To sell or not to sell. That is the question
At least that should be the question for the many people who own older hot tubs. Now, since I'm in the business of selling new hot tubs, it would seem overtly obvious that my opinion would be...SELL! Give me a little credit, at least I'm honest.
But my reasons are certainly not as shallow as just wanting to sell new hot tubs. Depending on your tub and situation, selling an older tub can make good sense and some serious dollars.
First, let's look at the simple value of your older tub. If it's working well and has no major issues, with some spit and polish it's probably worth a whole lot more than you think.
So what's that old tub worth anyway? Many of the older tubs have cedar or redwood skirts, and let's assume yours is one of them. With a little sanding and staining, your tub could be worth upwards of $2,000 and in some cases even more.
Of course there are other considerations, like the condition of the cover, the size of the tub, number of jets and pumps, and other features. Even still, that's a good chunk of change no matter how you look at it. I'm frequently told "you're probably right, but we'll just keep using it until it dies...and then get a new one."
Helloooo?!? If you want to follow that logic, please explain to me what your tub will be worth when it's dead? Well, let me tell you! It will have no value and will cost you a wallet-load to have it hauled to the dump. That's probably letting you off easy by assuming it doesn't die a slow and financially painful death.
Unfortunately, slow and financially painful is the norm, not the exception. A pump goes out first, then a little later maybe a pressure switch. Then there's a small leak...it's hardly noticeable, but it needs to be fixed; then some air switches go out, or a controller. Heater failures seem to be a commonly irritating problem as well. The list goes on. Let's also not forget that old tub has packed on a few pounds of excess water in the foam insulation, so it's not really very energy efficient either. And if the skirt is redwood or cedar, it's probably done some drying and shrinking which causes it to rattle just a bit. This makes it noisier than you (or the neighbors) would like. Like I said, the list goes on.
I've had the pleasure of chatting with a number of you about your "older" tubs. The subject usually gets started when you see the changes (and technical advances) of the new tubs...computerized controllers, automatic freeze protection, solid state circuitry, self diagnostics; not to mention, enough optional add-on gadgets to make your head spin.
But by far, the most noticeable change is the number of therapy jets. Now, I think it's appropriate to digress briefly to remind you the subject of this article is...to sell or not to sell. For a host reasons, every one of us could really use a hot tub that gives better massage therapy. Personally, I've got aches and pains in places my body didn't even know could ache and pain.
Without a doubt, the one thing that nearly every new hot tub can do far better than the tubs of a decade ago, is give superior massage therapy. Better pumps (and more of them), better jet technology (lots more of them), better ergonomic seat designs, and so on....all add up to far better massage therapy.
But...there is one place that the new hot tubs have fallen significantly behind when compared to their predecessors of a decade ago, and that is price. Are you kidding? You gasp! Today's hot tubs cost thousands of dollars! Yes, they do...but consider this; thanks to inflation, prices on average double every ten years. A quality hot tub a decade ago easily cost $5,000 to $8,000. A comparable quality tub today with significant technical advances can be purchase at that same price...or less.
Perhaps now is the perfect time to ask yourself if your old tub is really worth keeping 'til death do you part? Consider this, if you're not enjoying your hot tub as much as you used to, maybe it's because you need a more enjoyable hot tub!
