Swimming Pool - hassle or amazing lifestyle choice?

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johno1234

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#3461023 12-Feb-2026 15:41

camo786:

Pools are great family fun and aesthetically pleasing if you do some nice landscaping

Compass Self Cleaning pools are amazing

https://www.compasspools.co.nz/Secret+Weapon.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22783108742&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7rDMBhCjARIsAGDBuEBhfEAWaoeV8v8JHSpgVMRLgMEoYv_eP6wOPAC7KqpvyADQi6OqKpEaAoemEALw_wcB

Heads up, the landscaping may cost as much or more than the pool

That looks clever - as long as it doesn't break. And if it breaks as long as is maintainable.

dimsim

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#3461027 12-Feb-2026 16:20

johno1234:

camo786:

Pools are great family fun and aesthetically pleasing if you do some nice landscaping

Compass Self Cleaning pools are amazing

https://www.compasspools.co.nz/Secret+Weapon.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22783108742&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7rDMBhCjARIsAGDBuEBhfEAWaoeV8v8JHSpgVMRLgMEoYv_eP6wOPAC7KqpvyADQi6OqKpEaAoemEALw_wcB

Heads up, the landscaping may cost as much or more than the pool

That looks clever - as long as it doesn't break. And if it breaks as long as is maintainable.

Our has a maybe 5 jets down one side of the pool that circulates water across the pool to a centrally mounted skimmer box, you can visually see the flow when its filtering. The water always stays crystal clear at both end, running 4 hours in the am and 4hours in the pm.

The compass system looks clever, but id like to know how to empty the leaf basket without getting wet :)

richms

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#3461040 12-Feb-2026 17:16

When I had mine running, the 750w pool pump added about $2 a day to the powerbill, and there was chemicals so all up it was about $100-120 a month plus all the hassle for the odd swim. If you ignore it then you have a hell of a lot of work to get it back in shape. Probably add another 50% on to that for current pricing.

If you will be using it every day then perhaps. I think each swim I got in mine would have cost me about $80 so I am in no hurry to get it resurfaced and in use again.

Richard rich.ms

insane

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#3461101 12-Feb-2026 22:28

camo786:

Pools are great family fun and aesthetically pleasing if you do some nice landscaping

Compass Self Cleaning pools are amazing

https://www.compasspools.co.nz/Secret+Weapon.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22783108742&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7rDMBhCjARIsAGDBuEBhfEAWaoeV8v8JHSpgVMRLgMEoYv_eP6wOPAC7KqpvyADQi6OqKpEaAoemEALw_wcB

Heads up, the landscaping may cost as much or more than the pool

I'll second this. My neighbours trees dumb all their leaves into our garden multiple times a year and the self-cleaning really works - it's not a gimmick. Costs a bit more but I've never needed to lift a pool robot or do any scrubbing so I'm very happy with my choice!

Can also attest to the landscaping costs. If you site is not flat, be prepared to pay more for a self supporting pool (maxi rib if going with compass) or serious retaining walls.

I didn't put the pool in as an investment, added it so our house would be where our kids hangout with their friends so we know what they are up to.

RogerMellie

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#3461116 13-Feb-2026 00:12

Had one growing up overseas in a hot climate and us kids had to learn how to maintain it. Was 100% worth the cost for the amount of fun we had, the luxury of slipping into it on a hot humid day, and of course practising our bombs, ahem, doing lengths and getting fit.

MikeAqua

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#3461123 13-Feb-2026 06:03

We had a pool in our last place. It was really enjoyable. Nice to come home on long run day strip off, and jump in the pool with a nice cold recovery ale. They can be a bit of work, but it's not that much. Or you can buy an automatic pool vacuum, and/or pay a company to do the chemical side of things. The vacuuming is the slowest part.

I'd recommend a saltwater pool. They're much nicer to swim in. They pass the water through a chamber that precipitates chlorine, so the water is treated a little at a time, continuously. Not the whole pool. I'd also recommend an air to water heat-pump (especially if you have solar). If you get a heat pump, I'd get a thermal cover for the pool too - they make a huge difference. We're in Blenheim and found a heat pump and cover extends our swimming season by six weeks at either end.

The biggest PITA with a pool (IME) is the compliance (NZ pool regs are very strict) and council inspectors who don't understand third form physics.

Mike

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Goosey

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#3461128 13-Feb-2026 06:46

Never ending pit of cash, from the maintenance (including pool cover and associated gear where the cover stretches under rain water weight and or always needs a scrub)….but hey it’s the convenience of being able to just bob around in your own pool !

just don’t go for the glass fencing, they are terrible to keep clean plus people want to lean and hang off them which isn’t good.

