Posted by
Dan Ried on Mon, May 14, 2012 @ 01:02 PM
Swim spas were fist introduced to the pool and spa market about 15 years ago, and like any other up and coming "hot" product, the sticker shock is, well shocking. As swim spas have become more common, the market has changed for the better; for the consumer that is. Prices have lowered and options have become more accomodating. These days you should be able to find a swim spa price that fits your budget without being "shocked" out of the idea.
The biggest reason swim spa prices have gone down is becuase they are now available factory direct. You no longer have to deal with markup and middleman distribution networks. Thats an extremely good thing for the consumer becuase aggresive is an under statement when considering the amount of dealer markup on swim spa prices. As the supply has caught up with the demand, the prices have caught up with reality.
In the past, pool and spa dealers recognized the high demand for swim spas, realized there was no REAL percieved value, and marked up prices sky high. I mean why not right? If people are buying them then charge as much as you want. Well, now it's the retailers that are struggling with swim spas due largely in part by the percentage of savings associated with factory direct swim spa prices.
For example, This swim spa price of $16,999 is on sale factory direct. The retail swim spa price on this unit is over $30,000. That's a big savings. But. if your patient and if you do enough research, you may be able to find even cheaper options. For example, when the previously mentioned swim spa goes on sale, it reduces from $16,999 to only $9,999!
This should put swim spa prices in to perspective for you. Any time you buy directly from a manufacturer, you will no doubt save big. Especially if you take advantage of a swim spa price on promotion or special by the factory itself. You are likely to save close to 70% this way. If you're shopping around for a swim spa, don't forget to check the internet. This is where most Factory direct swim spa prices are available. Good luck!
Posted by
Dan Ried on Wed, Apr 18, 2012 @ 11:33 AM
The name Inter-Spas, a derivative of "Internet" and "Spa", first came to fruition over 20 years ago. Since then, the internet has become an increasingly affective channel for the exchange of information, and the distribution of goods and services via e-commerce. The online hot tub market has thrived just like other businesses using this technology, and Inter-Spas has been ahead of the curve the entire way. Inter-Spas has become the largest factory direct supplier of hot tubs and swim spas over the internet in the US in a very short amount of time.
One thing that has expanded with the Inter-Spas business, is the Inter-Spas names. The corect spelling for Inter-Spas is just that "Inter - Dash - Spas". Why does the name have a dash? Well, let's just say it's something we started with since the beginning and we're sticking to it. Believe me, it would make a lot more sense to spell the name with out the dash like "inter spas", and dont get me wrong, you still can, but the official online branding name will always be Inter-Spas. That's with a dash, a capitol "I" and a captitol "S". Inter-Spas! Doesn't that sound nice! Inter-Spa! Inter-Spas for everyone!
Posted by
Dan Ried on Mon, Apr 09, 2012 @ 03:15 PM
Swim spa sizes can vary both in length and depth, but what swimspa size is best for you? There are plenty of options out there. You can go with a smaller 12 foot swimspa; a small version used strictly for swimming and exercise, or you can stretch all the way out to a 19 foot swimspa/hot tub combination with a separate body of water for hydrotherapy.
Both options are popular with a number of sizes in between. Smaller sizes can be more practical for some cases. If you don't have enough space in your home's exterior, or if you simply don't need the space in the swimspa becuase you are a smaller person, you can elect to go with a more compact unit/swimming area.
However, if you have a taller build (over 6ft), I would definitely recommend a larger swimspa area of 14 feet. In fact, this is my size recommendation for all swim spa buyers that don't have any sort of restriction or special preference. If you are unsure who will be using the spa, it is always better to have enough space to accommodate. Also, if you're unsure of your swimming habits and paterns, better to bet on the side of caution. You never know how much room you may need in the future due to change of swim stroke.
A swim area of 14 feet is ideal not only because it gives the swimmer enough swim area to swim, but it also gives the current enough flow area to flow. Some models are made much smaller like in the 12.5 ft range, but use the same caliber pumps and plumbing lines to generate the current. Do you want river rapids or swim spa current? Your choice. Smaller units will claim to have vairiable flow, which in most cases is true. The problem is you will never use the full flow in a small swimspa unless of course you own a kayak. Make sure you have enough space in your swimspa to take on the current.
If your in the market for a swimspa, keep these few things in mind during your research. Space is key and very important for the swimmer, the potential swimmers, and the current itself. 14 foot Swimspa models are on display now. Take a look to compare sizes and find the best fit for you.
