Swimming pools: the ‘staycation’ of the pandemic
Homeowners make a splash when it comes to outdoor style
Take a walk or go for a bicycle ride in your neighborhood — any neighborhood in any part of town — and you’re likely to see at least one new swimming pool under construction.
Backyard swimming pools are more popular than ever, as the coronavirus pandemic has us looking for more things to do at home. Little-used rooms are being turned into classrooms, home offices and gyms, and green space outdoors is being converted for family fun.
With Houston’s long, hot summers and mild winters, pools are popular amenities. Paired with nice patios, covered pavilions and, sometimes, outdoor kitchens, they expand our homes so that families have more to do outside in the fresh air.
Pool builders say they’ve seen business increase dramatically in the past year and can barely keep up with new clients asking for in-ground pools.
“As COVID settled in and … people realized they’d be hunkered down at home for a while, they re-evaluated space. Anyone who was on the fence about putting a pool in pulled the trigger. Pools are the new staycation,” said Danielle Conques, marketing coordinator for Keith Zars Pools in San Antonio. We’ve had a record-breaking year and topped last year — another record-breaking year — by 30 percent, and our phones are still ringing off the hook.” Michael Shawn Kelly of Mirror Lake Designs in The Woodlands, said that as bad as this deadly pandemic has been, a positive outcome is that people are looking at what’s important in their lives, and that is translating to improvements at home that benefit themselves and others.
“Our callers are mentioning COVID — it’s the instigator for a different way of thinking about their home,” said Kelly. “They like where they live, and if they can make design changes to make it more livable, they might stay there longer.”
Conques and others said it’s taking longer to get a pool installed, not just because of the huge demand but because materials — especially
gunite, the concrete blend used in custom, in-ground pools — are considerably harder to get.
“We’ve been building pools as AVEA Pools for three years, and we’re dealing with supply-chain issues. We’re a big company and we’re used to getting what we need, so it’s sort of strange,” said Scott Frankel of the Frankel Building Group and AVEA Pools in Houston. “It’s all based on everyone and their mother is building a pool right now. Everyone.”
Those getting new pools run the gamut — people of all ages and ethnicities — but there are two clear groups of people wanting pools right now: young families and grandparents.
Travis and Megan Oden are one of those couples, with 3- and 5-year-old daughters. Workers from AVEA Pools are putting the finishing touches on the new swimming pool at their Bellaire home right now.
“I grew up with a pool with a volleyball net, and there was always something to do. I wanted a place where friends could come and hang out,” Travis Oden said. “I asked my dad for advice about getting one because our girls are so young, and he said, ‘The younger your kids are, the more life you’ll get out of the pool.’ That’s why we pulled the trigger.”
“I have a friend who’s putting a pool in, and my brother in law just put one in. Pools are a hot commodity, as are other things that are home related,” Oden added.
Conques said that pools have become more important in neighborhoods where community pools that served everyone had to shut down during the pandemic. People who didn’t think they needed their own pool changed their minds when COVID-19 removed access to other pools.
At the other end are grandparents creating a home entertainment area that they, their children and grandchildren can all enjoy.
“There’s a huge number of people who have kids from 2 to 15 years old,” Kelly said. “There also are people doing it for themselves, but they want something fun so their grandkids will come over. Their home becomes a destination for the full day instead of, ‘We’ll run over to see grandma and grandpa for an hour.’ ”
Kelly, Conques and Frankel noted that the preferred style of pool has changed dramatically and the cost has gone up slightly, with most starting around $85,000 to $100,000.
Homeowners want pools with hot tubs and fire pits, but they want everything crisp and clean in a linear form and more transitional style — just like their home’s architecture and interior décor.
Curvy pools, rock work and grottos are out, rectangular shapes with light tile and synthetic grass are in.
“Go back 20 years ago, and everyone wanted a lot of rock. Ten years ago, everything was Tuscan. If you put the word ‘Tuscan’ on it, you could sell anything to anyone,” Kelly said of the evolution of swimming pool style. “Now it’s simplified, with very little texture. That’s what a lot of people are looking for — clean and simple.”
Conques said that a couple of years ago, about 25 percent of their pools were more linear or rectangular — a more contemporary or transitional style. In the past year, it was half of their business.
Pool size also is a factor and depends on budget, yard size and how the owners plan to use it.
Kelly broke down his work into three main categories: courtyard pools for small backyards for people who want to take a quick dip; and budget pools that are larger but use materials that can cut the cost dramatically. The third kind are “estate pools” that pull out all the stops — they’re the kind that grandparents are getting.
“The estate pool, people are close to retirement and want to enjoy the family, so they build a place where everyone can gather,” Kelly said. “They use the spa for sore old muscles and they want large shelves where toddlers can play. It’s the family resort.”
His courtyard-style pools might be small, but they can have beautiful water features, planters and shelves so you have something to sit on when you’re in the water.
Spas are popular but they’re an expense, so you should only invest in one if you expect to use it, Kelly said.
“I love spas,” he said of the hot tub and courtyard-style pool at his own home. “A couple of nights ago there was sleet outside but we were in the spa. My wife had an umbrella in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other.”