Installing a pool in our first home. Any advice or suggestions are welcome! My girlfriend and I and building our first home. We are expecting to close on the house...
Dj_White_Gold replied:
You certainly want to get a nice pool. Cheating out now will probably be something you’ll regret later. It should be as nice as the rest of the house. It will increase the value of the home somewhat, but you won’t get all of your money back from it. If you’ll be there 10+ years, and you really want a pool, it would be worth it. If you won’t be there for long, or if you just want to increase property value, it would not be worth it. Also, keep this in mind: there’s no such thing as “full automation”. You may not have to clean the pool as often, but it’ll still be a bit of work to keep it maintained. You need to be prepared for that. Luckily you’re in Nevada, so you don’t have to worry about draining and covering the pool over the winter. Bottom line is you won’t recover all your money, and you’ll have to do a good bit of maknenance, no matter what the pool builder claims. You just need to decide how bad you want it.
Edit: Nevada, not California.
skotman01 replied:
I’ve always been told by having a pool you reduce your resale market to people who want a pool down from everyone. A pool is one of those things, if you are going to be in the house for the long haul and want it...do it. Don’t plan on getting your money out though.
bfig replied:
I have an almost fully automated saltwater pool. It’s great because I don’t have to use chlorine. And you don’t feel the salt at all. It’s 4 g per liter. A tear is 8 g per liter. Sea water 20 g. I have a ph balancer too. If I were to do it from scratch, I would make it self cleaning and add an integrated cover, the ones that electrically cover it’s from under the outside rim. Pay attention to where the pool controls are, some of them like light switches are more practical close to the pool. With all of this, upkeep is 10 min a week tops.
scarabic replied:
My advice is don’t. Seriously, seriously, don’t. We have a small pool and it’s the largest electricity user in our home, even with solar rooftop heating. The pump is 1.5 kilowatts and runs for 8 hours a day. That’s a shit ton of power. We pay a guy $200 per month to care for the pool. It would be less to do it myself but it would take 10-20 minutes a day and probably $50+ in chemicals. We live in an area affected by drought and losing a hundred gallons a day to evaporation negates almost all other water saving tactics we use. Plus the pool divides our yard in half because of its child safe gate, and the concrete pads around the pool take up a ton of space we would love to use some other way. Damn. We didn’t go looking for a house with a pool but when we found the right house it happened to have a pool. It’s wonderful to have about two or three days a year. But NOT worth it at all. I guess if you’re thinking to build one then you probably really want one, but if you were a close friend I would seriously say to consider it very carefully. I will probably be on this sub sometime in the next 5 years to talk about pool removal.
Not_Einstein replied:
not home owner nor do I have a pool, but what I've seen from majority of people's experiences on Reddit is pools are crazy expensive to upkeep. Hundreds of dollars a month to maintain is not unheard of. But if you have the money and really want one, go for it. It's nice to have some type of overhead cover considering how hot it is in Vegas.
user82i3729qu replied:
Def salt water. But yea if your not in a desert it'll probably decrease your home value. Most people don't want the added headache and expense.
Texas_Pete_11 replied:
Unless you got the dough to pay for a pool guy, forget it, they are a daily PITA.
crunkadocious replied:
Shitty pools are worse than no pools in terms of home values. If the nice stuff is out of your price range, save up for a while then do it.
RandomMissouriGuy replied:
I wouldn’t think that you’d get back the money you invested into the pool. I’m not familiar with the Vegas market so I may be wrong.
Tebuu replied:
Ive had a pool for 20 years and it still looks outstanding.* White Plaster, *After the rebar has been installed and before the gunnite go out and bend the tye wires over so they dont stick up., *Dont use below ground cleaners. They dont last. Use a polaris 280, * Design pool such that the cleaner can reach every surface including steps, * Use a hayward variable speed main pump. It will pay for itself in 2 years. Have it installed by a pro to extend your warranty, *Make sure they dont bond your cool deck to the side wall rebar. That is dont let them run the rebar up the side of the pool and bend it over, and then pour cement over it. If the cool deck moves just a little bit it can vertically crack your plaster. Otherwise it will still crack your plaster, but in a small horizontal line right where the cool deck and plaster meet, *Install a salt water clorinator.
