If you have small back garden as seems the case, a pool will potentially devalue your house or make it less sale able.
While pools might be fun, if you little rec area that will be a minus.
I'd spend the money getting it landscaped, would bring far more value, use ability and fun.

If you are going for a portable spa then it's worth checking out eBay. We got a 2 year old Jacuzzi for less than a third of what it cost new.

Ah, that's a good idea. Will check on eBay. Thanks.

Great ideas. You can get large above ground pools with lockable lids, or a large spa and see what use it gets x

Spas have to have a fence round them,here in Wa anyway.

Thanks for all the responses guys (although still can't decide!)

$35k was a rough estimate for everything, including landscaping, heating, fence etc. And the space is so awkward that we'd have to turn it all over to pool and surround to make it worthwhile.

Decisions, decisions ...

Here in QLD too, even a $300 inflatable pool from BW over 30cm deep.



Yeah, tough choice. You probably will need decide on cost v usage and who will maintain it etc...

I'm tempted to say if you have the money for it,go for it.If you think you will use it and the nipper will have lots of fun,go for it.

I have to agree with this. If you want to sell later, you're not going to have any safe outside play space for little ones or pets and it will definitely devalue your property. Having said that, if you plan to live there for a long time and think you'll get the use out it, go for it.

Would not even think about living in a house without a pool.

Also have a spa, but would not consider one of them overground tub things that look soooooo ugly.

Put in a solar heating system and it costs next to nothing to look after.

I looked at loads of spas & spent a lot of time researching the pro's & cons of each make/model lots of cheap ones available around the 5k mark. After said careful consideration we opted for a Lanark to replace our ageing cheapo one. We scaled down as well from a 6 seater to a 3 as the kids have left home. The one we chose had plenty of jets incl. neck ones that were on the list of must have features. I think it's called a Jervis Bay Typhoon.
Crazy that you have to fence a small paddling pool 300mm deep yet can dig a huge dam with no fence required.

Not sure how many people dig a huge dam in their back garden?

Where I live just about every house has one. Mind the house blocks are 5 acres & the odd one is 40 acres. Obviously I don't live in suburbia

Awesome, thanks. Went to see some yesterday just to get an idea how they work, cleaning and running costs etc... I'll check out the JBT.

Running cost wise we found that keeping ours at a steady 34-35°C cost about a dollar a day. We've put a 3kw solar system on the roof & still get a nice rebate each quarter so the running costs are absorbed by the panels. We just get $90 bucks a month less than we used to from Ergon.
Chemical wise we didn't really have to do a great deal, we're on tank water out here so the spa fills with rainwater. I just take a sample to the local pool/spa place they test it & tell me the amount of chemical to add. Once that's up & running we just stick a few bromine tablets in the floaty & that keeps it going for a few months. It does have an ozone feature that cuts down on chemicals. Bromine tablets are about $30 & a bottle lasts a year.