Why Wouldn’t You Own a Hot Tub?  Survey says: COST.

I was recently visiting with our Caldera rep and he mentioned a position that a Caldera dealer in North Dakota takes with everyone that comes in their store – they simply ask the question of their customers – ‘Why wouldn’t you own a hot tub?’  This mentality definitely intrigued me, because for those of us in the industry, the question makes a lot of sense - and the answer to us is easy – you would. 

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The benefits of hot tub ownership have been proven over and over to us.  But from an outsider looking in, this is a question that can actually have a variety of answers for each individual family.  Over the upcoming weeks, I am going to go through what I think are probably the most popular answers to this question, and hopefully help you decide for yourself if they are still valid reasons for you to not own a hot tub.

First up is what I feel would be the most common objection we get to owning a hot tub – cost.  I’m going to mainly focus on the upfront purchase cost, because I think that is the first cost obstacle – I will definitely address maintenance costs in a later post.

Yes, sticker shock is definitely a real thing with purchasing a hot tub.  I think a lot of that is there just isn’t a lot of information out there to prepare people up front on how much a hot tub costs.  For most big ticket items, like a car or a boat, you have a pretty good idea what it’s going to cost up front, and you know where the ‘give and take’ is to adjust that price to fit in your budget. 

On hot tubs, not so much. 

Sure, there are commercials out there, but I would guess most of them are attempting to lure you in to thinking you can get a 5 person acrylic hot tub for $1,999 – just to get you into the store.  You think, hey, I can do this – I can be the popular parent or neighbor on the block and buy a hot tub … you make the trip to the store, only to discover that the hot tub you envision and the hot tub that is priced at $1,999 are two very different hot tubs!  You find the hot tub that you envision in your dreams and …. Bam! – sticker shock.

Like cars, boats, campers, rv’s, etc., hot tubs are going to have various ‘levels’ of pricing.  You can definitely find entry level pricing up to luxury pricing within the hot tub spectrum, and everything in between. 

The main thing you have to decide is where you are willing to ‘give and take’.  For example, you might be willing to give a little bit on the number of jets or the functionality of the jets in order to get a lower purchase price.  Here are the main factors that are going to affect the price of the hot tub – you simply have to decide which ones you can give up and which ones you have to have….

• Number of jets
• Functionality and customization of the jets
• Number of pumps
• Electrical – 110v or 220v (this mainly affects whether or not your heater can run at the same time as the jets and the water pressure capability of the jets)
• Construction materials and therefore ultimate longevity of the hot tub
• Size
• Specific design features and aesthetics
• Accessories

So, you fully understand the benefits of hot tub ownership and you are ready to combat the ‘cost’ question.   You might be willing to accept a lower number of jets, a lower number of pumps and a 110v electrical connection (understanding that in Oklahoma, you probably can get by with the heater not being on while the jets are circulating).  At that point, you have ‘given’ enough items to get the hot tub down within your budget and are under $4,500 for an installed hot tub with basic accessories.

**  Caldera has a fantastic discussion in their pricing guide as well, that discusses what they feel are the main factors to impact the purchase cost of a hot tub.

The other thing to consider is whether or not attractive financing is available.  Don’t get me wrong here – I’m not advocating getting yourself in deeper than you can afford for a hot tub!  What I am advocating though, is if there is an attractive financing offer with extremely low interest rates that would allow you to begin enjoying the benefits of a hot tub, and not cost you much over the course of the loan, that you might consider it.  An average hot tub purchase will cost less than the cost of a daily coffee shop drink or daily lunch out of the office.  How nice would it be to use that coffee shop money to begin enjoying your morning cup of coffee in a hot tub – loosening up your tension and achy muscles?  Or a personal retreat before the kids get up in the morning for the hectic school routine – or better yet, after they go to bed!??

I want to be super clear on one thing though – I do understand that hot tubs are a ‘luxury’ item and don’t fit into everyone’s budget …. I would add to that by saying, they don’t fit into everyone’s budget right now.  Hot tubs bring immense benefits with them for both physical and mental well being.  If you understand that, but it just doesn’t fit into your budget right now, no problem – maybe start saving a few days of coffee or lunch money each week and within a year you may be closer to hot tub ownership than you ever could have imagined!

(Stay tuned .... next up - maintenance.)