Here’s a little quiz for you: what is the most common thing to all the expensive houses shown in Hollywood movies?
A swimming pool, that’s right. With this sort of seamless brain-washing, who wouldn’t want to own a house with a swimming pool. Most of us have been programmed to think that a swimming pool is a very desirable and prestigious thing to have; what’s more there is even a myth that it adds to the value of the house.
Well, I beg to disagree.
I think, and I will back this up with some figures, that a swimming pool is a money pit and unless you have more money than you can spend and you employ people to take care of it daily, swimming pool can also be more work than fun.
Have you ever had an aquarium? A swimming pool is a commitment just like that, only much, much bigger. It requires a lot of regular attention and maintenance, and if you are too busy, the stench measures on a much bigger scale.
An old pool that hasn’t been maintained well is uglier than an old lady wearing a mini skirt. To have that sparkling, crystal clear water takes a lot of work – and cash.
First of all, let’s think of all the expenses that come with the pool. You pay extra for electricity to have the pump running for 8 hours a day, pay for water, for chemicals to maintain a certain level of pH and chlorine, so that the water doesn’t become a health hazard, pay extra to get the pool cleaned and the leaves removed (or do it yourself whenever you get a minute).
If you’ve allowed your pool to go green it can cost you north of 300 to get it in a usable condition, and regular maintenance (we’re talking twice a month here at least) costs about $70-$90 a visit. According to Aloha Pools the current water restrictions in Victoria prohibit filling a pool with drinking water, which means that you should buy groundwater and have it transported, which can cost $1000 – $3000 for an average size pool.
So let’s see what a season of swimming costs you. To fill a pool and pay for the 4 months of regular maintenance costs $2720, divide it by 120 days and we get a fee of $22 a swim – if a person swims 7 days a week, that is. For 3 times a week, it costs you $52 a swim. We haven’t even considered the electricity costs and all the manual labor of cleaning the leaves.
NOW that public swimming pool where you pay $7 a swim looks much more attractive, doesn’t it?
