It’s no surprise spas and pools go hand in hand. The refreshing coolness of a swimming pool is a great complement to the relaxing warm and massage of a hot tub, and people often install – and enjoy – them together in the same back yard. But many homeowners don’t have the space or the funds, or don’t have them right now, to do both. How do you choose which to do first?
Who
The first question you should ask yourself is who in your family will be using whatever you install? For most families, the pool is the province of the young. Children and their friends jump and splash and play in the pool, while mom and dad and their friends are typically using the spa to relax. For some of our customers, that’s an easy answer – the kids are out of the house, and mom and dad have earned their relaxation time. For other families, it can take more consideration. If you can only choose one, think long and hard about who will get the most use out of your options.
When
We don’t typically have the kind of winters that lend to outdoor swimming. Outdoor hot tubbing, though, is a year-round activity. It’s actually better for your hot tub to be full of circulating hot water all winter, making it an easy call to jump in, even when the mercury dips. If you’re interested in investing in a product you can use the other seven months of the year, a hot tub might move to the top of your list.
Where
The final consideration is one of the simplest. What do you have space for? Can you spare the yard space to install a full-size swimming pool? Are you operating on a limited space budget and need to be as compact as possible? Both pools and hot tubs come in a range of sizes, but a pool will always require more room than a hot tub will.
Pools and spas are both great additions to your family’s outdoor living space. Maximizing your enjoyment in your investment, though, can be assured by making certain you’ve answered these three questions – before diving in.