erisynne replied:
The house we bought has a pool. We just got a quote for $25 k to repair it. If that sounds fun, definitely put in an in-ground pool.
salsashark99 replied:
As a former manager of a pool store: Dont. Half my customers hater their pool but didnt want to spend $30 k to fill it in. But if you dont want to listen to me I Will help you not get ripped off
teqnicolor_fox replied:
Former pool service company owner: Pebbletech can be a monster to work with, the darker colors hide algae. In line pool cleaners are a godsend, decide on a pressure side or suction side cleaner. The surrounding foliage will determine the type of cleaner you get. Saltwater pools are garbage and will cost you substantially more than a regular pool. The salt can also corrode the surfaces around the pool. I would use Pentair/Sta-Rite pumps, and if you are in the desert, you are probably looking at a sand filter. D.E. Filters are the best, but I think sand filters hold up better in deserts. I avoid most Hayward products, as I found them to be unreliable, exception was their pool cleaner. Get at least 3 quotes, then find a seasoned pool service tech to go over it with you-pay them for their time. Check the water table underground before digging. Do NOT do fiberglass pools-you will regret it eventually. If you are planning any rock features, I would use real rock, not stucco spread over chicken wire. Put the return lines on the opposite side of the skimmer basket, pushes the leaves towards the skimmer. A bigger filter will cost a little more, but worth it. I have seen owners put tiny filters on pools and wonder why it is getting cleaned all the time.
Just my two bits...
Fireside47 replied:
DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fireside47 replied:
DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
DarthPandaSocks replied:
From my experience as a pool tech, I wasn’t a huge fan of pebble tech surfaces. The texture provides more surface area for algae to grow. If you get this surface, you have To be prepared to spend time brushing it manually. A polaris vacuum or leaf trapper system will not dislodge algae well enough to prevent full on blooms. I tend to prefer smoother surfaces that are light in color for algae prevention and monitoring. Edit: also water falls are pretty much useless and the basins they flow out of are also algae magnets. They’re beautiful, don’t get me wrong. But they are a hassle to keep clean.
thecw replied:
A pool is a hole in the ground that you throw money in. You get a pool because you want a pool, and [don’t mind paying for it](https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2018/07/25/the-twenty-dollar-swim/). You don’t get a pool because it’s going to pay you back.
AndyC333 replied:
1. Troublefree pools.com is an excellent source of pool information. 2. A pool is an expense, not an investment. 3. 5 min per day + 30 min per week can keep the pool perfectly maintained Enjoy your pool
kerrycap replied:
Just did one last year. Get a salt water chlorine generator. We use a dolphin robot to vacuum. Works well. We have some sprinklers and lights that the kids like but no waterfalls. Pay for a good cement contractor.
SuperSkyDude replied:
I live in Phoenix and I've had pools for decades. They cost extra and you will not see a return on your investment. That being said, I would not live here without a pool in the backyard. The energy consumption is not that bad and the chemicals are easy to balance. But only if you go to the right sources. Also, if you have kids get a pool fence. There is nothing more dangerous than having an unprotected pool in the backyard. For better advice and knowledge go visit troublefreepools.com. That is the best website by far. Also, once you have your pool up and running, never ever go to a pool store for chemical evaluations or advice. They are in the business of selling things.
ZippyTheChicken replied:
pools normally require a fence and an inspection.. don't know your area but its pretty standard especially if you have close neighbors.. its for keeping kids out of the pool
UseDaSchwartz replied:
A pool will not likely increase the value of your house. All it does is reduce the number of people who will consider buying your house.
I know this is kinda a weird and random request but does anyone know where I can get a gift certificate for a day spa or something similar to that here in town? It'll be...
C.J. J. replied:
Massage? Las Vegas: Swedish or Medical Massage https://local.amazon.com/las-vegas/B00FL117B4?cid=share_an
C.J. J. replied:
Or wrap/scrub at a spa... Las Vegas: Specialty Body Scrub or Wrap https://local.amazon.com/las-vegas/B00GP4LTB4?cid=share_an
C.J. J. replied:
Last one... Really is a spa package... Las Vegas: Facial, Spa Package, or Microdermabrasion https://local.amazon.com/las-vegas/B00GUNKTSE?cid=share_an