Keeping Cool in Your Backyard Pool

Updated April 16, 2021

Imagine your personal backyard oasis. Is it a screened-in tropical paradise, full of colorful lavish plants, with a small cascading poolside waterfall? Or is it fenced in, with minimal flora and plenty of space for lounge chairs and sunbathing? Either way, it’s your backyard poolside oasis. When you’re designing this landscape there are many possibilities to consider, so you can relax and enjoy the benefits that come with adding a private pool to your Florida home.

1. Enhance your quality time at home

A private backyard pool helps cool you off during the hot Florida summer months. And, a Florida home with a private pool also provides you with year-round access to benefits which include:

• a mental and physical stress relief outlet,
• a suitable low-impact workout venue, plus
• the option to teach the kids in your life how to swim and have fun, and
• according to money management expert Dave Ramsey, a pool has the potential to increase your home’s value by 7%!

2. Personalize and accent your backyard oasis

When it comes to designing your poolside oasis, where do you start? Small, medium, or large? Spa or no spa? Rectangle, free form, or grotto-style?  Including a pool when building your Florida new home means you work with the builder to incorporate the features that fit your lifestyle and preference. Several of our new home communities have backyards suitably sized to add a swimming pool, so whether you’re thinking island getaway with an extended pool deck, or small and cozy, either one is possible.

Your selection of accessories, accents, and finishes convert your outdoor living space into a unique sanctuary with simple or complex features such as:

• large external or in-ground planters for giant leafy plants or flowers,
• minimalist style with no plants and a small waterfall,
• a decorative storage space that’s part of the landscape, or
• a plaster, quartz, or pebble style finish.

3. Enjoy minimal upkeep of your Florida pool

You may think owning a Florida home with a private pool is a costly or time-consuming investment. We are here to bust a few of those myths! Did you know that running your AC could actually cost more than running the pool pump? Also, today’s technology has made pool maintenance virtually stress-free, another wallet-friendly benefit. Companies like Griffin Pools, our preferred pool contractor, use construction materials that are more durable and extend the life of your pool, prolonging the need for future restoration. Energy-efficient pumps can save you money on energy bills, and automated systems for chemical testing, filtration, and heating conveniently let you schedule cleaning cycles directly from your smartphone.

Adding a pool during construction of your Florida new home

In select Highland Homes communities including Juliana Village in Auburndale and Treymont in Lakeland, the option is available to add a pool when building your Florida new home. This means you: 

• can include the cost in your mortgage rather than paying it out of pocket,
• don’t have to worry about uprooting your landscape, or rebuilding fencing later,
• won’t have construction noises disrupting you for several months after you move in!

Our partners at Griffin Pools, a knowledgeable family business, are ready to help you with Planning Your Pool Paradise when Building a New Florida Home. Griffin Pools has been building pools for 45 years, and their team of experts knows the ins and outs of Florida pool homes and outdoor living throughout Polk and Hillsborough counties. Not only are they an industry leader, but an award-winning company for their custom pool design and exemplary customer service.

If you are building in another Highland Homes community or picture your poolside oasis as a future add-on to your Florida home, many of our communities offer home sites suitable for a future backyard pool.

We are dedicated to building quality homes designed for your life and are ready to work with you to discover your pool construction options. Browse communities where you can build your Florida new home, and call or email us to connect with a New Home Specialist who can assist you with building the new home of your dreams!