Pool Regret Is Real! 7 Reasons Not to Invest in One

A person overwhelmed by bills sitting at a table next to a swimming pool. — A stressed man sits with his head in his hands, overwhelmed by the mounting costs of backyard pool maintenance.

Do not fall prey to pool regret! Avoid making the mistake of getting one!

Pool regret may not sound like something you would end up feeling, but a lot of others before you thought the same, and in the end they have regretted their choice!

This is not about whether or not installing a pool in your backyard will raise the resale value of your home or if it is going to fulfill a long-time want, but rather to make sure you are making the most financially conscious choice for you. As to not end up diving into the deep end and not having a way out of it!

The type of pools that will end up raising the value of your home are the in-ground ones, which means that if you end up not being happy with them, you cannot just return them.

What’s more, the cost of installing an in-ground pool is generally anywhere between $39,000 and $70,000, with some specialized versions ending up costing up to $100,000.

No matter which one you opt for, it is a hefty upfront cost to pay.

Surely, you have done your calculations and know you can install one, but poor regret is all about the unknown issues you may end up facing after getting your dream pool.

From hidden costs to hazards you could not have foreseen, we have gathered all the pool regrets before you have handled them so that you can assess all sides before making your choice of
Make sure you check them out so you do not drown in regret!

Do you know someone who has pool regrets? Have you heard about it before? What is your opinion on this? Let us know your answers in the comments.

1. Maintenance costs an arm and a leg.

Depending on how often you use the pool, you will need to get maintenance done on it more frequently.

Not to mention that you will also have to take into account that you will also need to clean it, and while the basic part of it can be easily done by anyone, you will also need to keep an eye on the chemicals that go into the pool water.

On average, experts estimate that residential pool maintenance is going to cost you somewhere around $233 a year, but this is just the average. In reality, it may end up costing you way more.

What’s more, if you are getting all the cleaning equipment yourself, that is going to cost you more. And for those of us who do not want to deal with the chemicals (especially chlorine) by ourselves, you will need to get a professional to come and do it for you.

If you want to pay someone to come do this for you, monthly pool cleaners cost on average around $115 monthly, with a yearly cost looking up to a bit less than $1,400.

Surely, you can DIY everything yourself to save a thousand dollars a year, but you will have to brush up on your chemistry and cleaning skills!

A technical diagram of a pool cross-section highlighting common repair areas with a $677 average cost label. — Common pool issues like torn liners and cracked pumps result in an average repair cost of $677.

2. So do repairs!

And since we looked at pool regret and costs, maintenance is not the only thing that is going to cost you a pretty sum. Pools, like a lot of other things in our lives, will need to be repaired from time to time.

Be it that we are looking at parts that suffer from wear and tear over time or that we are looking at big repairs like leaks and pump and filter replacements.

You may think it would not be that much, but on average, a pool repair costs owners about $677. When you factor in the big repairs we mentioned earlier, the cost can shoot up to a couple thousand, depending on all the issues you may have.

Just keep in mind that you can either learn to repair some parts by yourself if you are handy or be prepared to cover the costs.

3. Experts warn about safety hazards.

Another part of pool regret is made up of safety hazard issues. You may not think much of it, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the main cause of children’s deaths (children between 1 and 4 years old).

No one wants to think they would be that unlucky, but remember, it takes a couple of seconds of not paying attention for tragedy to happen. And let’s not talk about accidents caused by people slipping.

There are a couple of pool safety laws you will have to abide by, which differ from state to state.

For example, in California, homes and spas need to have two drowning prevention safety measures, which more often than not include a pool cover for safety and exit alarms on the home! This is something that the owner will have to pay for, so you need to keep it in mind.

You have to also read up on the law so you do not end up breaking any of them regarding pools.

An ink and watercolor illustration of utility meters spinning rapidly, with wires and hoses forming a pool ladder shape. — Spinning utility meters illustrate the massive amount of water and electricity required to maintain a backyard pool.

4. Say hello to bigger utility bills.

Since costs seem to be racking up, we need to mention that pools end up racking up your utility bills. Most pools will require quite a lot of electricity, and when you are filling the pool, you are looking for a lot of water.

On average, just operating the likes of pool lights and pumps can cost owners anywhere between $30 and $120 a month extra on their bills.

What’s more, you will need to add in the filtration system and other water-related costs as well.

Even if you are prepared to pay the upfront costs when you first install the pool, remember that it is going to cost you constantly to be able to run it safely!

5. Surprise! It can affect your insurance policy.

I bet you did not think that insurance would be roped into pool regret, but here we are! The insurance world likes to refer to swimming pools as “attractive nuisances.”.

While you may end up being the talk of the neighborhood, with your grandkids and kids flocking to your yard for fun, you are also opening yourself to several danger factors. As much as pools are attractive, they are also dangerous!

Insurance policies for your home once you have a pool can change drastically. Be it that you can end up with your home insurance being canceled if you install a pool, or that you are going to be seeing a jacked-up price (and it will not be pretty).

Insurers want to cover the likelihood of an accident (with around pools being pretty high all things considered), and they have also discovered that high dollar claim payouts are big when compared with other liability risks for home insurance policies!

Before you install your new pool or decide to buy a home with one, make sure you check with your insurance provider about how this will affect your policy.

A pile of guest towels and flip-flops at a back door with a crowded pool visible in the blurred background. — Stacked towels and scattered flip-flops show how your pool can quickly attract a crowd of neighbors.

6. You’re going to attract more neighbors.

No, we are not talking about the human ones. Pools, since they are bodies of water, are going to end up attracting the likes of animals (squirrels, frogs, raccoons just to name a couple), along with a lot of insects.

Once in your yard due to the pool, these animals will likely make a home out of your yard and it’s hard to get rid of some of them and they will cause damages in the long run.

The key to keeping them away is to invest in a pool cover (which we mentioned before), which costs on average about $1,600, if we’re not talking about automated ones. If you want to go down the route of pool fences, those can be anywhere between $15 and $25 per linear foot.

If you are pretty handy, you can also DIY a pool fence, but keep in mind that animals can still get over them. This one from Amazon is the one we went for!

A mixed-media illustration showing a close-up of a cracked pool surface and peeling plaster under water. — A magnifying glass inspects cracked pool tiles, highlighting why maintenance scrutiny and resurfacing are significant worries.

7. Resurfacing will be something to worry about.

Owning your own pool is indeed a long-term luxury, and if you can budget properly for one, you can enjoy it for years to come. Yet, keep in mind that over the years, due to prolonged use, the elements, and chlorine, the pool’s floors and walls are going to take a beating.

This means you will need to resurface the pool, which can cost you around $6,500 for 1,000 square feet! A bigger pool can end up costing you up to $100,000 on average!

While this is something that generally gets done every ten years, you can expect to need to do it more often, and it is not cheap to have to shell out this type of money!

Pools are just one of the items you should think twice about before purchasing! No matter if you’re approaching retirement or just starting your adult life, make sure you do not overspend on these items since it’s the equivalent of throwing money out the window!