Outdoor Living

The Pros of Owning a Pool

Since deciding to build, one question that keeps coming up is whether or not we are going to put in a pool. Of course, my answer is very quickly, yes! Henry, on the other hand is leaning towards no.

I truly don’t think it’s because he doesn’t like having a pool. He certainly enjoys it just as much as we do. His answer is stemming from the financial end of things. He feels like it doesn’t add any value to our home on paper. I have to say, with having a recent appraisal we found this to be true.

Even though the pool doesn’t show up as adding value to numbers on an appraisal, I think it’s a great asset to a home. I’m going to point out some of the pros of having a pool.

Health Benefits

What better way to get exercise than in your own pool. Having a pool provides us a place right in our back yard to be able to keep us and the kids healthy. Swimming is a great way to get a low impact workout and lap swimming increases hear rate. It allows you to get aerobic activity that takes less pressure off your muscles and joints.

The kids love playing ball, riding bikes, etc, but in the middle of 95 degree summer weather, this is sometimes impossible. A pool provides a cool and fun exercise activity in the middle of the extreme heat.

For us older ones, it also offers a mental health escape. It’s so relaxing after a hard days work to jump into the pool and swim a few laps.

Social Benefits

Having a pool offers a great place for friends and family to gather. Whether it be a cookout out by the pool or a kids birthday party, it’s always a gathering place to have fun. We have used our pool and pool area for many occasions like this in the past.

A pool area is the perfect place to have a birthday party. The kids are entertained with pool games and just swimming. There’s really no need to plan for many activities. With some food, music, and the pool itself, the entertainment takes care of itself.

We also use our current pool area for cookouts. This doesn’t necessarily mean we will swim, but the pool provides great ambiance. It’s just a great area for entertaining and relaxing.

Visual Appearance

As I have already mentioned, a pool can add great ambiance to your outdoor living area. If done correctly, it can be very aesthetically pleasing to a home and enhance the visual appearance.

The pool area at our previous house.

With both pools we installed, we made sure that each one fit the look and feel of the home. It wasn’t just a pool, it was an escape. It was an area we could relax in and enjoy.

With landscaping, greenery, flowers, and maybe even a waterfall, a pool can be you own little escape. The pool itself is great, but what surrounds it really makes the area.

Family Memories and Fun

The last and most important part I love about having a pool is the family time and memories. If I haven’t been convincing on the other points, maybe this will hit home.

Night time swims at our previous house.

A pool for us has a been a place we have made so many memories – just us four. From water gun fights, to late night swims, I think we’ve created the most memories around a pool. Yes, these can be made anywhere, but this area has given us a special place to make them – a place that is our area to relax and have fun as a family. It keeps us entertained while laughing and enjoying each other’s company.

So even if I can’t convince Henry to go for a pool on this next house, maybe I can help someone else make the decision on whether or not to put one in!

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4 Comments

  • Reply Julie Terry

    We have a home in FL with a pool. We also have 4 young grandchildren so we have the mesh fence around the pool that can be removed when they leave. We are in the process of buying another home in GA with a pool. The pool deck is a beautiful stone and I hate the thought of have a hole drilled in the stone for the poles. Any advice?

    April 10, 2019 at 10:34 pm
  • Reply Brooke

    Hello Julie! I love the mesh fence idea, that is a great safety measure with those young kids. I love stone and Im sure this looks beautiful around the pool. We have concrete pavers(not as great at your stone…lol) around our pool and we did pay quiet a bit for them, so I understand not wanting to put holes in that. But, we did have to drill small holes for our pool cover anyway. To be honest, it really isn’t that bad. The only other option I could think of would be an automatic cover. Those are pricey, but I would for check into one.

    April 11, 2019 at 12:18 pm
  • Reply Tevia

    Maybe buy some extra stones, so if you ever need to “change out” the stones with the holes, you’ll have replacements ready to go. (And keep them outside so they “age” with the rest of the pool surround.)

    December 23, 2020 at 4:13 pm
  • Reply Zachary Tomlinson

    Thanks for pointing out how pool ownership could help encourage exercising since swimming is a good workout. My cousin is looking for a quick way to lose weight and achieve her ideal body figure. I hope this can convince her to have one installed on her property in the future.

    April 18, 2022 at 7:37 am
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