Whew! The pool construction is over and the pool has been paid for… now what? What are the ongoing costs of pool ownership? Your pool contractor from Tipton Pools in Knoxville, Tennessee is your best resource for what you can expect to pay for your pool on an ongoing — monthly or weekly basis.
Swimming pool owners — especially new sones — need to remember that the cost of the pool is only one of the costs involved in pool ownership. You will be faced with increased utility bills, cleaning costs and more. Swimming pools are more affordable and more energy and cost efficient than they have ever been, but you do still need to budget for the costs.
After all, your pool is certainly somewhere you want to spend a lot of time in and it is an investment that will pay you back in fond family memories.
What are the ongoing costs of pool ownership?
- If you’re financing the pool you will need to budget for the ongoing cost of paying back the loan — for however many years you have chosen for the length of the loan.
- Add in the costs for energy efficient equipment and other accessories for your pool — they may be included in your initial pool construction fee or you may decide to have some add ons.
- Pool care and maintenance. Yes, you can DIY pool maintenance and many pool owners do. BUT you will need to buy all of the chemicals and store them safely and you may find you spend more money on chemicals simply because you’re not well versed in how to balance them and you may need to add more of this, then more of that and so on to get the chemistry just right. Ask us for a cleaning lesson and how to read the test strips. Also, ask us for a cleaning visit and determine whether it’s better for you to hire out the service. You may find you save money and you will certainly save time. Wouldn’t you rather swim than clean?
- Utility bill increases — running the pool equipment and the pool heater if you have one will lead to increases in your utility bills.
- If you have to refill the pool because of splashout and evaporation — and you will — that will be an additional cost.
- Will your homeowner’s insurance go up because you have a pool? In many cases, it will.
- Incidental costs you may not have considered include: landscaping, outdoor living space amenities like furniture and lighting, pool toys, towels, heated towel racks, etc.
Knowing what to expect, up front even if it’s only an average will help you better budget for the project itself and ongoing upkeep and maintenance. The pool will be a gift that keeps on giving and is certainly a wonderful staycation spot in case we can’t travel again this summer!