A Guide To Doing Your Homework

I want a pool! What do I do next? Before you call that pool guy, you should take some time to see who is out there, what they offer and how well they do what they do.

Ask Yourself Questions:
(also, see Questions To Ask Yourself)

You should ask yourself why you want a pool. This can determine design, function, usage and what type of pool is for you. A pool might seem like a good idea but is it something that you will get your money's worth out of? Are you building it for your 16 year old? If so, that 16 year old will be off to college in a couple of years and the pool just might be sitting there with no one to use it. Is it for younger kids? Are options, like a diving board, something that you think you need? It is important to see the big picture about a pool. Will the usage change down the road? How long do you plan on living in your house? Ask yourself as much as possible about why you are thinking about a pool. These answers will guide you in the direction you need to go. Or maybe, even talk you out of it all together. Pool buyers typically buy based on an emotional reason as opposed to rational thought. To salespeople, that is blood in the water. Meaning, it is much easier to sell a pool to someone that you can play on emotions rather than one that is running on rational thought.

The Internet:

There are lots of swimming pool sights and companies. Just look at some of the ads on this blog. They have pictures, some have stories, others with testimonies and others with everything to bore you to tears about pools. The pool company sites will stimulate your senses and appeal to your desire in having a pool. What they won't tell you, you have to find somewhere else-(HERE). What they do well is what they showcase, not what they do poorly. To find that out, you have to go to sites where the complaints are and dig up the dirt.

You should take these complaints into consideration but also take them with a grain of salt. Many of them are spot on with situations. Some I know of personally, and that person had every right to complain. A few I know of, that person had ridiculous expectations,didn't bother to do their homework or was out to get something for nothing. Therefore, their complaints were something that could have been avoided.

The Better Business Bureau is another good place to check. Is the company in good standing? How long have they been on the BBB and in business? Do they operate under different names? What is their current standing and history?

The amount of complaints can be scary. Do not fret though. For all of the horror stories, there are also many happy returns on the investment of building a swimming pool. The trick here, is to read the complaints and figure out what are legitimate and what are not. Anyone can post a complaint and many of those complaints are difficult to refute. They can also just make the situation look worse by trying to counter them. Also, some companies spend lots of time and money to try to cover up these complaints. You should consider that if you put two people in exactly the same situation, you just may get two entirely different perspectives on what happened. What is a total nightmare to one person can be no big deal to another.

With that said, it is important to read the complaints and the horror stories. Those complaints can be indicative of what to expect. Did that company have complaints about communication? Did it take awhile for anyone to get back to you when you first called to buy a pool? If they didn't call you right back to sell you a pool, you can guarantee that if you have a problem with the pool that you may have a problem getting a hold of someone about it.

The Internet is a good place to find out about pools. How they operate. What features are out there. And so on. Once you have identified some potential builders, see what manufacturer's equipment they use on their pools. Most builders have some kind of deal with using that specific equipment. Some are big enough to have equipment specifically built for them. Whatever the deal is, it is important to go the manufacturer's site and see what alternatives they offer. The builder might use a pump because they get a bulk deal on it but there might be something more efficient.

Ads:

What advertisements have you seen or heard? You may have seen ads for pools in anything from a magazine to a flyer in the mail. Save some ads and compare. Are there similarities, do the companies look like they all do the same thing.

Friends, Family, Neighbors, The Landscaper:

Talk to your friends, family and neighbors that have a pool. More than likely, they will jump at the opportunity to tell you all about their experiences. Good, bad and indifferent. Referrals go along way. What would they do differently? Do they recommend who built their pool or not? Why? Can you visit the pool? What should you expect? If you have used a landscaper and have a good relationship with them, they can be a good source as well.