I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it. My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen similar
questions answered here)

"Entropy" wrote in message
...
I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it.
My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a
pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen similar
questions answered here)




Depends on the buyer. I can't afford to maintain a pool, so I told my
realtor to avoid homes with pools. For someone else....who knows?

Most would say, negative.

Dave

"Entropy" wrote in message
...
I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it.
My question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a
pool in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen similar
questions answered here)

Depends on the Buyer.

I recently bought my first home. One of my criteria was that the house
has NO POOL. I don;t want to deal with the upkeep and repairs of a
pool. My wife doesn't swim. However, If there were a hot tub, it would
have been very acceptable. Sq. Ft. was more important to us than
anything..............Needed the room.




Remove "YOURPANTIES" to reply

MUADIB®

http://www.angelfire.com/retro/sster...IN%20PAGE.html

one small step for man,.....
One giant leap for attorneys.

Where do you live is the pool the whole back yard or is it just part of a
huge backyard? Do other homes in your neighborhood?

Are you in Phoenix or Des Moines?

Wayne

"Entropy" wrote in message
...
I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it.
My question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a
pool in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen similar
questions answered here)

I would never have another pool. It is a monster sitting in the backyard
demanding attention and expensive chemicals.

Entropy wrote:
I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it. My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen similar
questions answered here)

"Entropy" wrote in message
...
I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it.
My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a
pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

We specifically told our real estate agent not to show us any homes with
pools. We told him that we would consider a home with an above ground pool
if it was one that could easily be removed (no deck attached to the house
built around the pool, for example).

Might depend where you are located.

I'm in Hawaii and didn't want a pool but bought a house with a poll and now
use it daily. It's at the bottom of a hill and does not dominate the yard.

Might cost you as much to properly demolish as to replaster. Or let the new
buyer replaster.

--
Remove -NOSPAM- to contact me.

Entropy wrote:

I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it. My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen similar
questions answered here)



Hi,
Most realtors say negatively.
Tony

On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 02:14:20 GMT, "Entropy"
wrote:

I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it. My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen similar
questions answered here)



Well, if the neighborhood was overrun with some mouthy little pukes,
I'd consider having one installed and nightly removing the "Victims"
while everyone else slept.

Depends on where you live...I live in SW Fla and pools here are a
positive for those from "up North" who migrate down here on what seems
to be an hourly basis. It is also a plus for me since I enjoy swimming
and use it daily. I guess if I lived in place like Pennsylvania,
Missouri, or even South Carolina or Northern Georgia, a pool might not
be the attraction it is in year-round hot weather climates.

As for the monthly maintenance, once the pool is properly balanced, all
you do is maintain the proper free chlorine-acid balance with either a
constant load of 3-inch chlorine tabs (cost ranges from $40 to $60 for a
bucket that can last several months) in your chlorinator or by shocking
the pool with a few gallons of liquid chlorine (about $2.50 per gallon)
every few weeks. The total cost shouldn't exceed $30-$50 per month, if
even that much.

Problem comes in when the pool owner neglects the maintenance and the
water starts to turn green and show algae growth along the sides. That's
when maintenance becomes expensive since the owner usually freaks out
and calls a pool maintenance business for help. However, it's actually
quite simple to turn a dirty pool around in basically 36 to 48 hrs,
going from a leaf-laden, can't-see-the-bottom green/brown pool to a
clear blue one by simple cleaning and shocking.

Following Hurricane Charley I ended up with one of those pools that
looked like it had been abandoned by the owner, full of leaves and pine
needles blown thru breaks and tears in the pool cage's screen fabric,
lots of yellow and green algae build up since our electric was out for
12 days and couldn't run the pump. When the power came back, I poured 4
gallons of liquid chlorine to shock it (cost about $10), turned on the
pump for 24 hours, skimmed off the debris with my leaf basket and pool
vacuum, and added an algae remover I had stored, resulting in a crystal
clear blue pool again just 36 hours later.