Posted by
Dan Ried on Tue, Feb 28, 2012 @ 11:17 AM
For many people, the price of a hot tub is most important. Many people have a limited or strict budget for a new hot tub, and other project costs are often weighed in to find the best hot tub prices.
When shopping for a hot tub, you have a few options. You can go on craigslist or other classified posting sites online to get a used spa, you can look up your local retailer and check out a new spa, or you can go directly to the manufacturer to pick up a new hot tub factory direct.
It's obvious which option is the most expensive. While retailers are conveniently located near you, a middleman will in the end do nothing but cost you. A used spa is a cheaper way to go, but you normally don't get a warranty or any sort of guarantee as to how long the spa will last or how well the spa really runs.
Buying hot tubs factory direct will no doubt get you the best hot tub prices and quality. If you have a chance to look up manufacturer hot tub prices online, remember everyone knows buying factory direct will get you the best deal. Be sure the company you deal with is infact a manufacturer. There are plenty of companies out there that host websites under different names for just this reason.
If you deal with a "factory direct" hot tub website, and you get a chance to talk to a salesman, ask them details about where the product is manufactured. Also be sure to ask them where THEY are located. If you sense any sort of ambiguity, you're dealing with a middle man. Hang up the phone and call another company to get true factory direct hot tub prices.
Posted by
Dan Ried on Tue, Feb 07, 2012 @ 01:59 PM
When shopping around for a new hot tub, it's important to keep size in mind for many reasons. Mainly you want to make sure the hot tub will fit you and your site. I'll explain why these things are important to remember when buying and researching your big purchase.
Most people don't screw up on the first part. It's easy enough to figure out how much room you have on site. Just break out the measuring tape on your patio, concrete pad, or deck and you're good to go. One thing people do tend to overlook is height. A 6 person hot tub, can reach to over 40 inches in height. You gotta just make sure you have room. Easy enough right? Well, thats only the half of it.
The spa has to fit you too! One issue people run in to is the whole 6 person hot tub, 4 person hot tub, etc. naming conventions. Try to ignore these conventions as much as you can. They are mainly used as marketing tactics to make you think you can fit more or less people in to a particular model or category size. You cant go wrong with corner to corner measurements. Make sure you get those. Don't listen to some guy say you can fit 6 people in a 5 by 7 hot tub. It just doesn't happen.
If you want to fit 6 people comfortably, you gottta go at least 7ft x 7ft. Also try to get measurements of the foot well. Some models have plenty of room on the seats and benches, but then you look at the foot well and say no way! Think about it, theres 12 feet to fit in there!
Get a nice 6 person hot tub with plenty of foot and leg room, make sure you've got enough space on site to place the hot tub, and measure measure measure!!!
Check out this example of a 6 person hot tub with sitting room, leg room, 6 person in size, and plenty of bang for your buck!
Posted by
Dan Ried on Tue, Jan 17, 2012 @ 02:22 PM
If you're in the market for a portable spa it's important to learn the differences between the types of spas being sold today.
First of all, I want to clear up a few misconceptions. Almost all spas manufactured within the past 10 years are fully portable. There is no external plumbing, nor is there any permanent fixture attaching the spa to your house, deck or patio. All spas are now considered portable spas. The only thing you need to connect is the electrical.
I cant tell you how many times I've heard potential hot tub buyers say this: "What do I do when I sell my house? I'll just have to get another spa." This is completely false. All spas are portable. It doesnt have to be a soft tub or a very small spa to be portable. Even giant 19 foot swim spas can be moved and reinstalled in a new location.
This is of course if you are smart about it. If you're selling your house, and you have a nice spa that you want to keep. Get it removed from the property before you have it appraised or start showing it. Most of the time, if buyers see the hot tub on the property, they will try to negotiate it in to the deal. Hide it. Better yet, move the PORTABLE SPA to your friends house he wont mind. If you leave it installed at your house, kiss the thing good bye.
Learn more about the best way to move a portable spa and which spas need heavy equipment to move and which ones don't.
Posted by
Dan Ried on Mon, Dec 19, 2011 @ 11:23 AM
Hot tub lighting has come a long way since the idea was conceived back in the 90's. Back then, actual light bulbs in waterproof casings were installed to light up spas at night. Usually only displaying one color, and prone to electrical issues and water leaks, this lighting option was a hard seal to consumers. Since the introduction of the LED bulb at around the turn of the millennium, hot tubs have "taken on a new light" completely.
