there don't seem to be consequences!!!!**

 

 

The pool is about 15 years old and in the last four years, something has broken, leading the pool to be unusable much of the summer, so no swimming.

 

In the last three years, the pool has been closed MANY MANY times due to 'fecal contamination' in the water. Last year, it was closed over the 4th of July.

 

Teens often 'cavort' under their beach towels in full view of everyone.

 

Teens often bring hordes of friends once the sun goes down.

 

No one seems to obey the 'no alcohol' rule. I don't care if adults want a beer or some wine while relaxing at the pool, however, rules are rules, and it p1sses me off when people break the rules just because they just don't like them.

 

Families with younger kids allow their snowflakes to splash as much as they want to, no matter who they get wet (a parent in street clothes sitting at a table with an electronic device makes one a perfect target).

 

Families with younger kids allow their snowflakes to bring all sorts of pool toys that 'take up' the majority of space in the pool, preventing others from enjoying the pool. Seriously---- rowboats and large inflatables in a public, not-so-large pool is rude. I also don't give a hoot if your kid has the biggest, baddest squirt gun in the world.... he isn't allowed to aim it at me and shoot!!!

 

We **despise** public pools and want to have one of our own when we move next. We have seen little kids vomit in pools and no one knows and keep swimming--- twice now, the parents got out and took the kids off but didn't tell anyone so they could get out. WE did that. Parents bring kids into the pools wearing regular diapers that don't contain anything. We have been in pools where globs of hair of unknown origin have been floating around. Bandaids with bloody residue have floated by. I would rather lose a body part than swim in a truely public pool. I can barely stand the thought of getting in our neighborhood pool (which we haven't done in *years* now).

 

We had our own pool at the house before this and loved it. We were in it all the time. We *thought* we would be happier without the maintenance, but nope. We haven't used our neighborhood pool in four years now (despite paying for it--- required). The price we (are forced to) pay is *much more* than what it cost us to run and maintain our own pool. If we become pool owners again, I hope to pay a company to clean it---- here it costs $65 per week. That is so worth our time and money. Plus, I hear the saltwater pools require less maintenance, so that is what we would get.

 

Oh, our neighborhood pool only goes 5 feet deep (and only for a span of about three feet before it starts to get shallower). The one we had at our other house had a diving board and a slide and went to eight feet. It was MUCH more fun.

 

My vote (in case it isn't obvious!) is to have our own pool!!! :thumbup:

[Wildcat]

This is going to be a tough decision! We would be living in the Atlanta area, so i am thinking the season is pretty long right? And our youngest would be nearly 8, so not a lot of small kids around. Plus I think I would prefer to live outside of town with a little bit of land, so there wouldn't be a lot of neighbors trying to climb in!

But some of you so clearly hate it and some love it a ton, and I guess the only way to know for ourselves is to try it! But what a horrible mistake if we end up to be in the hating it camp.

 

*Disclamer* I have already posted that I am in the "own your own pool camp" so this reply will be strongly in favor of having your own pool.

 

 

You should get plenty of 'swim time' in Atlanta.

 

If you have your pwn pool, YOU decide when to shut it down, not someone else. Our HOA closes the pool the day after Labor Day even if it's still warm enough to swim or just sit by the pool relaxing. The pool also never opens before Memorial Day, even when it's sweltering and a pool would feel nice. We can't even sit by the pool, because the gates are locked when the pool is closed and it only stays open until 10PM, so no late night swims! Our pool opens at 8am, so no early morning workout swimming, either.

 

What's your definition of long and your idea of pool weather? We lived there and most community pools are open from Memorial Day- Labor Day and some close in Aug because that's when schools tend to start back up. My friends with their own pools usually swam just a little longer- from mid-April-end of Sept. Atlanta has mild winters but they aren't swimming weather winters.

 

Yep. With a solar cover, you can extend your swim time. If you have a heater installed, you can extend that even more. We loved siting by our pool in the winters wrapped in a blanket chatting while the kids slept.

 

*snip*

Even with a neighborhood pool, you have to pack up towels, sunscreen, etc., and haul it to the pool. If you need to drive (rather than walk) you have to bring dry clothes to change into so you don't get the car seats wet. With a backyard pool, we can swim for 10 minutes, hop out, dry off, and go right into the bathroom to leave wet bathing suits before changing back into dry clothes or hopping into the shower.