Jase2985

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#3461238 13-Feb-2026 15:13

We put one in at the end of 2021, kids were 5 and 9, both water babies, and my nephews, now 5 and 3 have been using it a lot recently too are also water babies.

Pools can be a lot of maintenance, if you get the wrong type, wrong chemistry or you don't have a little bit of time to put into it, same goes for cost, wrong type, wrong chemistry can really add to the cost.

for me per year its about

4x $20 20kg bags of salt,
1x $60 20L of Hydrochloric Acid,
1x $50 20kg
10x $2 skimmer socks.

And every 4-5 years is 1x $1300 silver/copper cell for the enviroswim unit.

The pump is about .8kw and costs about $0.187 to run per hour and the heat pump is about 2.2kw and costs $0.51 per hour. We have solar so this offsets most of the costs of the pump and heat pump.

It's about 5 mins to uncover and put the robot in and set it for 2 hours, 5 mins to come check and set again, and 10 mins to remove and clean and put away. Usually that's once a week.
Onces a fortnight it's a 20-min scrub on top of the above, and maybe depending on how dirty or full the pool it a 20-min vacuum in-place of the robot clean to suck out all the crap and lower the water level. Backwash and rinse once a fortnight for about 5 mins.

10 minutes to check and adjust the chemicals once a month, but its really pretty stable with the enviroswim unit, so pretty hands off.

We have most definitely spent more on landscaping round the place than on the pool itself, but it's such a tranquil area, and we love spending time out there, whether its in or by the pool.

insane

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#3461239 13-Feb-2026 15:23

Goosey:

Never ending pit of cash, from the maintenance (including pool cover and associated gear where the cover stretches under rain water weight and or always needs a scrub)….but hey it’s the convenience of being able to just bob around in your own pool !

just don’t go for the glass fencing, they are terrible to keep clean plus people want to lean and hang off them which isn’t good.

I've got a thermal cover from BMH, tucked away inside a Kwila box. Have spent maybe 10minutes on it in 3 years. Algae does seem to try grow on the stitching.

As for glass fencing, it's great! I've got a low salt pool 1500ppm, and being fibreglass don't have to have the hardness very high. Sometimes splashing causes some staining but it's crystal clear after any rain so it's pretty low maintenance. I clean it with a brush that attaches to my garden hose once a year - 15min tops.

I might have a different opinion in 10 years time though, and heating costs are not for the faint hearted! At a guess I'd say it's $2500-$3000 a year factoring in power, chemicals, pool toys, wear and tear on equipment etc etc.

SATTV

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#3461277 13-Feb-2026 16:22

Growing up in Hamilton we always had a pool which was great. First was a 12' round one from Para, when I was about 7 or 8 we got a 27 x 15' pool and dad put it half in the ground.

We had may hundreds of hours every year in there as kids.

Mum and Dad did not use it a lot.

We used slow-release chlorine tabs and Dad would vacuum the pool every Sunday. lots of work for dad and we got the enjoyment.

When I was 18 or 19 the new pool fencing rules came out, My sister had left home and I did not use the pool a lot so out it came.

I don't think I would have a pool now unless I had kids.

A friend has an inground pool. I find them colder than above-ground pools; however, they have a massive black polythene pipe system on the roof of their house connected to a pump. They reckon they get in the pool a month earlier than most and use it a month longer than most, the pump broke and the difference after a couple of days was amazing.

John

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Senecio

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#3461335 13-Feb-2026 18:06

Thread title needs to be changed.

Pools are both a hassle and an amazing lifestyle choice. I absolutely would if I had the right property, but then I'd also complain about how much time and money I was sinking into it.

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MadEngineer

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#3461337 13-Feb-2026 18:28

Get a pool boy or forget it.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

Technofreak

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#3461347 13-Feb-2026 20:58

The best pool is the neighbour's pool.

I love swimming but I've never had a pool and don't ever see myself getting one. If I were buying a property I'd always go for the one without the pool.

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JayADee

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#3461484 14-Feb-2026 15:20

I was about to say the same. The best pool is your sister’s boyfriend’s pool. Then you get to swim in it, bbq near it and only have to pick out the odd bug and leaf and bring ‘round some lunch for everybody to share.

Shindig

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#3461489 14-Feb-2026 17:04

Thank you for all the comments and insights.

The second option is to to get a swim spa, with a smaller amount of landscaping required to level out the slope section.

Failing that, the wooden electric hot tubs look amazing and reading the posts has prompted a good amount of thought as to what the pool would be use for, we conclude the appeal is simply having a soak.

This is mainly about utilising the sloped area and clawing back a good amount of space to extend the back yard. We could simply fill and level with grass.

Thank you

The little things make the biggest difference.

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