We regret getting an above ground instead of an in-ground.

[jlyfshhh]

This is only our second year (going to be our first full summer) and my wife and I are already regretting not just getting an in-ground pool. Our above ground is really nice and we love it, but we have a few complaints.

Having to climb in and out on a steep shaky ladder isn’t the best experience, especially with a toddler that needs out to use the bathroom all the time.

we thought it would be big enough, and it is for our family, but just a couple more friends visiting and it seems crowded quickly.

We could have built a backyard oasis around an in-ground pool and we feel like we can’t really have a deck around our above ground since it will be above our fence and look weird, plus no privacy.

Has any one else regretted getting an above ground vs in-ground?

 

[Teald024]

I hear your frustration and I understand with most of it. There are definitely cons to getting an above ground pool. For many, an above ground pool is a steppingstone to see if they like the experience and are willing to do the upkeep while still being able to enjoy the water, at a fraction of the cost.
But honestly, I don’t know how much you invested in an above ground pool, an inground is still a viable option. You could always sell the above ground and get some money back and put in an inground pool if you really wanted to.
The alternative is you could invest in some privacy screening or landscaping that provides privacy or building a deck that is sturdy, getting a ladder that brings you up to the deck. There are lots of options you can do to improve the experience. It all depends on what you were trying to achieve.

 

[Newdude]

No regrets GV !!!! They are not allowed. What you did was a successful experiment to prove that you would use/enjoy a pool before spending a years salary or 2. Well done !! You can either sell what you have being in such great shape, or you can get a few years in before going big,

 

[Chad1979]

I cannot say about a deck for your agp, but i would recommend getting a good set of stairs for your pool and this will make it safer entry and exit of the pool.

 

[cowboycasey]

I installed an above ground 7 years ago and now I am building an in ground pool... the deck was well worth it to build and not at all out of place when getting in and out... No one cares that you are swimming I promise other than they want to be swimming

New above ground oval 18x33 install

just bought these steps and sealed every single hole/opening in it.. it really wants to float now so I made a trip to Academy sports and bought these and plasti-dipped them.. 90 pounds should do it, good to go in the water now :)

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Teald024]

Everyone has their own opinion, but I tell my wife all the time if somebody wants to watch me walk around in a bathing suit when I’m home then so be it, why should I care. I’m definitely not a glamour model, LOL. If they don’t wanna look then they won’t look. If they do want to look then I don’t care. I’m not the picture perfect model of some hunky dude slowly walking out of the water....

 

[BowserWowser]

I can't give you any suggestions to magically make your pool bigger, but I agree with Chad on looking into steps to replace your ladder. I'm probably about to order these:

Easy Above Ground Swimming Pool Steps Entry System by BlueWave

This high quality above ground pool entry system is easy to use and meets all safety codes.

www.familypoolfun.com

I also understand not wanting a deck built up at the same level as the top of the pool. Our back yard isn't huge, and we have neighbors on all sides. My plan is to do a low deck with a table/bar along the side of the pool. Here are my inspiration pictures (we'll wait a while to build until the lumber prices settle down a bit):

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/618611698808307822/

 

[kellyfair]

I don’t regret mine, at all. I quickly trashed the ladder though, and bought these stairs instead.


In fact, I loved my Intex so much that I bought a new permanent AGP this year (it’s in my signature).

I too do not want a deck that has me staring into the neighbor’s yard, so when I do build one, it will be bilevel, with only a small part at wall height (although I do like the bar idea)! Something like this:

 

[jlyfshhh]

Thanks everyone. I just ordered some stairs and I’m pretty excited about them. I love those deck ideas! I had never seen one with the bar around the pool, those look awesome. Mostly I’m just bummed that the kids got back from their friends house and were talking about how awesome their pool and diving board was.

 

[kellyfair]

Thanks everyone. I just ordered some stairs and I’m pretty excited about them. I love those deck ideas! I had never seen one with the bar around the pool, those look awesome. Mostly I’m just bummed that the kids got back from their friends house and were talking about how awesome their pool and diving board was.

Awwwww, don’t worry - the best pool is the one right outside the back door!

What steps did you get?

 

[Newdude]

Mostly I’m just bummed that the kids got back from their friends house and were talking about how awesome their pool and diving board was

We would leave my IG with a diving board to go use the neighbors Above Ground all the time. They were talking about the awesome time they had, not that your pool was any less of a pool. The games played are just different.

 

[jlyfshhh]

What steps did you get?

I got these.

 

[Casey]

Thanks everyone. I just ordered some stairs and I’m pretty excited about them. I love those deck ideas! I had never seen one with the bar around the pool, those look awesome. Mostly I’m just bummed that the kids got back from their friends house and were talking about how awesome their pool and diving board was.

Dont ever be bummed of what they have because you're here right now and although they have cool features to their pools, they may have nasty water. My kids friends use to have pools and ya know what? They always ended up at my house swimming in a TFP pool water because the others pools water chemistry was always off. It burnt their eyes and was always cloudy.

 

[merc123]

I have no regrets for two reasons.

1) It was cheaper than an in ground.
2) I can throw it away when I get tired of it.

 

[rweiler994]

I got these

I looked at those but ended up chasing down the individual items to do this. This is from the enclosure kit page, but I also bought the step pieces separately, cost me almost double though. My choice was based on how steep the steps of each would be.

 

[Woodstock1234]

I love my Intex. Low cost, low maintenance and I don't feel bad when it doesn't get a lot of use. I hate the ladder it came with, so will be building stairs this year. I think the low decks look great if you are looking to put something in.

 

[rweiler994]

I love my Intex. Low cost, low maintenance and I don't feel bad when it doesn't get a lot of use. I hate the ladder it came with, so will be building stairs this year. I think the low decks look great if you are looking to put something in.

We dealt with the garbage ladder with our Intex all 5 years we used it, but I agree. They are somewhat scary.

 

[thefloatqueen]

Good news is, above ground pools are selling like hot cakes right now and you could easily sell yours for a pretty penny! Then you can start building your dream backyard oasis! Trust me, if it was in my budget, I would definitely get an IG fiberglass pool in a heartbeat! No regrets here, though. Other than not marrying someone rich so I can have my DREAM pool! Just kidding!

- The Gold Digging Float Queen

 

[rweiler994]

An IG pool is way outside my budget for 2 reasons.....

1) Would cost more than I make in a year, and possibly more than I paid for my whole house/lot.
2) Not sure how far down they would even get before hitting bedrock, I know I have a few spots on the hill on the front yard that slabs of bedrock stick out.

Feel free to look at he pictures in my build thread as I post them for my size constraints also.

 

[jookie]

We have an above ground. And yes, using just an A frame ladder is a huge pain in the Rear with small kids. I hated it - If I did not want to swim, I had to awkwardly sit on it to watch my oldest swimming. We dealt with it for 2 years until we saved up enough to expand our deck out. Get a deck! You won't regret it. I have landscaping on the side of my house for privacy. Would I have liked an inground pool? Yes! However, I like the idea of retirement even more and saving my money and living within my means. You can certainly make an above ground pool into your own oasis! It just sometimes take a little time.