A guy at work is trying to sell his Hot Springs Jetsetter spa. It's 15 years old and used daily until two years ago when they put it in storage. He's asking $1750 which seems really high to me but I have no idea what a reasonable price is. One of the pumps was replaced. The other pump and the heater are original equipment. It did have a leak repaired 7 years ago. What is a spa like this worth?

Just a couple of related questions that I should have asked earlier:

- What's the life expectancy of a spa?
- How much does a spa depreciate in value?

What condition is the skirting in? Any rot showing in it? Any bubbles or splits in the shell? Any signs of rust or corrosion around the heater or pump that is original (indicating leaking seals)? Are the jets hard to open/close, and if so equipped, do the spinner/rotating jets still work?

15 years is a lot of time for a tub that was used daily. That's a lot of wear and tear on the relays and wiring in the controller. And if the heater is original as stated, it's probably going to die shortly after moving the tub. Most equipment in hot tubs last about 10 years before starting to act up.

Consider this: The price the seller is asking is roughly half of what a basic NEW spa will cost. Would you be willing to pay half of the NEW price for a 15 year old vehicle? Okay, okay, so that's a bit of a wild comparison, but the idea is there.

I'm by no means an expert in the used spa business, but I do keep my eyes open for deals and have seen a lot of used spas for sale. I would not pay more than about $500 for a tub that old. Why? Well...

I've picked up TWO hot tubs for free off of Craig's list here in the Houston/Austin area of Texas. Both needed work to make the skirting look beautiful again, but mechanically they were in fine shape. The owners were giving both away because they bought new ones and didn't want to fart around with an old tub anymore. The second tub I picked up, and the tub I am using now, was a high-dollar tub in it's day. A 1995 model Morgan Monaco. Extra deep and extra large (8' x 8' x 42"). 28 jets, dual pumps, blower, and Ozonater installed. Shell is flawless and looks like new. I spent a total of $500 for gas money to haul it home, new jet inserts to make the spinner jets like new, new filter cartridge, a couple of new relays for the controller, new UV bulb for the ozonator. Now it operates like a brand new tub. It's been in service about a month and a half now with no issues.

Anyhow... Lots of people are selling older tubs for far, far less than $1700. You don't want to pay $1700 for the tub, then in a year or less half to replace the other original pump at $200, then the heater element ($40 if lucky, $120 for everything), and eventually the controller ($500).

How many jets does the tub have? It's just not worthwhile to spend that kind of money for an outdated tub with 10 boring jets.

That would make it a 1991. With a good (light weight) cover, in good running condition, $1,000.00 -$1,500.00. I'd want to see it running and HOT. My opinion.