backyard ponds are out of style now

[waynefrcan]

Hi everyone, what's new?? Anyways last year and this year I noticed locally that ponding is a dying form now. Most don't want the hassle. Homes are sold and ponds are filled in at sellers cost.

The new trend is pondless waterfalls. Is this all over in US and Europe as well?

 

[JBtheExplorer]

If anything, I've noticed more and more people getting ponds, but not sure how it is overall. As long as I have a pond, I'm not too concerned with what others are doing.

 

[RobAmy]

I have seen a little slow down here with ponds and pondless features too, I feel it is more related to cost and time for people more then anything. As far as selling a home well that will all depend on the buyer if there is interest or not. This is true with swimming pools also around here. I agree with JB, my pond is here to stay regardless of others. When the time comes to sell I have no problem filling it in if need be.

 

[Dave 54]

Samr here it is slowing but according to my contacts in trade they are putting this down to the recession that weve been having in the UK and Europe and not that the hobby of pondkeeping/koi keeping is dying off .
At the moment they are starting to report growth in trade so it may be picking up at longg last

Dave

 

[Tula]

I love my pond and am going to enjoy it as long as I can.....we also have a swimming pool, which I love ! I think ponding is a unique passion, verses some who just want a water feature in their yards. Fountains are better for some folks!

 

[addy1]

Every house I am in is fixed to what I like, selling is never a big priority to me.

 

[Dave 54]

I love my pond and am going to enjoy it as long as I can.....we also have a swimming pool, which I love ! I think ponding is a unique passion, verses some who just want a water feature in their yards. Fountains are better for some folks!

Water features have been with man since the times of the great empires Tula just look at the ones left behind in prehistory and the ones that are stil working today 2,000 years since the fall of the Roman empire , you have water features in Spain of Moorish occupation its the same for all of the great civilizations as water was a big thing to them , as it is too us still today only the average person can own one today.

Dave

 

[bettasngoldfish]

I have seen a little slow down here with ponds and pondless features too, I feel it is more related to cost and time for people more then anything. As far as selling a home well that will all depend on the buyer if there is interest or not. This is true with swimming pools also around here. I agree with JB, my pond is here to stay regardless of others. When the time comes to sell I have no problem filling it in if need be.

@RobAmy If I were looking to buy a new house your place having both a barn for horses and a beautiful pond would be perfect for me

To fill in your pond pond would be a shame.....

 

[Big Lou]

I see a steady small flow of new members joining this forum but as for the overall hobby or business I cannot speak.

 

[waynefrcan]

All us ponders get comments on the beauty of our ponds but I have never see anyone taking on the hobby.

My local 2 pond supply dealers and one is a builder and one stopped building with now just selling supplies, has said people don't want the expense or the upkeep. When I had an estimate on completing the pond of my design and landscaping around it, he wanted $46,000. I did it for $15,000 and would not have paid 45.

My next house will have something smaller, but I still want fish, so probably a waterfall and small pond. With the focus on the waterfall.

 

[Lisak1]

Every garden needs water in my opinion. But not everyone is a gardener or wants a garden. And for that matter, not every ponder is a gardener. Some are in it for the fish, some love the plants, some the diverse creatures that are attracted to a water feature. And some of us love it all. But there have frequently been posters here who say "we just bought a house with a pond. We know nothing about it, but we're here to learn!"

And if a professional pond builder is charging close to 50k for a pond, I can see why business is down. The pond builders here can build a beautiful pond for 15-20k. $46,000 would get you an entire backyard paradise!

 

[waynefrcan]

That's what it was, entire backyard landscape with 6500 gal pond 22x35' with an island and lighting and electrical. It was all rock as well which brought the price up.

 

[slakker]

I see the same trends here... but I've come to the conclusion that I'm gonna live in my house for my enjoyment, and not for the next owner's. So nothing crazy to destroy value unreasonably, but a pond is easy to fill if it came to it.

 

[addy1]

.. but I've come to the conclusion that I'm gonna live in my house for my enjoyment, and not for the next owner's. .

 

[Dave 54]

Every garden needs water in my opinion. But not everyone is a gardener or wants a garden. And for that matter, not every ponder is a gardener. Some are in it for the fish, some love the plants, some the diverse creatures that are attracted to a water feature. And some of us love it all. But there have frequently been posters here who say "we just bought a house with a pond. We know nothing about it, but we're here to learn!"

And if a professional pond builder is charging close to 50k for a pond, I can see why business is down. The pond builders here can build a beautiful pond for 15-20k. $46,000 would get you an entire backyard paradise!

Where is the joy in that, all the people I know and talk to around the world dug their own ponds and created a paradise, ok so because of disability I cant build a pond but building your own is part and parcel of our hobby.
I cant think of a better way of coming into the hobby because of what you learn whilst doing so dont you agree Lisa?
Not everyone can afford to employ someone to build their pond perhaps because of age or circumstance.
One lady I know has dug and landscaped three ponds now "on her own", and she takes great pride in them and her goldfish and lately of koi

Dave