Entropy wrote:

I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it. My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen similar
questions answered here)





--
Paul R
-------------------------------
For email reply, please remove 195

"Entropy" wrote in message ...
I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it. My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen similar
questions answered here)

Having had a pool in the yard in the past, I'd not want a pool if I am
in the market. An in gorund is definitely out of the consideration.
I think most realtors would tell you the same.

Ah, the eternal question.

I installed a 24,000 gal. in-ground pool in my previous home (Atlanta area)
and we enjoyed it immensely. It was a nice centerpiece to the backyard
landscaping and an excuse to have weekend parties. I spent about 1 hour /
week for maintenance and about $150 each season for chemicals. When we got
ready to buy another house, we went looking for one with either a pool or
enough room to add one. In my personal experience, most folks who say they
would never have a pool because of maintenance, cost, liability, etc have
NEVER had one and don't really know what their talking about.

So there!!!

"Entropy" wrote in message
...
I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it.
My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a
pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen similar
questions answered here)

"Gene" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 02:14:20 GMT, "Entropy"
wrote:

I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it.
My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a
pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen
similar
questions answered here)



Well, if the neighborhood was overrun with some mouthy little pukes,
I'd consider having one installed and nightly removing the "Victims"
while everyone else slept.

You just won a 12 pack of virtual beer and some virtual chips. I'd love to
know how you dead with dogs and their owners! :-)

"Entropy" wrote in
:

I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish
it. My question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now,
would a pool in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to
buy?

If it were in Arizona it would definitely be an asset. Assuming you're in
Texas, I would consider it similarly. If it were in the midwest or east, I
wouldn't have one on a bet.

--
It's me, Baker!

When the Chips are Down,
the Buffalo is Empty.

Tony Hwang wrote in message news:Xoo9d.640973$M95.559949@pd7tw1no...
Entropy wrote:

I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it. My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen similar
questions answered here)



Hi,
Most realtors say negatively.
Tony


I'd have to disagree. I've seen lots of surveys, which you can
probably find with a web search, that show how much value is added to
a home for various improvements. Things like adding a bathroom or
remodeling the kitchen are always at the top. Some even add more
resale value than they cost. Pools are near the bottom of the list,
however I have never seen them detract value, they just add a lot less
than they cost.

A lot also depends on where you are located. A pool is going to be a
lot more desirable in FL than it is in MA. Are there many pools in
your neighboorhood?

I think the main reason realtors dislike pools is that a home with one
can take longer to sell. If people have small children, for example,
or are elderly they may be unwilling to buy a home with a pool, so it
rules out some buyers. On the other hand, if someone really wants a
house with a pool, they may still buy a home without it, figuring they
can add it. The realtor would just rather have it sell quickly to as
many people as possible.

I would also evaluate what the total cost of fixing up the pool vs
filling it in and relandscaping, etc., will be, how attractive the
area the pool is in, etc before I made a decision.

As for my vote, if the house had an attractive pool in good shape in
an area where it can be used enough, it would be a plus for me as a
buyer.

Entropy wrote:

I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it. My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen similar
questions answered here)

It depends upon the buyer, his/her family members, and where the house
is located. In Florida, it is probably more of an asset. In Maine, less
of an asset.
Kids would probably use the pool more than adults. Adults look more at
the maintenance and costs. Where I am in NY, the average swimming season
is about 3-1/2 to 4 months. That leaves 8 to 8-1/2 months of looking at
a black pool cover (when it's not covered by snow).

I bought a home in New Orleans - In town not the suburbs. Had a lovely
pool that took up most of the backyard. It was a selling point for me.
Little did I know.

There was a hackberry tree and a Chinese tallow tree that hung
gracefully over the pool. Well, if you have had a pool you know right
away what happened. These two trees dropped leaves, flowers and berries
all day and night. The berries were a poisonous purple which stained
everything they touched. The bottom of the pool and coping was
constantly spotted. Could NOT get the trees down because one of them
belonged to a neighbor and the other was so big, no one could get the
needed equipment in to get it out. Plus it had grown into the neighbor's
fence.

You cannot drain and clean a pool in New Orleans because of the water table.

Plus I would find dead frogs in the skimmer on a regular basis. It had
to be cleaned all the time and despite the fact that New Orleans was
built over Hell, the water temp was cold most of the year.

