Pocket pool

[wincrasher]

My neighbor...I call him Steve...just put in a lovely above ground swimming pool. The HOA said..hey wait a minute...and made him tear it down. Anyways, Steve is going to bury the thing, put a deck and fence around it and make it pretty. I plan on planting shrubs or something..Steve and his speedo can swim out of sight for all I care.

I may have to dismantle my security lights for fear of there being any skinny dipping going on.

But it got me thinking...I might like to build a pool. Something alot nicer than Steve is doing. My brief investigations on the inter-tubes is leading me to think it's a $35-45K project. But there is little info on operating costs.

Do any of you have a pool? Do you regret it or love it? Fiberglass, gunite?
How much time and money to keep up with it? Do you button it up for the winter? Do you hire someone to take care of it?

[terces]

I have an inground gunite pool and to me it is basically a love-hate relationship. Came with the house so couldn't tell you price but your numbers are in the ballpark from what I heard from friends.

I am our pool man so we don't have a service. Its a weekly chore keeping chemicals up and scrubbing the walls. It runs year round cause we are in Texas. I can look up numbers at home of what we have paid out over the years. Seems something needs fixing or replacing every year lately.

Next house won't have a pool... I'm thinking an above ground jacuzzi instead.

[jIM_Ohio]

FYI at HR block they used a swimming pool as a schedule A example. If your doctor perscribes it, you can deduct many of the costs as health related expenses or house improvements (related to medical).

So ask your doctor if getting a pool will help with (insert medical problem here). Like a bad lower back, heart condition or something else.

[wincrasher]

Jim, you are giving me evil thoughts.


I like it!

[jIM_Ohio]

Jim, you are giving me evil thoughts.


I like it!

Some people which know me better just call me evil LOL

Keep in mind that was a training excercise and while if it cost $50k to put in pool, it might have saved tax filer about 25% of the cost (because there is a 7.5% AGI floor on some of deductions related to health care).

They were able to take a large deduction the year they incurred the installation expense. They were able to deduct increases in utilities (electric, water) every year after as a related health care expense. The whole utility bill is NOT deductible, only the increase relative to before pool was deductible.

You should consult with a tax professional or get a second opinion before you are sure its possible (that was 2007 tax code, Obama care might change the floor or what is deductible).

[bjl584]

We had a pool when I was growing up, but this was back when I was living at home and had no idea about finances. My Dad decided that it was too much work, so we tore it down and sold it to a guy he worked with at the time for a few hundred bucks. You might want to go that route if it's your first pool. Get a used one from Craigslist or someplace like that. Set it up, use it for a year or two, see if you like it, then decide if you want something nicer and more permanent

[Snodog]

FYI at HR block they used a swimming pool as a schedule A example. If your doctor perscribes it, you can deduct many of the costs as health related expenses or house improvements (related to medical).

Thats a very shrewd move. I'll have to remember that if I ever build a pool!

[GREENBACK]

All my neighbors have pools and they are constantly working on them. I've never had one and never will until I'm capable of paying someone to maintain it. I do have a boat and a large lake to swim in so that's a far better deal to me. Mother nature cleans and maintains my 2500 acre "pool" for free.

[TheStreetCeo]

The light for my friends pool costs $600 bucks! Pretty colors at night but no thanks.