Hidden extras re: pool installation/advertised 'Sale' price

Hi - hope I have posted this in the right spot. DH and I are super keen for an in-ground pool. We thought it was a little our of our current budget but have seen an advertisement for $22990 for 7x3m concrete pool incl set amount of landscaping & fencing and also solar heating provisions. Size is perfect for us so no extra there. Obviously it will cost extra for the additional landscaping and fencing that we are likely to require as we have a huge yard... and the solar heating system itself too. And also electricial and plumbing work where required. Realistically we are guessing that we may look at a total of $30k. Do you think that is realistic or do you think they will come out and give us a totally frightening quote?? I don't want to get too excited but I am having visions of DS's next birthday party being a 'pool party' LOL. And I don't really want someone to come out and give me a quote for $40k+ because that is just wasting my time and theirs. Thanks, any help or advice will be much appreciated :)

*bump* :)

I can't remember if the price they advertise includes the digging of the hole. There is also the question of whether there is easy access to your property for the truck to deliver, if a crane will be required to off-load or to lift over the house, if the ground is easy to dig out - ie if there is rock and they require extra work, and if there are any sewer pipes / electrical lines that run through your yard.
Sorry, I would have to talk to dad to get a more definite answer for you, but I hope that helps a little

i reckon just ask them for a quote. Its not like you are buying something thats a few bucks!!

If they give you a ridiculous price, just tell them... "Look my budget was x amount, what can you do for that?"
and negotiate from that.

I kow if they hit rock when digging the price goes up heaps and you really have no choice but to pay it as you'll have a big hole in your yard. From what I have heard they will not guarrantee any set price cause they can't know what they are going to hit once they start digging.

For a concrete pool you also need coping which i dont think is included in that price. The best thing you could do would be getting a few quotes done. It costs nothing and you are under no obligation to buy. Get a few different places out and compair the quotes and see if you can strike some deals. Maybe wait till summer is over too as the cost usually goes down in the cooler weather when its the last thing people are thinking about doing. Some pool places offer good finance options too. Happy pool shopping - we are currently thinking about a pool too (but not for another 18 months).
Maybe look into getting a fibreglass pool - much cheaper than concrete.

We have a concrete pool and LOVE it :)

Ask if the following are covered

Connection to stormwater/sewerage for drainage and flushing purposes.
And electrical work, you may be required to supply your own electrician
Earth stake you will be required to ensure that the pool is sufficiently earthed (may or may not be included)
Tiling, I would assume that the cost included tiling to the waterline and not below
Colour of the finish on the rest of the pool, the more blue you make it the more it costs
Coping, check what they are using you may want to upgrade to match exisitng paving or the house
Council approvals and applications, does it cover the cost of a DA (Development Application)
Accessories, it Kreepy Krawly or similar, brooms, net, chemicals/salt, testing kit
Lights
Jets
Soil excavation AND dumping
Rock what happens if it is encountered, do you have any soil tests from around your house that might give you an indication of the likelyhood of rock
Solar Cover/Blanket, either liquid or a physical cover, so they allow for cutting it in to fit the pool. You can now get balls which go in the pool and create a solar blanket, we have a physical blanket and works really well to keep other crap out of the pool
Pool cover roller, we bought ours online for a fraction of the price that the pool company and stores in our city could do it for, was delivered free and very easy to install

I would look at a mineral pool, over a salt or chlorine, they are truely awesome and if you do it upfront similar price. We have a salt chlorinated as we didn't realise we could do the other
I'd have to look through my documents to see what mine cost...

I hope that helps :)

That's what quotes are for, Hun :)

Thanks for the replies everyone. Yeah, I think the only way to know is to call someone out. Fingers crossed. Thanks again :)

Not all quotes mention the items above and unless you have built one before you may not be aware of many of them or think of them at the time, so at least you also have a list of items to ask about :)

Everyone else has given great advise, just wanted to say good luck :) We have a pool and it's fantastic! We're in it 2 times a day at the moment. It cost us $45k, and that was for EVERYTHING!

Check into what sort of pool you need for your area babe...
We have a fibreglass, the IL's have a concrete...

Heating our pool is fast, so much much cheaper.
Concrete pools are MUCH colder, so if you'll use the heating a fair bit, its going to be very exxy to run... We have had our heating off since Oct, the
Il's are still using theirs cause the pool is still way too cold. And we have a pretty warm summer here! The fibreglas means we use it more of the year than the IL's too....

