I’ve never really considered myself a ‘pond’ girl. You know? One of those people that love the idea of having a pond on their property.
Well, I learned through our recent house shopping experiences that my husband was a ‘pond guy.’
However, sadly, my family contracted food poisoning early last week. It is amazing all of the things you think about while you are laid up in the bed for a week feeling like death.
And surprisingly, ponds was one of the things I pondered. I even watched a couple of YouTube videos to further my research. I’ve decided that quite possibly everyone should consider adding a pond to their property.
Reasons to have a Backyard Pond:
1. An Easier DIY Project Than a Pool
When we began house shopping my husband and I were looking for more land. We knew we’d have enough room to consider a pool.
But would we stick with above ground due to cost effectiveness or underground because of the value it could add to the property?
Then I had to actually talk myself through the process of justifying spending that kind of money on something that we’d use for solely entertainment purposes. That is when my husband said, “Well, a pond could be cheaper.”
So we began checking into it and sure enough they were, but my husband is never satisfied with paying someone else to do something that he believes he is perfectly capable of doing. Which led him to begin researching how to build these items on his own.
Naturally, creating a pond yourself seems to be a much simpler DIY project than constructing an underground pool yourself.
So if you are looking for a water feature on your property like a pond or a pool, it appears to us that a pond would be an easier DIY path to take.
2. Much More Cost Effective Than a Pool
I mentioned already that digging your own pond is usually cheaper than building your own underground pool.
Well, if you stop and think about it, a pond is basically a large hole in the earth and holds water. A swimming pool on the other hand, is a hole in the earth that is lined and held up with concrete walls. That obviously adds cost to the project.
Also, you must consider maintenance. I was really concerned about getting a pool because of all of the work everyone says they require. I thought, “Well, I want to swim in it not add a ton more work for myself.”
So when you think about it, not only is a pond more cost effective in adding it to your property, but it also requires less maintenance which makes it more cost effective as well.
3. Can Be Used to Turn a Buck (Or Entertainment)
Let’s say you aren’t looking for a place for you and your family to swim. Instead, you’d like to add something to your property that serves a purpose beyond entertainment.
Well, a pond could be suitable for you too. The reason is you can use a pond to farm fish. It would be a great way to add another sustainable source of food to your homestead without adding a ton of work.
As long as you can keep your pond stocked, then you’ll always have food. Not to mention, this could also be another form of entertainment. If you enjoy fishing, why not have your own pond for fishing right on your own land?
I mean, as long as you have the room, why not?
However, fish farming and cash ponds can also be used as an income source for your homestead as well. You could raise fresh fish on your land and sell them for a premium price because they are organically and safely raised. It would be a great item to sell at many Farmer’s Markets.
Also, you could open your property up to families to fish at on the weekends for pleasure. Just make sure that they know that your fish have a catch and release policy.
So not only are ponds easier DIY projects (as long as you have the experience), more cost effective, but they can also be used as income or food source as well.
4. Adds Value to Your Property
If you’ve done much house shopping, then you know that most permanent items on your property add value to your land and home. This means that your land is worth more if you ever decide to sell it.
Though you may not be considering the idea of selling your land now, it is never a bad idea to add more value to it. I personally look for ways to add more value to my land because of my children.
Because, though I hope to never move again in my life, I want to leave my kids an inheritance. The more value I add to my property means either the more enjoyable place they get to live in when I’m gone, or the more money it will bring them which I hope will help them achieve whatever dreams they have in life.
So this was a huge selling point for me when considering adding a pond to our property. I think it is worth any money I sink into it because I feel certain over the years I’ll get my money back and then some.
Granted, you can do the same thing by adding permanent buildings to your property such as out buildings with permanent foundations. You can accomplish this by adding an inground pool to your property as well.
So I guess it is all about what item would function best for your property, how much money you have for the project, and if you have the funds to hire a contractor or the know-how to accomplish the project on your own.
5. A Water Fountain for Your Animals
This was the reason my husband wanted a pond for our property. He loved the idea of never having to worry about any animals on pasture running out of water. They could always just go down to the pond and get a drink.
Now, for me, I’ve seen a couple of scary videos where animals have gone to get a drink where water was frozen, and they fell in.
So I’ll be truthful when telling you that was my first though when he said this. But then over time, I began to realize that this could be a really great solution to hauling water all of the time.
Then I thought that maybe we could add small ponds for the animals in their areas so the likelihood of them falling in would be less.
So if you are looking for a constant watering source for your animals, a pond could be a great option. You could actually raise fish, use the pond for fishing, and water your animals all from this one project.
6. Organic Swimming Pool Anyone?
Okay, so this was the humdinger reasoning for a pond that led us to determine that a pond is a must on our property. Basically, ponds are a solution to so many of our needs.
First, we wanted a pool for entertainment and to increase property value.
Second, we wanted a place to fish, raise fish, and to water our animals.
So we decided to add little ponds around the property for drinking holes and swimming areas for our ducks.
Then we discovered the great (and rather inexpensive) idea of an organic pool. Basically, what it is, is a large hole in the earth. You dig out different depths so some is a wading area while the deeper area is the swimming hole.
Next, you use cinder blocks to frame up the swimming area.
Finally, you plant different plants in the wading areas to help keep the water clear. The best part to me is that they require no maintenance, no chemicals, and are a natural way to enjoy the benefits of swimming.
But I have to tell you, I’ve never been a ‘pond girl’ because I don’t like to swim in what I can’t see. Meaning, if I can’t see my feet, I don’t want to swim in it.
However, these organic pools are ponds that have liners in them. The liners are meant to last for 50 or so years.
So between the plants and the pond liners that are then layered in rock as a filtration system, your water should remain pretty well clear throughout the year. Isn’t that such a cool idea?
And it is only the fraction of the cost of an in-ground pool. Here is a great video to give you greater details on organic pools.
7. A Place to Relax
Finally, I think everyone needs to at least consider the idea of having a pond on their property so they have a designated space to relax.
See, if you use a pond for fish, then you can relax while you fish. You can either fish on the shore or fish on a boat. Either way, you’ll have a place to unwind and enjoy a little relaxation which we all need.
But if you use a pond as a place to water your animals, it will hopefully give you a place to go to sit down in the grass and just rest after working on your homestead all day.
However, if you use a pond as an organic pool, then it will hopefully give you a cool place to go and rest when you need a break.
But you can also add nice docks to your ponds to give you a place to just go and sit if you desire. There are lots of different options available on the internet.
So if you need a place of solitude on your property, then consider investing in a pond. As you can see, there are many great benefits, at least that is my opinion.
8. Beauty Even in a Small Package
Not all backyard ponds are large areas. Some are just small bodies of water in a fenced-in yard. That is okay.
Because they can still serve a purpose. They can offer beauty, tranquility, an area for backyard ducks to swim, a place for bees to drink, and so much more. They don’t have to cost a lot either. Here is a link on building your own small backyard pond.
So whether you want a pond in a large or small package, just know that the small backyard ponds can still do an efficient job for those that homestead on a smaller scale.
Well, now you know my line of thinking when it comes to adding a pond to our property. We have decided to give the organic pool a go and hopefully I can do a follow-up article on it to share our experience, actual costs, etc.
But I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you have a pond on your property? What do you use it for? What are the benefits you reap from having it? Would you recommend others consider adding a pond to their property as well?
We love hearing from you all so please leave us your thoughts in the space provided below.
