Becoming a pool owner is a fairly common fantasy, especially as the summer months approach. The things that usually drive people away from the decision are the potentially steep costs and challenges of maintenance. Building an inground pool is a relatively long project, one that will likely take months, and it’s certainly not a decision to take lightly.
It’s important to discuss building a pool with every member of the family and decide what you want to use it for. Naturally, it’s best to build a pool for a home that you’re sure you’ll be living in long-term to ensure you’re able to fully enjoy it. Pool ownership is a big responsibility, but if you think it may be right for you, there are plenty of good reasons to build a swimming pool.
More Family Time
A pool is a great way to encourage family time, which is priceless in an ever-busier world where finding time to connect can be challenging. A pool can help create lifelong memories, and teaching your children to swim is a great bonding experience. In addition to creating happy childhood memories, having a pool can keep your kids around as they get older. Teenagers have a tendency to disappear to hang out with their friends, but pool owners know that a house with a pool is often a designated hangout spot. Pools create peace of mind by letting parents easily keep an eye on the kids.
Pool Parties
Pool owners tend to be popular with friends, and maybe even the whole neighborhood, since pools are a great venue for gatherings. All age groups can enjoy swimming, or at least the shallow end, and who doesn’t love a backyard barbeque? As the afternoon starts to wind down, kids can continue tiring themselves out in the pool while the adults enjoy a relatively quiet transition into the evening.
Physical Fitness
Exercising in the water is a great way to get a full-body workout since swimming uses all of your muscles, and water’s buoyancy simultaneously offers greater resistance than air while also supporting your joints. This way, you can get a hard workout without all the drawbacks of exercising on land. There are plenty of workout routines you can follow to get the maximum health benefits out of your time in the pool.
Staycations
Possibly the best thing about owning a swimming pool is that it makes staying at home fun. Sure, owning beachfront property would be nice, but how many people can really afford that? Maybe a small vacation home on a lake is more realistic, but how often can you drive there? A pool lets you create your own little paradise right in your backyard. Pools offer the ultimate convenience in that you don’t have to travel, and you can use them on a whim and be dried off and ready to go in mere minutes.
Safety
It’s perfectly understandable that parents of small children may have concerns about becoming pool owners. Children under 14 are some of the most common victims of unintentional drowning incidents, and those aged one to four are particularly vulnerable to incidents regarding home swimming pools. Because of this, many parents may wish to hold off on building a pool until the kids are a bit older.
It’s entirely possible to make pools safe, however, and one of the best ways to do this is by installing safety fences for pools. In fact, most areas will require you to at least install a fence before using a pool. A pool safety fence around the pool area prevents children, or anyone, from simply wandering into the pool at becoming at risk for drowning. For extra protection, you can install pool safety nets, pool covers, and other safety measures. Pools offer many benefits, but they must be used responsibly.