 

DH does our pool maintenance - which includes running the vacuum once a week (we got an automatic creepy crawly cleaner which cuts our time down to nearly nothing - it takes significantly longer to vacuum & brush manually), checking chemicals (and usually adding acid) once a week, and hosing off the filter once every 1-2 weeks. He probably spends 15-20 minutes taking care of the pool each week.

 

This.

 

We also had an 'octopus' in our pool and loved it. It was so easy to take care of and was worth its weight in gold!!

 

Both sides have very convincing arguments, but I have to say that the idea of having our own just sounds appealing. I usually dread the hassle of packing everything up to go do something, so the idea of just opening the door sounds great. I think it would encourage lots of great family time. Plus we will have teenagers soon enough and I love the idea of the teens hanging out at our house.

 

We don't want to pay to install one though, so looking for a house with a pool really limits the options. Plus I guess it could potentially make resale more difficult

 

If you can find a house with a pool, that is the way to go. You won't recoup much, if any, of the cost of installing one yourself (inground). However, having all new pipes, filter, choosing the style/size/finish, etc could be worth having one installed. Also, if you install one yourself, you can have a heater installed at the same time, rather than having to hook one up later. My dream pool would have a tiny cabana w/changeroom and toilet. ;)

 

Our pool actually "sold" our house. Our realtor said it could deter *some* people, but mostly it was a 'neutral' feature and sometimes it was 'sought after'.

 

It has been eight years, and I STILL miss looking out over that pool while I wash the dishes and seeing th esun glint off the water. I miss the cookouts and eating by the pool. I miss the lawn chairs and canopy that we had out there. I miss working in the yard and jumping in to cool off. I miss the evening swimming. I miss the kids swimming with flashlights & glow sticks. I miss watching the kids go down the slide. I miss the weekend breakfasts on the deck. I miss so much about our pool. It just added so much to our yard. That is the ONLY thing I miss about the house. Sigh.

 

I want a pool again. Our current yard is too small, has too many leafy trees & pines, AND we're on rock, so a pool just won't happen here. But I dream of having one at our next house....

[MissKNG]

Community pool simply because I don't want to maintain a personal pool.

[lamolina]

thanks to you all for sharing your experiences and opinions! While the maintenance doesn't sound enjoyable, the rest of having our own pool really does.

[Alte Veste Academy]

OK, so a perfect example today of why I love having the back yard pool...

DD's friends are over and I swear the girls don't stay in the pool more than 15 minutes at a time. I mean, they will swim for hours, but not consecutively. :lol: They play in the pool, then get out and play fairies, then they play in the pool, then get out and read books, then they play in the pool, then get out and have a snack... Meanwhile, my boys are in the pool the whole time.

 

I can just imagine the whining if this was a neighborhood pool.

 

When are we going to go? Why can't we go? I'm ready to go!

 

vs

 

How long can we stay? Why do we have to go already? I'm not ready to go!

 

Here, everyone is happy. Plus, the night swimming. There is something magical about swimming in the pool at night with the pool light on and the strands of lights twinkling. A nice glass of wine or a margarita, a nice chat with DH or a good book... They almost always take a swim after dinner. It is quiet, and the privacy just puts you in an entirely different state of mind from a neighborhood pool. (Not to mention how many times I have supervised swimming in my jammies. LOL)

[Samiam]

And here's my prime of example of the HUMANS at a community pool (keep in mind, this is a private neighborhood/HOA pool, only residents of our neighborhood have access).

 

1. A man and woman who it is rumoured to be having an affair are there. Man is married, woman is not. They are neighbors across the street from each other. I've been "told" they are having an affair, and since then, noticed some "odd" happenings (keeping in mind we live in a small neighborhood, about 60 houses and I have to drive by their house to get out of my neighborhood). LIke today. 3p.m. they are there at the pool, laying side by side in lounge chairs, belly down and quietly talking to each other. His wife and kids are not there....her one young son is. She's the type that is probably late 30-40's, though dresses much younger. Has the figure for it, so okay, I guess...today in a itsy-bitsy triangle bikini....but I dunno.....NOT what I'd want my husband doing at 3p.m. on a week day...or ANY day for that matter.

