There were 3 legitimate reasons I did NOT want a pool and it was excruciatingly difficult overcoming each one. You might be wrestling with the same obstacles I had...
Reason 1:
Pools are so dang expensive! Ugh. It's a LOT of money to build a pool and it took financial planning, hustle, budgeting, and saving to get to where we are now. With any large purchase, I still have Mr. Buyer's Remorse knocking on my brain's front door at times. That's totally normal.
Although installing a pool is the most expensive project to date, it is also the ONLY project that will foster memories, laughter, and fun times with friends and family. My kids don't give a rat's boot if our house has all-new floors or an updated bathroom. We've done a lot of home renovations that have affected how we FEEL when we are in our home, but it's time we tackle something that affects what we DO at home and how we spend our time together.
Reason 2:
As a REALTOR with a background in Interior Design, I am highly motivated and excited to initiate renovations that I know will be a smart financial investment. New floors? I'll get my money back and some. New kitchen? I'll double my investment. All of these things build equity in a home while also making our home a more enjoyable place to live. But a pool? Good luck. Typically you'll see a 25%-30% return of the cost of the pool. Knowing more than half the cost of our pool will be a complete sunken cost is something that's really hard for me to swallow.
However, this pool is an investment in our family, NOT a financial investment. And I'm okay with that! It was initially hard to wrap my brain around, but I know the second we dive into our new pool I'll forget all about that "sunken cost." (I feel like there should be a good pun in here somewhere... diving in... sunken costs...)
Reason 3:
Safety. Ugh... I don't even like talking about this one. I have an unhealthy relationship with fear, and the idea of a large body of water in my backyard has been a major trigger for me. Every time we get close to pulling the trigger I get cold feet. However, I have to remember that I grew up in a home with a pool and my mother also simultaneously ran an in-home daycare with summer swimming lessons. We never had any issues or scares. We also had strict rules and procedures on pool usage. I have found safety tools and made plans that bring me the peace I need in moving forward with our pool installation.
First and foremost, I'll be getting my kiddos in a swim safety class. Check. No doubt about that.
Whenever we host a larger swim party, I will hire a lifeguard to work the event. I was a lifeguard throughout high school and college and was hired many times to guard at pool parties (small and large). Looking back, those parents were the smartest ones! I will be doing the same.
We will also have a pool fence and a pool device that will alert us (via outdoor alarm and mobile device alerts) when anything over a certain weight falls into the pool.
In closing...
Alas, all my reasons NOT to get a pool were either overcome or over-ruled by the pros of getting a pool. This journey has been a lot of back and forth (ask my contractor.. we've been emailing off and on for over a year now! He's a saint.) and I can't wait to share this whole process with you!
Sincerely,
Jessica Doberneck of
