Would an endless pool in the basement of a house make you more likely to buy it?

[Lounatik]

My neighbors finished off their basement and put a hot tub in one of the rooms. Completely useless room. You go in the basement and immediately you are assaulted by chlorine fumes. Horrible. Plus you have to run a dehumidifier 24/7 to keep mold from growing on the walls. Such a waste.

Peace


Lounatik

 

[Eug]

I'd say it would be a wash. It would interest some people and turn off others.

The real question is if it appeals to you. They don't have many of the drawbacks of traditional pools that are being lamented in this thread, particularly when put indoors. If I were ever to own a traditional detached home I would be considering it as part of a gym area.

No, they cause other problems, like increasing basement humidity. Having a moldy basement as a result of the pool would be disaster, and a fix would be in the many thousands (or even tens of thousands) if done after the fact.

You would need to have proper ventilation with potentially dehumidification, possibly with make-up air, and in a closed off area.

In other words, installing a hot tub or pool or whatever isn't just about installing the hot tub or pool. It's about installing it correctly factoring in other costs that won't show up in your pool quote but which could considerably add to the overall cost.

 

[K1052]

No, they cause other problems, like increasing basement humidity. Having a moldy basement as a result of the pool would be disaster, and a fix would be in the many thousands (or even tens of thousands) if done after the fact.

You would need to have proper ventilation with potentially dehumidification, possibly with make-up air, and in a closed off area.

In other words, installing a hot tub or pool or whatever isn't just about installing the hot tub or pool. It's about installing it correctly factoring in other costs that won't show up in your pool quote but which could considerably add to the overall cost.

When they are covered evaporation is very minimal. A humidistat controlled bathroom fan of decent quality is the most that would be needed to keep humidity levels in check. This is not really a substantial extra cost.

 

[Eug]

When they are covered evaporation is very minimal. A humidistat controlled bathroom fan of decent quality is the most that would be needed to keep humidity levels in check. This is not really a substantial extra cost.

I would recommend a separate room, closed off from the rest of the basement, with a good bathroom fan in the very least.

That alone could double the cost of installation.

And see the post above mine about the chlorine fumes and dehumidifier.

 

[BUTCH1]

Also the added humidity would demand for some consideration regarding mold.

I'd imagine a cover would be in place when not in use..

 

[K1052]

I would recommend a separate room, closed off from the rest of the basement, with a good bathroom fan in the very least.

That alone could double the cost of installation.

And see the post above mine about the chlorine fumes and dehumidifier.

If there is already a suitable room then adding a fan is a minimal expense.

Hot tub installations in basements aren't the same thing as an EP. I've seen numerous hot tubs in basements and all have humidity/smell problems for several reasons (owner leaving the covers off, no ventilation at all, and bad finish choices like carpet, etc). A HT at 100+ degrees also has substantially more evaporation than a pool in the low 80s.

 

[NetWareHead]

Id never have a pool or hot tub in a "basement" duue to cited humidity issues. An indoor pool/hot tub is permissible when you have a structure built for that purpose with plenty of windows, skylights etc... I think a basement is the worst place and I'd rather put it outside

 

[sdifox]

horrible idea. The vapour from the pool is going to cause serious issues. Unless you put in proper air exchanger.

<-- lives in a house with a pool in the backyard.

In fucking Canada.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Depends, if it's a bigger house, and it's in a properly isolated room that has it's own vapor barrier and is overall well built, and that there is still lot of basement left for a rec room and server room, and storage, then maybe. But if it's a standard size house and this thing is taking up precious basement space that could be used for something else, then no. It's one of those things where if it's there I'd probably use it, but I would not go out of my way to get one.

Indoor pools in a house are generally a bad idea unless it's well designed by someone that knows what they're doing, so there arn't mold issues. Seeing stuff on shows like Holmes on Homes done by "contractors" makes me think most people would not install an indoor pool properly.

If I was rich and had money to burn, I'd probably make a "pool room" just because. Something like what you see at hotels, it's properly sealed off from the rest of the building, has good ventilation etc. And a water slide! You have to have a water slide.

Can always do it outside too, but then it's a skating rink that turns into a pool for 2 months.

 

[nanette1985]

Closest I ever came to an indoor pool was the 8 feet of water we had from
Hurricane Floyd.

Not a pleasant experience. Lots of folks in my neck of the woods would associate an indoor pool with flooding.

 

[yottabit]

In the basement, no, it wouldn't increase the value of a house to me. In some sort of solarium or sunroom, probably.

+1 for me. If a basement was furnished I would probably want to keep it mostly clear for family purposes and if it was empty I'd probably turn it into a workshop.

Most of these kind of niche things make it harder to sell a house

 

[Via]

Only if it were full of money from day trading! :sneaky:

Hey, don't laugh. ;p

I still might try the trading thing. I just have to find the gumption to learn how to set up the account and actually do it.

We had a whirlpool in the basement when I was a kid and I don't recall any moisture issues, or being overwhelmed by chlorine odor; I don't think my dad set up any special ventilation. But then again, maybe I just got used to it.

But the responses here definitely make me glad I didn't follow through on this. Come to think of it - I remember house shopping and seeing a really nice one for a pretty good price. When I got to the basement there was a hot tub there, and it kind of turned me off. There was a little moisture damage on the floor tiles, and I kept thinking "What kind of activities happened in that tub?".

 

[Printer Bandit]

neighbor had a pool in which their 2 yr kid drowned in. i hate pools.

 

[Red Squirrel]

That's another thing, if you got a pool, and kids/pets, the room should be inaccessible to them unless supervised.

The more I think about it, the more I think it actually would be cool to have an indoor pool, but like I said before, only if I had a huge house so this room is not sacrificing precious regular basement space. Would probably want to add a HRV unit as well, or dehumidifier, but HRV would probably be cheaper to run. Pool cover could minimize vapors as well.

 

[OverVolt]

You know whats cooler than an endless pool? A hot tub on a deck.

Pools were so 1990's.

 

[Murloc]

no because I don't like indoor pools that much and they cost a lot of money, plus it sounds like a maintenance nightmare, especially if it's underground.

Outside would be fine though, but only if I actually want a pool because I have money to throw away. I can just stick to the river or lake otherwise.

 

[Eug]

I still might try the trading thing. I just have to find the gumption to learn how to set up the account and actually do it.

Wow. Judging by these two lines alone, that sounds like a recipe for disaster.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I want an endless pool for working out. It would add value to the home if I was purchasing it. However, I already have a house, and there is no room to add a pool. Basement is worst place for it IMO, don't want the humidity down there.