Swimming Pool
The ultimate self-build inclusion or home improvement for many of us, a swimming pool is a great place to relax as well as keep fit. You will probably need planning permission for a large pool enclosure – check with your local authority at least two months before you plan to start work. The site also needs connection to water, electricity and possibly gas for heating. If there’s no access for digging machinery, the excavation work will be costly.
As well as the pool space, you may need to plan in a changing room, plus storage for the filter unit and pump. If you, or your friends, have small children, for peace of mind, the pool will need a perimeter fence, so plan this into your design.
Today’s soaring fuel prices make heating a pool an expensive business – and will play on your mind if you want your home to be eco-friendly. Talk to your supplier about solar panel heating. This can raise water temperatures by up to 5 degrees and works by pumping the water though a series of solar panels next to the pool. The panel’s narrow pipes are heated by the sun and the water pumped back into the pool. Buy a pool cover with the highest level of insulation you can afford – during a really hot spell, this will mean you’ll hardly need to heat your pool at all.
Costs
The budget option is a splasher pool, a glorified children’s play pool but larger (up to 15ft in diameter). Costs start from £500. Pay around £12,000 and you can have an outdoor fibreglass shell pool, ideal for smaller gardens. However, most people’s idea of a pool is a blockwork excavation with a liner or mosaic tiles. This can be a conventional outdoor pool or in a luxury cabin enclosure. Prices start from £10,000 for a DIY installation or £15,000 for a company to fit.
Pros
Great for a young family
Good for exercising
Year-round use if heated and sheltered
Cons
Maintenance can be a chore
Expensive
Eats up precious garden space
You never get your money back when it comes to selling – and some buyers will see it as a negative