I bought chemicals by the case!

There were also two vicious German Police dogs - who did really belong
to the police - who lived behind us and would jump the fence to go
swimming. Their owners were always apologetic - when you could find them
- and would come retrieve them. It seemed they could only jump one way.

It was a terrible experience. I would never have another pool.

Joe Fabeitz wrote:
Ah, the eternal question.

I installed a 24,000 gal. in-ground pool in my previous home (Atlanta area)
and we enjoyed it immensely. It was a nice centerpiece to the backyard
landscaping and an excuse to have weekend parties. I spent about 1 hour /
week for maintenance and about $150 each season for chemicals. When we got
ready to buy another house, we went looking for one with either a pool or
enough room to add one. In my personal experience, most folks who say they
would never have a pool because of maintenance, cost, liability, etc have
NEVER had one and don't really know what their talking about.

So there!!!

Chet Hayes wrote:

Tony Hwang wrote in message news:Xoo9d.640973$M95.559949@pd7tw1no...


Entropy wrote:



I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it. My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen similar
questions answered here)





Hi,
Most realtors say negatively.
Tony




I'd have to disagree. I've seen lots of surveys, which you can
probably find with a web search, that show how much value is added to
a home for various improvements. Things like adding a bathroom or
remodeling the kitchen are always at the top. Some even add more
resale value than they cost. Pools are near the bottom of the list,
however I have never seen them detract value, they just add a lot less
than they cost.


Here's one:
http://houseandhome.msn.com/improve/...tspayback.aspx

A lot also depends on where you are located. A pool is going to be a
lot more desirable in FL than it is in MA. Are there many pools in
your neighboorhood?

I think the main reason realtors dislike pools is that a home with one
can take longer to sell. If people have small children, for example,
or are elderly they may be unwilling to buy a home with a pool, so it
rules out some buyers. On the other hand, if someone really wants a
house with a pool, they may still buy a home without it, figuring they
can add it. The realtor would just rather have it sell quickly to as
many people as possible.

I would also evaluate what the total cost of fixing up the pool vs
filling it in and relandscaping, etc., will be, how attractive the
area the pool is in, etc before I made a decision.

As for my vote, if the house had an attractive pool in good shape in
an area where it can be used enough, it would be a plus for me as a
buyer.

When we were shopping for houses we saw a few with pools, and most of
the pools were in need of some work.

Keep in mind that I've never owned a pool before, but I'm pretty handy
and I think I could have had all the pools I saw up and running within
a month or two.

In my case, if I had made offers on any of these homes I would have
used pool repair costs to haggle the price down.

That said, my suggestions are to list at close to the price you want
to sell for, stating the condition of the pool, but stay pretty firm
on your price. Or you could ask a high price and assume that people
will really want to haggle it down because of the pool.

FYI, we didn't buy a house with a pool because we found one with
something more useful and just as controversial. A pole barn.

Christopher

"Sterling" wrote in message
...
I bought a home in New Orleans - In town not the suburbs. Had a lovely
pool that took up most of the backyard. It was a selling point for me.
Little did I know.

There was a hackberry tree and a Chinese tallow tree that hung
gracefully over the pool. Well, if you have had a pool you know right
away what happened. These two trees dropped leaves, flowers and berries
all day and night. The berries were a poisonous purple which stained
everything they touched. The bottom of the pool and coping was
constantly spotted. Could NOT get the trees down because one of them
belonged to a neighbor and the other was so big, no one could get the
needed equipment in to get it out. Plus it had grown into the neighbor's
fence.

You cannot drain and clean a pool in New Orleans because of the water
table.

Plus I would find dead frogs in the skimmer on a regular basis. It had
to be cleaned all the time and despite the fact that New Orleans was
built over Hell, the water temp was cold most of the year.

I bought chemicals by the case!

There were also two vicious German Police dogs - who did really belong
to the police - who lived behind us and would jump the fence to go
swimming. Their owners were always apologetic - when you could find them
- and would come retrieve them. It seemed they could only jump one way.

It was a terrible experience. I would never have another pool.


