Adding a pool to your home

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Oh, how about a pool? 
You do need space, and length to be specific.. 
10m is a minimum and even then it might be small. The cost of adding a few more meters is not as much as you think, so long as you have the space.
But do make room for the pool pump and related items. 
There are vinyl, fibre glass and concrete pools with rebar. The last is the more solid and will last you a long long time. But $$$. 

Many rental homes will get the former two, because they are cheaper and more temporary. Think about how long you want to stay there. A sunken pool cost more, but it's more sturdy and looks nicer.

Remember to cater for steps or even a relaxation area, like a bench to sit on and lights. 

Be prepared to to spend upwards of 50k for the pool. Don't forget the cost of the pump, and make sure you have enough space for the pump room. This should be close by, it can be above ground or sunken, but make sure the valve switches are easy to turn. 

Do take note of the sound as it can get noisy and it needs to be running about 12 hours a day to keep your pool clean.

In designing it, work with the builder. It's mean to be a nice place to sit around as well as in it. So plan for decking, some landscaping, and even an extra water feature or fountain. Do add some lights too so it looks nice at night. Granite adds a nice touch and is quite slip resistant. 




The other thing is see how are you going to walk back from the pool into your home. If you have marble floors, it may get slippery and the marble may be affected by the chlorine water. 

You don't need a huge pump, but you do need to get a size proportionate to your needs. Your builder can advise you on this. Check the noise levels of the motor. 

During the building, make sure you shore up the walls around it, especially if you have an adjacent wall or neighbour. 

And factor in the cost of maintaining it, plus the consumables like chorine, cleaning and such.
But a pool can be a lot of fun. Just don't get it to show off because it can become a white elephant soon if that's your only reason.




Maintenance is where the costs can also add up:
- chlorine : about $50 a tub, which lasts about 3 weeks, depending on the size of your pool
- test strips: about $50 a tube
- or hire someone to do it, at about $70-100 a week
- water and power bills: depending on where you live, if there is a lot of rainfall, you may not need to top up the water much. I might only do it during the dry season months. Make sure your home is a three phase one, but a 63A circuit should suffice. 





One option for those who can't afford a longer pool or even a lap pool is the counter current pool system:
It will add a few thousand in cost but it is like a water treadmill. 


The various parts of a pool system:



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