Water Heaven Or Water Hell – The Pros And Cons Of Building A Swimming Pool

Having a swimming pool sitting glistening at the end of the garden is something a lot of people aspire to. The trouble is, building a swimming pool can be pretty expensive and when you factor in the maintenance and upkeep costs, it can prove to be a costly venture. So what are the advantages of having a nice new swimming pool installed and is it worth the cost?

Four Reasons to Build a Swimming Pool

1. Great for kids – If you have children and teenagers, a swimming pool is the ultimate outdoor play activity center. During hot weather, swimming pools keep kids and teens amused all day long and as long as you keep an eye on things, you won’t need to think about any other forms of entertainment.

2. Cool off in hot weather – When the sun is beating down and the temperature is up in the nineties, cooling off in a swimming pool is about the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Line up a few chilled tins of beer and enjoy a nice, relaxing swim. Then, once you have burnt off a few calories, lounge around on an inflatable sun bed and think about how lucky you are.

3. Exercise – Do you need to lose a few pounds? If so, a pool is the perfect place to do it. No more pounding the roads in your neighborhood. Instead you can pop into the pool and swim a few laps. Swimming is great exercise and an excellent way to tone up and lose weight, so what are you waiting for?

4. Adds value to a property – The right swimming pool can make a home instantly more attractive to potential buyers, which in turn will push the value up.

Four Reasons Not to Build a Swimming Pool

1. Cost of installation – Depending on the size of the pool you choose to build, swimming pools are not particularly cheap. Smaller splash pools made using pre-cast molds are cheaper than custom designed pools, but even so, the cost may be prohibitive to many people.

2. Dangerous to small children – Swimming pools are like watery magnets to toddlers and small children. Every year, hundreds of children die as a result of swimming pool related drowning incidents, so never under estimate the dangers of having a swimming pool installed.

3. Maintenance hassles – Unfortunately swimming pools do not stay in pristine condition unless you carry our regular maintenance. Chemicals need to be added to the water to keep it clean and algae free and various other tasks will have to be performed at regular intervals.

4. Can make a home more difficult to sell – Not everyone wants the hassle of a swimming pool, so when the time comes to sell the property, you may find that your list of potential buyers is limited to those who appreciate the benefits of a swimming pool.

There are lots of pros and cons to building a swimming pool, so before you leap in and invest in a new swimming pool for your home, think carefully about whether it will be a sensible decision for you and your family.