Let’s say you’ve found yourself with a little extra money—maybe you earned an end-of-year bonus, or you bought some shares at just the right time—and you’re deciding how to spend your windfall. Perhaps you could treat yourself to a relaxing family holiday somewhere in Aotearoa. Perhaps you could add value to your home by remodeling your bathroom or kitchen.
Or you could buy a spa pool and do both.
A spa pool represents both a backyard holiday and a wise investment. It’s a luxurious way to unwind and de-stress, a therapeutic solution to aches and pains, and a chance to bring your friends and family closer together. It’s also an attractive and appealing addition to your house, holiday home or rental property.
Owning a spa pool comes with many benefits. You can more easily switch off from work. It can be just the thing to reignite romance. It can get your kids excited about family time. It’s also often the X-factor that can see a tenant choosing your rental property over another, or a home buyer placing a bid on your property.
The question of whether the investment is worth it will depend on how much you can see yourself enjoying these benefits.
Evaluating whether a spa pool is a good investment
Like any investment, the decision to invest in a spa pool should be based on outlay and potential return. Let’s first take a look at the total cost of a spa pool.
Your total investment goes beyond the upfront cost of the spa. You’ll also need to consider the time and effort required to maintain it, and the ongoing costs to run it. Whether the advantages of a home spa are worth the expenses and responsibilities hinges on the overall quality of the spa pool, and the ease of care and maintenance.
Well-made, high-quality spa pools are designed to minimise the time and effort spent on cleaning and maintenance with easy water quality tests, well-integrated filtration, and self-sustaining sanitation systems. While older, cheaply made, poorly insulated spa pools demand a great deal of electricity, today’s premium spas are designed to be incredibly energy-efficient (check out our spa pool cost analysis here.)
It’s better to invest in a reliable and energy-efficient spa pool rather than buy cheap upfront and face sky high electricity bills and time-consuming maintenance.
Investing in yourself
Living in a volcanically active part of the world where springs are heated by natural processes beneath the earth, Kiwis know the healing properties of warm water better than most. By investing in a spa pool, you no longer have to travel to Rotorua to enjoy these benefits! From simple full body immersion to targeted hydrotherapy from patented jets, a modern spa pool can relax, treat and rehabilitate your body incredibly effectively.
In fact, the powers of modern hydrotherapy spa pools can actually extend beyond the restorative. If you choose to invest in a swim spa, you’ll gain access to a water-based gym! Swim spas generate a current to offer a swim in place experience, as well as a number of other water-based exercises. Whether you’re an Olympic athlete or someone with limited mobility, a swim spa can seriously elevate your fitness levels.
Your spa pool is also a device-free zone, making it the ideal place to reconnect with loved ones, whether partner, family, friends or neighbours. It can be as intimate or social a setting as you’d like. No matter what your personal priorities may be, a high-quality spa pool will be there to support them, for a minimal ongoing investment of time, energy and money.
In short, a spa pool is a great investment if you make good use of its benefits.
Investing in your home
A high-quality spa pool that is seamlessly integrated into the landscape has the potential to increase your home’s value. Spas run quietly in the background and are always ready when required. Even if your spa pool doesn’t directly affect your home’s appraised value, it may still appeal to prospective buyers and be the item that puts your home ahead of the rest.
Having a spa can be surprisingly cost-effective, especially if you choose a pre-loved model. Compared to a backyard or lap pool, a spa requires minimal site preparation, is quick and easy to install and uses far fewer resources to run. Choosing a model with good insulation and an insulating cover means that it can be used all year round, whether in the height of summer or the depths of a New Zealand winter.
If you’re considering adding a new spa pool to an existing rental property, a low-maintenance spa is very likely to be worth your investment: "Spas are a key reason people book holiday homes, especially during winter when skiing here in Queenstown" says Sarah McIlwrick, General Manager of luxury accommodation provider Relax It's Done.
Image supplied by Relax It's Done - Luxury Accommodation - Queenscliff
The real value of your spa pool investment
When you enjoy the benefits of hot water immersion regularly, it’s more than worth the investment. Whether you’re investing in your wellbeing, your family, your social life or your home, always shop for a long lasting, premium-quality spa pool that won’t be a drain on your time and wallet. You’re also likely to discover benefits that you never even expected!
