I’m Removing My Own Pool — Week 2: When The Numbers Hit You Like A Truck

I promised to keep this honest. So here it is.

This week I started getting estimates for the other work my house needs — roof, siding, windows, and a new deck. I knew it wasn’t going to be cheap. I wasn’t prepared for $80,000 to $100,000.

That number stops everything in its tracks.

Suddenly the pool removal — which felt like the obvious first move — is now one piece of a much bigger financial puzzle. Do I remove the pool this year and tackle the house next year? Do I fix the house first and leave the pool for later? Do I try to do it all at once and finance it?

There’s no universal right answer. It depends on your finances, your timeline, your priorities, and frankly your stress tolerance.

Here’s how I’m thinking through it:

The case for doing the pool first: The pool costs me $3,000–$5,000 every year I keep it. Every year I wait is money out the door. If I remove it now I stop the bleeding immediately. The backyard transformation also doesn’t depend on the roof or windows being done first.

The case for doing the house first: My deck overlooks the pool. If I rebuild the deck after pool removal I only have to tear up the yard once. Doing the house first means the pool removal contractor has a clean slate to work with and we don’t have to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously.

What I’m actually leaning toward: Getting the roof done first — that’s non-negotiable, it protects everything else. Then reassessing. The pool may have to wait until next year unless I can find a way to make the numbers work.

The lesson here for anyone going through this: pool removal doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Get the full picture of your home’s needs before you commit to a timeline. You might be surprised what else is waiting.

More updates to come as the decisions get made.

— Founder, ByeByePool

Next update: Week 3 — The decision is made. Here’s what we’re doing and why.