Holy smokes! That's quite a story. You missed an opportunity for
entertainment, though. I have to think it wouldn't be impossible to find a
person with these two qualifications:

1) Owns a large alligator and would be willing to bring it over for a couple
of days.
2) Believes, as I do, that dogs are in the same category as rats &
mosquitoes, and should be "managed" with extreme prejudice (and gusto).

Does this require clarification, or are the delicious possibilities pretty
obvious?

On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 02:14:20 GMT, "Entropy"
wrote:

I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it. My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen similar
questions answered here)



Depends on where you live I think.
Here in Phoenix Arizona it's a big plus. Nobody in their right mind
would demolish a pool here.
However, if you live in a colder climate........
Remove NO-SPAM from email address when replying

On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 11:57:47 GMT, Paul R
wrote:

Depends on where you live...I live in SW Fla and pools here are a
positive for those from "up North" who migrate down here on what seems
to be an hourly basis. It is also a plus for me since I enjoy swimming
and use it daily. I guess if I lived in place like Pennsylvania,
Missouri, or even South Carolina or Northern Georgia, a pool might not
be the attraction it is in year-round hot weather climates.

As for the monthly maintenance, once the pool is properly balanced, all
you do is maintain the proper free chlorine-acid balance with either a
constant load of 3-inch chlorine tabs (cost ranges from $40 to $60 for a
bucket that can last several months) in your chlorinator or by shocking
the pool with a few gallons of liquid chlorine (about $2.50 per gallon)
every few weeks. The total cost shouldn't exceed $30-$50 per month, if
even that much.

Problem comes in when the pool owner neglects the maintenance and the
water starts to turn green and show algae growth along the sides. That's
when maintenance becomes expensive since the owner usually freaks out
and calls a pool maintenance business for help. However, it's actually
quite simple to turn a dirty pool around in basically 36 to 48 hrs,
going from a leaf-laden, can't-see-the-bottom green/brown pool to a
clear blue one by simple cleaning and shocking.

I couldn't agree more with your statements. This is exactly my
experience here in Arizona.
If you keep up with the maintenance it is VERY easy and cheap to
maintain the pool. Just making sure the chlorine and PH is good and
empty the filters on a regular basis is the only things you need to
do.
If you ignore the pool you need expensive shock treatments (for some
algea kind).
I buy the 40 pound buckets of 3 inch tablets and I buy the 40 pound
buckets of granular chlorine. They last a LONG time. I probably only
need one bucket of 3" tablets a year, and the granular chlorine lasts
much longer than that.
Once in a while I buy acid to keep the ph good. Overall I probably
spend less than 20 bucks a month on chemicals.
In winter it needs almost NO chemicals (non heated pool)

If I hear people complain about maintenance it is almost always
because they constantly neglect the chemicals and need a pro to come
out or buy expensive algea chemicals.
I've had a pool for 6 years and have not had algea ONCE.

Remove NO-SPAM from email address when replying

On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 02:14:20 GMT, "Entropy"
wrote:

I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it. My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

Plus. But it's likely I don't live in your area and won't be buying
your house, so my feelings are pretty much irrelevant to your
decision.

Jeff

On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 04:08:23 GMT, Tony Hwang wrote:

Entropy wrote:

I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it. My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen similar
questions answered here)



Hi,
Most realtors say negatively.

Most realtors *where*?

Jeff

"Jeff Cochran" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 04:08:23 GMT, Tony Hwang wrote:

Entropy wrote:

I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it.
My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a
pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen
similar
questions answered here)



Hi,
Most realtors say negatively.

Most realtors *where*?

If you're suggesting that climate might in some way be related to peoples'
desire to have pools, I must warn you that introducing logic and facts to a
newsgroup discussion can be dangerous and frustrating.

"Paul R" wrote in message
ink.net...
Depends on where you live...I live in SW Fla and pools here are a
positive for those from "up North" who migrate down here on what seems
to be an hourly basis. It is also a plus for me since I enjoy swimming
and use it daily. I guess if I lived in place like Pennsylvania,
Missouri, or even South Carolina or Northern Georgia, a pool might not
be the attraction it is in year-round hot weather climates.

