One luxury my husband and I have talked about investing in, is a hot tub. I am curious to those of you who have one, wether you inherited it or bought it....does the novelty wear off fast?
We love hot tubs, but we have never had one. When we house hunting, a few houses we liked came with one. But the house we bought, did not. Now that I look into the intital cost, I am a bit hesitant. To spend 3-5k on something that may collect dust....???
I realize it's personal preference, needs, and wants. But as a whole, do/did most of you see that the hot tub intrique didn't last long after purchase?
We would use it as a relaxing, stress relieving element. We do live in a climate that is pretty cold anywhere from 4-6 months a year....TIA
We've had it for many years, and use it all the time. Especially my husband. In cold weather, they are the best.
We had one for 2 years, and I loved it.
Hot in winter, or after hiking, whatever...great.
But what was AWESOME was turning off the heat in the summer & being able to lounge around, reading, in cool water reading a book.
We live in Texas, so ours does not get used in the summer. But in the winter we use it a few times a month and it's 11 years old. So I guess the novelty hasn't worn off for us yet.
Our first hot tub lasted 12 years. We had to buy a new one last year and love it! FYI.... We paid a little over $6000. I believe you get what you pay for in hot tubs. The better hot tubs will cost you less money on a monthly basis (electricity) and they are much easier to maintain. I also think they are great for your marriage and has made me closer to my girls. It is just so relaxing and we talk about everything in ours:).
We're in MI and have had ours for 2.5 years and LOVE it! Ours is right outside out backdoor, off the patio, so that helps in the winter! We leave our towels inside and make a run for the hot tub! When you get out, you're not cold at all, so you can just come inside for your towels.. Our kids, 8 and 10, love it too! We use it almost everyday! I don't so much in the summer by hubs still does. Sometimes we put a hose in it with cold water when we want to enjoy it as a family in the summer! Ours is pretty good size - 8-10 person, so kids have room to move around. I think for our OH and MI weather hot tubs are great! Check your electrical hookup too- - we had to have ours adjusted before we could have one installed, which was even more of an expense...... :)
Our house (bought almost 2 years ago) came with one and we LOVE it! In the fall/winter/spring (when it's still cool at night) we get in it at least once a week and sometimes every day for a week straight!
I think it depends on your personality and how much you really enjoy them. Also, the start up costs can be daunting! Filling the thing (well, here in the desert, our water costs a bit more), purchasing filters, chemicals, and other cleaning products... Then there's the electrical cost of keeping that big tub hot (especially all winter)! If you decide to get one, if you find a local business that sells all of the products, see what kind of deal they'll work out for you! We "promised" to make future purchases at one of our local businesses and they sold us about $250 worth of equipment/chemicals for $80 (granted, their mark up is probably ridiculous anyways)! We've gone back several times since and they always give us 10-25% discounts (or free products)! Also, consider where you would set it up--insulation and location can play a huge part in how much electricity is required to keep it at temp--setting it on a raised deck where the wind blows may cost more than placing it somewhere closer to the ground and sheltered from wind...
Anyways, the easy answer is that YES, we have one, and YES we love it! Hubby, 4 y/o dd, and I truly enjoy our "parties in the hot tub" (as dd calls it)! :)
Oh, ditto Rosebud about the cold weather. I have girlfriend with health issues who needs company when she uses hers (for safety reasons) and sometimes calls me up to go for a dip. Winter tubbing was great. Wish I had one. Hell, I'd settle for a clawfoot tub or a jacuzzi tub!
I also saw one in a converted front porch-type sun room. Covet covet covet!
We had a hot tub in our last house and we loved it! My husband and I both love exercise, running, biking, skiing, etc. We loved soaking in that thing after a race day or after training. Our son loved it too - he thought it was his own personal tiny swimming pool! I miss it! The only pain is you have to clean it regularly. I did not enjoy doing that.
My in-laws bought a house with one and have never used it in 14 years. I would think the novelty would wear off quickly!
Who cares if its 3K and you can afford it. I would think of the fun parties that you can have either 2 additional couples or 6 girls for a girls day. Sounds fun!
I don't have one, but used to use our friend's hot tub when we visited. They would always remind us to bring our suits in the winter, and what was really funny was jumping out in 10 degree weather and running out in the snow to cool down. Good memories, but I admit that I wouldn't want to buy one myself, or have to do the work to keep it clean and maintained.
I do remember that in college, friends of mine rented a hot tub and had a party in which one guy ended up in the hospital with a massive infection. He had a cut and the company hadn't properly cleaned the tub, and it made him very sick. I've never forgotten that... So make sure you keep yours very clean!
My parents bought one when I was around 14 years old...I'm now almost 33. My dad, sister, brother and I used to get in in it all the time. When I lived there, I was in in every weekend for sure (too busy during the week) and when my brother visits, we are in there every night. My dad uses it still (just built a new house last fall and bought another one) almost daily. My mom rarely gets in...just not really her thing.
So I do think it depends on your personality and preference. My hubby would not like to get in one several times a week but I would if we had one. Plus in the summer, I would turn it down (like my parents do) and have a mini pool for the grandkids! (or in my case, my kids!)
My house came with one. Pre-kid, I used it all the time. Friends used to come over and pile in. Post-kid, I don't have time to use it as much, but I would say I still use it at least once a week. It's great for sore muscles after a workout. This is the first year I actually closed it up for the winter. I loved sitting out in it when snow is on the ground. I've had my house for almost 18 years now and the novelty has never worn off.
FYI - I can use it with my son, but generally keep the temperature down to 98 degrees if he's going to get in. No kids, it goes up to 102 degrees. Fabulous!