 

2. Mom comes in with her young son (later hear he's three) and another mom comes in with her young son, probably about 5-ish. Not together. 3 year old can not swim and wears one of those new-fangled floaties that go around upper arms and chest. 5 year old can not swim, but comfortable in the 3 feet area, going under water etc. The moms are in the same area, and the 5 year old is chatty, so the moms are chatting, friendly etc (I can tell by the conversation they were not acquainted prior to this). Great! 5 year old's mom gets out, goes sits in corner. Her son stays and is chatting up the other mom, talking to the 3 year old. That mom was working with her 3 year old on swimming. Now kinda cornered by the 5 year old who just won't stop talking to her. His mom sitting and messing with her phone. 5 year old picks up 3 year old, kinda hugging way, and they both go under. Mom quickly grabs her 3 year old and asks the 5 year old be careful. 5 year olds Mom never looks up from her phone. Mom and three year old get out to "take a break" (ie get away from the chatty kid for a minute). 5 year old follows them.....his mom still looking at her phone.

 

3. A mom and her two boys..about ages 8 and 10 and mom is constantly ON her boys about this and that, and her boys are constantly bickering, crying, complaining etc. I've talked to this mom prior, as she's at the pool quite a bit with her boys, and she commented on how well behaved my boys are (it was a good day for them, lol....not always like that :), and mentioned her boys are autistic. I'm not informed on autism so no idea if they behaviour is due to autism, or just life.

 

4. We won't even attempt to go to the pool on the 4th of July. Last year we went for a bit, and there was a party going on, with loud music (not our type) and drinking. It was an adult party too. Not an official HOA-condoned party, mind you, but some residents and friends (remember that younger-dressing Mom from #1 above....her crowd)...not a place for our children.

 

So yeah, backyard pool all the way!

[QueenCat]

No neighborhood pools here............. a few city pools but closest is a 15 minute drive. If they were decent, that would be good. I loved the social scene at the pools in our old town. I'd get to visit with my friends while the kids played all day. Wish we'd bought a house with a yard that could handle a pool.....

[Guest]

Backyard!

 

I grew up having an in-ground backyard pool. We now have an above-ground with plans to one day do an in-ground. My mom always paid a ton to have a pool guy come, but we've met some friends who take care of their own and are teaching us, even though right now we just have the above-ground. I also like that you can stay in for shorter periods of time. I don't like to be outside in the heat for that long, regardless of being in or out of water. And the night swimming? That, too. :)

 

ETA: Oh, I'm a bit of a germ-a-phobe, too. So, I hate public pools.

[wintermom]

We had an above-ground pool in our backyard for 10 years and got a lot of great use out of it. Last year we had so much trouble keeping the pool from getting green due to all the leaves that constantly fell into it, and we were finally at the point when we'd had enough of backyard pool anyway, that we packed it up and sold it for $500.

 

It was really nice to have the pool so that the kids could go in and out throughout the day. We only have about a 3-month season, and even then the dc were tired of it after about 6 weeks. Our pool wasn't heated, so it would probably have gotten more use if it was warmer. The thrill of the pool did wear out every single summer, though, for everyone in the family.

 

If you are really excited about it, the maintenence isn't all that bad. I expected it to be worse, and I worked at public pool for many years before owning my own. You do need to be very careful about water safety, though, and prepared to be lifeguard 100% of the time to everyone who gets in the pool. We also added much more and higher fences with locking gates to the pool when we moved in. The gate was always locked when the lifeguard wasn't sitting beside the pool, and no one ever swam alone, not even adults.

[Mergath]

Community pool. But mostly because I have epilepsy and really like having life guards around when I'm swimming. I'd be petrified to use a backyard pool because no one would be there if I had a seizure in the water.

 

Also, the community pool we use is indoors, which means we can swim year-round, and it has fountains and a waterslide. All the bonuses outweigh the ick factor for me.

[justamouse]

Backyard. No doubt about it. Never had one before, but have one now and it is pretty darned wonderful.

 

I don't have to drive there.

 

I don't have to freak about shaving all the time.

 

I can wear what I want.

 

We eat out there. We play the music we want to listen to.

 

I don't have to watch other people's kids.

