Your pool heater finally gave out. Before you buy a replacement, it's worth taking a few minutes to do your homework. The right unit can save you hundreds of dollars a year in fuel costs. The wrong one will cost more to run and wear out faster. Here's what to know before you buy.

—Learn the benefits of portable spa models compared with custom concrete spas

Click here for part 1 of 2: Portable Hot Tubs

Part 2: Inground spas

A portable hot tub or an inground concrete spa—which one is right for you?

As discussed in part 1 of this article, both prefabricated hot tubs and their custom-built counterparts offer terrific benefits for your home and lifestyle.

—Learn the benefits of portable manufactured models compared with custom concrete spas

Part 1: Portable Hot Tubs

Few activities are more relaxing than settling into a warm, bubbly spa at the end of a hard day. Along with the health benefits of unwinding mind and body in heated, swirling water, a spa can make an excellent spot for entertaining friends and family. Depending on the type you choose, a spa can boost the visual appeal of your backyard as well.

—5 key backyard factors to consider for future pool construction

Buying a home with an existing swimming pool may be just the type of real estate purchase you want for your lifestyle.

But here’s what sometimes happens in this kind of scenario: You and your family have your hearts set on a private aquatic retreat; you find the perfect house—the one with the big kitchen you want, a spot for your fantasy man cave, and the top-notch school district for your kids.

—Get any design for any yard and style preference with a gunite/shotcrete pool

Choices, choices, choices! With concrete pools built using gunite or shotcrete material, options for your new pool’s design and overall configuration cross the full spectrum.

While you have two other options for a residential inground pool—fiberglass or vinyl liner—the concrete one rises above the pack. Whether composing a pool in a classic rectangle or Roman, an organic form with soft curves, or a modern silhouette with sharp angles—concrete delivers on all fronts.

You're planning a new pool, and the deck decision sneaks up on you. Too small and there's nowhere to put a lounge chair. Too big and you've paid for concrete you never use.

The right size depends on your yard, your family, and how you'll actually use the space. Answer these five questions before you meet with your pool builder and you'll walk in knowing exactly what you need.

—Before building begins, carefully evaluate these fundamental choices

When embarking on any big home improvement project, you face a number of design decisions over factors that bear greatly on the final result.

Particularly for complex additions—like a new backyard pool—it’s common for homeowners to change their mind over plan details. Worse, some realize too late that their design fails on some fronts to meet their family’s needs and preferences.