Private outdoor pools have become a hot commodity during the pandemic, even in places like the Midwest where warm weather is limited
Jennifer Nichols and her husband, Lennon Jones, bought their home in the Old Irving Park section of Chicago in January 2021 partly because this above-ground pool appealed to them during the pandemic. VIDEO: Katrina Wittkamp for The Wall Street JournalWhen Jennifer Nichols and her husband, Lennon Jones, decided to move back to Chicago last December after a nearly two-year stint in Portland, Ore., a pool didn’t rank high on their priority list for a home.
“It had more appeal to me because of the pandemic,” said Ms. Nichols, a corporate attorney. “If you can’t go anywhere and do anything, at least you can feel like you did something during the summer, like swim in your own backyard.” Ms. Nichols and Mr. Jones—who in January paid $1.1 million for their home, which has a private gym above the garage—are among a wave of families in the Midwest forgoing public pools in places like fitness centers and hotels in favor of their own private pools out back.
The explosion of private pools is a nationwide trend induced by the pandemic. Sales of new residential inground pools grew 24% overall in 2020, a historic increase, according to the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance , the largest international trade association for the swimming pool, spa and hot tub industry. Before 2020, private pools weren’t only relatively uncommon around Chicago, but often detracted from the overall value of homes there, says Jane Lee, a real-estate agent in Lake County, Ill. The weather, which averages above 70 degrees only three months out of the year, isn’t conducive to spending much time in an outdoor pool. It costs between $1,600 and $2,500 annually just to heat an outdoor pool with gas in Chicago, depending on your desired water temperature, according to the U.S.
Brasil Últimas Notícias, Brasil Manchetes
Similar News:Você também pode ler notícias semelhantes a esta que coletamos de outras fontes de notícias.
Love and money: Why breaking-up is so hard to doMore people are looking for help in paying for divorces after relationships ended during Covid.
Consulte Mais informação »
Apple delays recalling staff to the office until 2022The decision comes as fears grow over the impact of surging Covid cases in the US.
Consulte Mais informação »
Pharmacist Charged With Selling COVID Vaccination CardsA Chicago pharmacist has been arrested and charged with selling 125 COVID-19 vaccination cards on eBay. If convicted, he could face up to 120 years in prison.
Consulte Mais informação »
Three U.S. senators test positive for COVID-19Three U.S. senators - Republican Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Democrat John Hickenlooper of Colorado and independent Angus King of Maine - disclosed on Thursday they had tested positive for COVID-19.
Consulte Mais informação »
Covid: Israel's Covid pass extends to over-3s and small rise in UK casesFive things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday evening.
Consulte Mais informação »