As for the monthly maintenance, once the pool is properly balanced, all
you do is maintain the proper free chlorine-acid balance with either a
constant load of 3-inch chlorine tabs (cost ranges from $40 to $60 for a
bucket that can last several months) in your chlorinator or by shocking
the pool with a few gallons of liquid chlorine (about $2.50 per gallon)
every few weeks. The total cost shouldn't exceed $30-$50 per month, if
even that much.

Problem comes in when the pool owner neglects the maintenance and the
water starts to turn green and show algae growth along the sides. That's
when maintenance becomes expensive since the owner usually freaks out
and calls a pool maintenance business for help. However, it's actually
quite simple to turn a dirty pool around in basically 36 to 48 hrs,
going from a leaf-laden, can't-see-the-bottom green/brown pool to a
clear blue one by simple cleaning and shocking.

Following Hurricane Charley I ended up with one of those pools that
looked like it had been abandoned by the owner, full of leaves and pine
needles blown thru breaks and tears in the pool cage's screen fabric,
lots of yellow and green algae build up since our electric was out for
12 days and couldn't run the pump. When the power came back, I poured 4
gallons of liquid chlorine to shock it (cost about $10), turned on the
pump for 24 hours, skimmed off the debris with my leaf basket and pool
vacuum, and added an algae remover I had stored, resulting in a crystal
clear blue pool again just 36 hours later.




Entropy wrote:

I'm at a point of deciding whether to replaster my pool or demolish it.
My
question for the group is: If you were a homebuyer right now, would a
pool
in good condition be a plus or minus in your decision to buy?

(sorry if this is the wrong group for this question, but I've seen
similar
questions answered here)

You experience is a good illustration about pool maintenance. I was a
reluctant volunteer when I purchased my home. My family loved the house and
the pool that came with it. I didn't having grown up taking care of one.
However, pool maintenance is a lot easier now days. The automatic pool
vacuums are easy to install and make pool maintenance a no brainer. I
occaisionally brush and have to watch the water balance, which isn't that
difficult.

Your experience with the algae control shows the chlorine is the best
algaecide available.

My only caveate to pools is to make sure they are in good shape when you
purchase them. A pool remodel is pretty costly, especially when you factor
in upgrading pumps, filters and electrical.

"Sterling" wrote in message
...
I bought a home in New Orleans - In town not the suburbs. Had a lovely
pool that took up most of the backyard. It was a selling point for me.
Little did I know.

There was a hackberry tree and a Chinese tallow tree that hung
gracefully over the pool. Well, if you have had a pool you know right
away what happened. These two trees dropped leaves, flowers and berries
all day and night. The berries were a poisonous purple which stained
everything they touched. The bottom of the pool and coping was
constantly spotted. Could NOT get the trees down because one of them
belonged to a neighbor and the other was so big, no one could get the
needed equipment in to get it out. Plus it had grown into the neighbor's
fence.

You cannot drain and clean a pool in New Orleans because of the water
table.

Plus I would find dead frogs in the skimmer on a regular basis. It had
to be cleaned all the time and despite the fact that New Orleans was
built over Hell, the water temp was cold most of the year.

I bought chemicals by the case!

There were also two vicious German Police dogs - who did really belong
to the police - who lived behind us and would jump the fence to go
swimming. Their owners were always apologetic - when you could find them
- and would come retrieve them. It seemed they could only jump one way.

It was a terrible experience. I would never have another pool.

Joe Fabeitz wrote:
Ah, the eternal question.

I installed a 24,000 gal. in-ground pool in my previous home (Atlanta
area)
and we enjoyed it immensely. It was a nice centerpiece to the backyard
landscaping and an excuse to have weekend parties. I spent about 1 hour
/
week for maintenance and about $150 each season for chemicals. When we
got
ready to buy another house, we went looking for one with either a pool
or
enough room to add one. In my personal experience, most folks who say
they
would never have a pool because of maintenance, cost, liability, etc
have
NEVER had one and don't really know what their talking about.

So there!!!

Yeah, but look at your setup. A tree over the pool ??? Come on? I have a
totally difference experience here in California.