I posted this on Soundoff but wanted to get opinions here too.
I live in NJ. I grew up in Florida and had a pool as a kid. I have a relatively small back yard here in NJ; it’s currently about 50 x 25 total grass space plus a patio paver sitting area and grill.
I HATE summers here. I always have. I lived in the NE for 12 years and always feel trapped during the summer. It’s hot AF and the Jersey shore is too crowded and expensive to get to regularly. I don’t have a boat. I’m just stuck without access to water. I’m miserable and I feel bad that my kids aren’t getting the same experiences I had with a pool. Summers were always full of pool and bbq get together all summer long. We’ve thought about joining a pool club which isn’t a bad idea but I’m not thrilled about it. But it is an option and about 10 min away.
So here’s my dilemma. I can fit an approximate 16 x 28 pool plus surrounding cool coat/pavers. But it would essentially remove any grass area in my back yard. I can shift the current patio and fence a bit a create about a 36 x 14 grass area on the other side of the yard.
My kids are 12 (boy) and 9 (girl) so they’ve outgrown just playing in the yard. But they’re perfect age for a pool. So I’m inclined to say eff the grass and get the pool. But I’m worried that it could be problematic from an aesthetic standpoint and resale to have such small grass area. And I can really only use if from late May to early September.
So, I’m looking for feedback. How important is a yard vs having a pool?
I live in NJ. I grew up in Florida and had a pool as a kid. I have a relatively small back yard here in NJ; it’s currently about 50 x 25 total grass space plus a patio paver sitting area and grill.
I HATE summers here. I always have. I lived in the NE for 12 years and always feel trapped during the summer. It’s hot AF and the Jersey shore is too crowded and expensive to get to regularly. I don’t have a boat. I’m just stuck without access to water. I’m miserable and I feel bad that my kids aren’t getting the same experiences I had with a pool. Summers were always full of pool and bbq get together all summer long. We’ve thought about joining a pool club which isn’t a bad idea but I’m not thrilled about it. But it is an option and about 10 min away.
So here’s my dilemma. I can fit an approximate 16 x 28 pool plus surrounding cool coat/pavers. But it would essentially remove any grass area in my back yard. I can shift the current patio and fence a bit a create about a 36 x 14 grass area on the other side of the yard.
My kids are 12 (boy) and 9 (girl) so they’ve outgrown just playing in the yard. But they’re perfect age for a pool. So I’m inclined to say eff the grass and get the pool. But I’m worried that it could be problematic from an aesthetic standpoint and resale to have such small grass area. And I can really only use if from late May to early September.
So, I’m looking for feedback. How important is a yard vs having a pool?