I'm being transferred to another city and one of the houses on my short list for location just happens to have a little in-ground concrete pool in the back yard. Something like a Fastlane would have to be installed in it to make it a true swimming pool. This being the Great White North, it probably would be usable from late May to mid-September only, unless I put a building over it.
How much work and expense is involved in operating a backyard pool? Is it worth the trouble? I'm assuming it's usable as the MLS photos showed it full of water.
It depends on your definition of "fuss". If you have no problem with paying at least $2k to $4k per season, it's no fuss. The low end would pretty much cover the cost of someone cleaning it for you. The high end depends on how much you choose to heat it (you will need to do this) and the cost of replacing broken equipment. We have a pool too and in Pittsburgh it's not exactly the most appealing part of our house but our kids LOVE it. Much like Leslie said, it's a great hang out place for kids. I didn't find any impact on our homeowners insurance either.
It depends on your definition of "fuss". If you have no problem with paying at least $2k to $4k per season, it's no fuss. The low end would pretty much cover the cost of someone cleaning it for you. The high end depends on how much you choose to heat it (you will need to do this) and the cost of replacing broken equipment. We have a pool too and in Pittsburgh it's not exactly the most appealing part of our house but our kids LOVE it. Much like Leslie said, it's a great hang out place for kids. I didn't find any impact on our homeowners insurance either.