Most high quality hot tubs manufactured in recent years come with a full array of hot tub lights arranged in a perimeter accent fashion, and controlled by high-tech LED light processors. Hot tubs these days can have up to 70 points of LED lights drilled directly in to the hot tub acrylic, lighting up the spa at night with a magnificent array of color and mood.
So who really needs Christmas lights? Well, I suppose if you have a tree you do. Even still, when you're outside this December during the holidays soaking in your hot tub, catching snow flakes on your head, and singing christmas carols, set those LED hot tub lights to green and red and feel that christmas spirit from head to toe with full body hrydrotherapy.
Important troubleshooting tip:
Ironically, hot tub lights do actually operate similar to LED hot tub lights in some ways. Like the lights on your tree, hot tub lights are daisy chained together; meaning when one bulb goes out, every light past that bulb down the line will go out. Unlike Christmas lights however, hot tub lights are made with highly durable LED bulbs. The chances of the LED bulb going bad are slim.
So, it's Christmas eve, you set your spa lights to green and red, and you're ready for a nice soak with your spiked egg nog, but only half your spa lights up. What now? There is only one thing you should remember in this situation. Don't panic. Remember the Christmas lights. Set down the egg nog, get your power drill, remove the adjacent panel to the bulb that's out, and assure it is connected properly. Then VOILA! You're everything is lit up, especially you and your guests depending on how much you spiked the egg nog.
Get more troubleshooting tips on hot tub lights for the holiday season.
Have you thought about what to surprise your spouse with for Christmas this year? Why not splurge on a luxury item that both of you can enjoy without braking the bank and have the added bonus of increasing the value of your home at the same time. A hot tub spa is a feature that helps create a relaxing and fun ambiance plus it can be used all year long.
Just about everything goes on sale during the Holidays but most people don't think about big ticket items like hot tubs for sale. It's the time of the year when you can get the most bang for your buck. In fact, if you've been wanting to buy a hot tub but avoid going into debt you can actually purchase a spa factory direct and save as much as 70% off retail.
Another fact that many don't realize is that since hot tubs & spas are seen as a purchase that will help with your health, they can be considered a tax write off.
Since relaxing in a hot tub is something that every member of the family can enjoy, it is a great way for the whole family to get together and bond. Children love it since they see it as a place to have fun and parents love it since they see it as a place for therapy and relaxation.
Check out hot tubs for sale during the holidays
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a new hot tub? Do you immediately think of how exspensive it is? Or that you would have to save up for many years and get one by the time you retire?
There has been phenomenal growth in the home spa and hot tub industry. Millions of homeowners are discovering the health benefits of home spas and the industry has produced many manufacturing innovations that make home spas and hot tubs more affordable, more portable and easier to install. More manufacturers for hot tub spas have popped up adding to the competition and therefore making prices more competitive.
The biggest luxury trends currently are hot tub entertainment systems, spa TVs and DVD combinations, plus fiber optic hot tub lighting and LED lighting. One of the biggest keys to getting a brand new hot tub at an affordable cost is knowing what you need to get the maximum benefit for you and your family for the minimal cost. Be realistic about what features you would actually use and get your money's worth from. Another big key is to buy during a sale or special.
Click here to see hot tub prices under $3000
In recent years the sales of inground pools has declined. This is due in large part to the cost and also to the fact that people in general are being more conservative with their money, especially during the current recession. Yet at the same time more and more people are being health conscious and trying to live a better lifestyle by eating better, exercising regularly and adding a variety of elements to their active routine. A great alternative to investing $25k plus in an inground pool is to purchase a swim spa.
Swimming is a great element to include into your routine. The benefits to your health and body through aquatic fitness are numerous, not to mention safer, especially if you've suffered any kind of injury or debilitating condition such as arthritis. In a swim spa you can work out in a spa that was designed specifically for the purpose of endless swimming and has attachments for rowing and other resistance exercises.
If you live in a neighborhood that has a community pool and find that it works out well and is convenient to swim there that's great. The main downside to community pools is that they close for the winter unless you live in a warm climate year-round. Also most people prefer to enjoy a swim in the privacy of their own home without having to use public facilities for changing, showering, etc.
Swim spas are an amazing double function product. You can get an immense workout with the swim spa jets and then unwind using the massage jets. An advantage of swim spas over pools is that they take up less space, cost significantly less than an inground pool and you get the benefits of a pool and hot tub in one, plus it also increases the value of your home.
Check out amazing deals on home swim spas