So if you live in a really hot spot, concrete would be better for heating and having a colder pool to escape the heat. If your area is only average to warm, a fibreglass would suit you much more.

:

---

Check into what sort of pool you need for your area babe...
We have a fibreglass, the IL's have a concrete...

Heating our pool is fast, so much much cheaper.
Concrete pools are MUCH colder, so if you'll use the heating a fair bit, its going to be very exxy to run... We have had our heating off since Oct, the
Il's are still using theirs cause the pool is still way too cold. And we have a pretty warm summer here! The fibreglas means we use it more of the year than the IL's too....

So if you live in a really hot spot, concrete would be better for heating and having a colder pool to escape the heat. If your area is only average to warm, a fibreglass would suit you much more.

---

What size pool is yours compared to your IL's? Do you guys have shade sail? We have a fibreglass pool, with shade sail and solar heating. Our pool is approx 9 x 4.5 in size and the shadesail covers about 90% of the pool and between Oct - Mar we don't need our solar on at all. So for us up here in Cairns, a fibreglass is perfect.

:

---

What size pool is yours compared to your IL's? Do you guys have shade sail? We have a fibreglass pool, with shade sail and solar heating. Our pool is approx 9 x 4.5 in size and the shadesail covers about 90% of the pool and between Oct - Mar we don't need our solar on at all. So for us up here in Cairns, a fibreglass is perfect.

---

Ours is HEAPS bigger than theirs. Theirs isnt too big, but its a b!tch to heat!! :shakehead:

No shade sail... yet!!! Only been here 6 months, but we want one!!

Its a big pool, 15 x 4m. Takes up the whole of the main back yard. Luckily we have a side section!! Its good for laps. We'd use the heating about the same.

Maybe fibreglass is good anywhere!! :D I know the IL's hate their concrete one with a a passion, and the heating costs are just staggering. Its solar, but having the heat pump on all those hours for months is so super exxy.

It would be exxy! My dad's parents had a concrete and they hated it as well for heating, and that was only a small pool.

Yep, Im glad this one wasnt concrete, Imagine heating a pool this size!!!! :o

Beema, what is a mineral pool?

Ours is salt, but the salt water goes back into a grid thing and is turned into natural chlorine, then pumped back to the pool, so I guess its 50/50. It also does some oxygen thing.. I dont know much about it, thats Ad's domain!! :redface:

I assume mineral would be better, and is it hard to convert??

Wow - awesome responses, thanks again everyone :) Have been thinking about our options and I think it will be well worth getting a fibreglass comparison quote too. We are only looking at getting something small-ish 7x3m. So more plunge pool than swimming pool I guess. I agree with the comments about shade sails, we will have to add that to our budget for sure. We are in a new area so not many established trees to offer shade yet.

:

---

Yep, Im glad this one wasnt concrete, Imagine heating a pool this size!!!! :o

Beema, what is a mineral pool?

Ours is salt, but the salt water goes back into a grid thing and is turned into natural chlorine, then pumped back to the pool, so I guess its 50/50. It also does some oxygen thing.. I dont know much about it, thats Ad's domain!! :redface:

I assume mineral would be better, and is it hard to convert??

---

I have a brochure on it somewhere, but you basically add minerals to the pool rather than chemicals, it is apparently better for allergy sufferers I guess because there are no chemicals being use, the water can be used to irrigate gardens, so when it rains you could pump excess water into a tank, rather than out to stormwater or sewerage, it is a softer feeling in the water, not as harsh as Chlorine, reduces the bacteria levels in pools. You can convert yours over, it depends on what sort of pool you have, and I think that the pool may need to be drained, and you would need a different chlorinator. We have a sand filter and I think that we could keep that. But I will have a dig for the brochure and see what I can find :)

I love my salt pool over a chlorine one, it is really refreshing :)

Wo don't use a heater for our the solar blanket does an awesome job by itself :) I have to take it off in the hotter weather because the water gets too hot, but then again we don't use ours all year round.

I'll get Ad to check it out!!

Ours doesnt taste/smell like salt or chlorine.
We dont put chlorine in it, the salt water is natuarlly converted, so we dont add chemicals now. Just minimal salt.
I know the same water is pumped up through the big water fountain, and the birds drink it???

I would like to add minerals though, if it replaces the salt.