Taking the Plunge – Are You Ready for Pool Ownership?

When I moved to California from the Midwest – one of the benchmarks I set for myself in order to be assured that I had truly “made it” and become successful was having a pool in my back yard.  Many years later, I achieved my goal – but was it truly worth it?  Now while I shop for yet another new home, this question again has come up.  My kids have an obvious opinion on owning a pool – a house is not a home without one!  But from an adult’s perspective, things are a bit different. 

 The pros to pool ownership are numerous.  There is nothing like floating on an air mattress and sipping a Calistoga during triple digit heat.  Swimming for exercise is easy, and pool parties are fun and exciting.  There IS a downside, however, and one that never occured to me until I owned my very first pool.

Pools require maintenance, and this is not something that you can just skip when money is tight unless you want to grow new strains of green algae in your backyard.  And green algae has expensive consequences for delicate pool pumps and equipment.  PG&E bills can be heavily impacted by pool pumps, and even solar heated pools require pumping.  

Teens love pools, and do crazy things in them.   It is impossible to watch your pool 24×7 – and there is CONSIDERABLE liability involved in owning a pool.  I used to see lawsuits everytime a teenager did a belly flop off my diving board.  

If you have small children – you either need a locking gate or eyes in the back of your head to prevent any accidents.  There is nothing more tragic than an accidental drowning of a small child. 

Pools also take up a LOT of your lot space, so if you want a nice garden or room to play, better think twice about a pool.

So what is my solution?  I am trying to find a community pool that I can just belong to, so I have the benefits without the hassles.  I will give up the midnight skinny-dipping for some peace and quiet.