How to Buy a Hot Tub or Spa

Buying a hot tub for your back yard can be a huge investment or not. Having made the leap and ended up satisfied, here is what I learned along the way.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Anywhere from $380-20,000.00
• A backyard
• Water
• Electrical Source

1. You have to decide on the number of people you want the tub to hold. This can be anywhere from two to ten, with the cost going up accordingly. In my case, the number was two. There were only a few occasions I could think of when I would want more people involved than me and my significant other, and even then, we could take turns.

2. 
   Big Buck Spa

   Once you have established this, decide how much you are willing to invest initially - in other words, up front, before anything else. This is the price of the tub itself and does not include the cost of chemicals needed to keep the tub clean, replacement of any filters, electricity to run the spa, etc.

3. Next, decide how whether you want an in ground or above ground hot tub. Above ground are by far less expensive but can be just as beautiful. Also, decide how much you like the day to day care of a hot tub which includes checking pH, chlorine levels, etc., although this varies from spa to spa. You don't want your tub to turn green. If you find you are not the kind who likes this sort of upkeep, definitely keep your investment low. It may be that you are an impulse shopper who will shortly be selling your latest interest.

4. Decide if you want to pay extra for all the bells and whistles. Some hot tubs have built in TVs, water falls and in tub lighting while others don't and you will definitely feel the difference in your wallet. Having bought the cheaper kind, all I can say is I don't miss spending the hundreds of dollars because it took next to nothing to put a TV on the porch and a waterfall's fascination only lasts so long, etc.

5. 
   Affordable Spa

   In the end, having spent time in the most expensive and the least expensive hot tubs, my boyfriend and I bought a $380.00 inflatable tub that we absolutely love. We put some submersible LED lights in it and a TV at its side and enjoy it almost every night knowing that we didn't spend a fortune at the get go. Our electric bills are only a bit more than they were and we have no regrets for buying on the cheap on sale.

Tips & Warnings

• Be realistic when buying a spa. Buy what you can afford and what you will use.