 

I don't have to yell at other people's kids.

 

No crowds.

 

We are out there every sunny day.

 

My kids swim all day long. (they eat like they swim all day long, too)

 

They're strong swimmers and comfortable in the water.

[Mom-ninja.]

I would love our own pool. My parents have one as do every single one of our neighbors.

 

I would love love love to be able to have the kids swim first thing in the morning to get them ready for lessons. Alas, not in the budget.

[Momof3littles]

I voted community pool upthread, but I'm pretty sure my kids just picked up a stomach bug at our comm pool this week. It seems they get a stomach virus every single year during the first 1-2 weeks we start hitting the pool. Yuck, yuck, yuck.

 

We don't have a fenced backyard, but I've thought about an intex pool. The pool itself would be affordable enough, as a summer pool membership is now 500/yr for our family. But I'm not sure I want to do the maintenance, and then there is the cost of fencing, homeowner's insurance increase (I assume?), and pool chemicals. And we have a 3 yo, so I'm particularly worried about safety with him

[poppy]

And here's my prime of example of the HUMANS at a community pool (keep in mind, this is a private neighborhood/HOA pool, only residents of our neighborhood have access).

 

1. A man and woman who it is rumoured to be having an affair are there. Man is married, woman is not. They are neighbors across the street from each other. I've been "told" they are having an affair, and since then, noticed some "odd" happenings (keeping in mind we live in a small neighborhood, about 60 houses and I have to drive by their house to get out of my neighborhood). LIke today. 3p.m. they are there at the pool, laying side by side in lounge chairs, belly down and quietly talking to each other. His wife and kids are not there....her one young son is. She's the type that is probably late 30-40's, though dresses much younger. Has the figure for it, so okay, I guess...today in a itsy-bitsy triangle bikini....but I dunno.....NOT what I'd want my husband doing at 3p.m. on a week day...or ANY day for that matter.

 

2. Mom comes in with her young son (later hear he's three) and another mom comes in with her young son, probably about 5-ish. Not together. 3 year old can not swim and wears one of those new-fangled floaties that go around upper arms and chest. 5 year old can not swim, but comfortable in the 3 feet area, going under water etc. The moms are in the same area, and the 5 year old is chatty, so the moms are chatting, friendly etc (I can tell by the conversation they were not acquainted prior to this). Great! 5 year old's mom gets out, goes sits in corner. Her son stays and is chatting up the other mom, talking to the 3 year old. That mom was working with her 3 year old on swimming. Now kinda cornered by the 5 year old who just won't stop talking to her. His mom sitting and messing with her phone. 5 year old picks up 3 year old, kinda hugging way, and they both go under. Mom quickly grabs her 3 year old and asks the 5 year old be careful. 5 year olds Mom never looks up from her phone. Mom and three year old get out to "take a break" (ie get away from the chatty kid for a minute). 5 year old follows them.....his mom still looking at her phone.

 

3. A mom and her two boys..about ages 8 and 10 and mom is constantly ON her boys about this and that, and her boys are constantly bickering, crying, complaining etc. I've talked to this mom prior, as she's at the pool quite a bit with her boys, and she commented on how well behaved my boys are (it was a good day for them, lol....not always like that :), and mentioned her boys are autistic. I'm not informed on autism so no idea if they behaviour is due to autism, or just life.

 

4. We won't even attempt to go to the pool on the 4th of July. Last year we went for a bit, and there was a party going on, with loud music (not our type) and drinking. It was an adult party too. Not an official HOA-condoned party, mind you, but some residents and friends (remember that younger-dressing Mom from #1 above....her crowd)...not a place for our children.

 

So yeah, backyard pool all the way!

 

 

You seem to really enjoy the human element of the neighborhood pool, though!

 

Some of these lists of complaints make me think I must just be obvious. Or I got lucky. People are generally nice in our community pool and I have never had a problem. Maybe I'm just easygoing.

[littlebug42]

I would rather have my own pool. There is no activity I detest more than going to the public pool. Didn't even like it when I was a kid.

[texasmama]

I was so hot and tired this evening that I wished so much that I could walk out my back door and into a cool, relaxing pool. We don't have a neighborhood pool, either. Dh objects to the above ground kind or I would look into those.