Ideas wanted - do up, or repurpose, swimming pool
Discussion
We're lucky enough to have a swimming pool at the bottom of the garden - brace yourselves for a first world problem.
It's 9.5m x 4.5m x 1.2m (constant depth throughout). It is covered by an old, retractable pool enclosure made of ally and plexiglass windows. Overall it works just fine but every year it deteriorates a bit more and we've always known that a reckoning will come for the pool at some point - either do up, or get rid. We use it in summer only (because heating it in winter would be madness) but it's a bit of a pain in the arse to use because the doors don't work properly and the cover is a faff etc etc.
The main problem is the enclosure - it's getting very old and in not too long things like the bifold doors are going to fail and cause it to be essentially a write-off. The roof leaks - we've had some panels replaced but it isn't dry inside. Also the tiling around the pool is looking ropey, the liner is going bad and there's some subsidence in the very far corner of the pool that is causing cracking of the tiles. The pool needs a roof unfortunately - the overhanging trees would simply drop too much stuff in it to make it worthwhile. So what to do.
Replace like-for-like. We can spend probably £60-80k on a new enclosure and tiling, but that is a terrible amount of money for something pretty ugly. Ultimately it won't add any value to the house (not that we are selling), but it is the obvious answer. I'm not keen as a result.
Go big. We could do something much nicer - build some kind of more permanent structure over it like https://www.oakmasters.co.uk/products/pool-buildin... and otherwise do it up. This would add value to the house by making it a proper feature in the garden, with changing rooms, perhaps gym alongside etc. Planning likely required, plus building regs and a lot of additional infrastructure for dehumidifying etc. For this I'm guessing we're looking more like £250k, to do it properly. I'm not sure I / the family like swimming that much. Is there an alternative, like a more permanent enclosure-type arrangement that is nicer than the ally frame ones, but wouldn't need planning or additional infrastructure? I can't find it but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Fill it in - will cost money but ultimately this is the easiest option and probably the cheapest.
But there must be a fourth - in my head there must be some kind of option to do an "Amazing Spaces" type deal and use the concrete hole in the ground for something. It's a constant depth so basically flat bottomed. Perhaps build a low structure over it and turn it into a semi-buried gym / cinema room or similar, something else like that? I'm just struggling for ideas, it could be a total pipedream or a dead-end but I don't want to let it go without thinking about it first.
There are some budgetary constraints but we're at the ideas stage first and then can work out how much we might spend, within reason. So any and all ideas, very welcome - what would you do? If you were reusing the hole in the ground, what crazy ideas do you have?
PS sadly the garden isn't accessible from a road so anything automotive is out the window - my first instinct was car barn but it's not possible without a crane to get them over the house...
It's 9.5m x 4.5m x 1.2m (constant depth throughout). It is covered by an old, retractable pool enclosure made of ally and plexiglass windows. Overall it works just fine but every year it deteriorates a bit more and we've always known that a reckoning will come for the pool at some point - either do up, or get rid. We use it in summer only (because heating it in winter would be madness) but it's a bit of a pain in the arse to use because the doors don't work properly and the cover is a faff etc etc.
The main problem is the enclosure - it's getting very old and in not too long things like the bifold doors are going to fail and cause it to be essentially a write-off. The roof leaks - we've had some panels replaced but it isn't dry inside. Also the tiling around the pool is looking ropey, the liner is going bad and there's some subsidence in the very far corner of the pool that is causing cracking of the tiles. The pool needs a roof unfortunately - the overhanging trees would simply drop too much stuff in it to make it worthwhile. So what to do.
Replace like-for-like. We can spend probably £60-80k on a new enclosure and tiling, but that is a terrible amount of money for something pretty ugly. Ultimately it won't add any value to the house (not that we are selling), but it is the obvious answer. I'm not keen as a result.
Go big. We could do something much nicer - build some kind of more permanent structure over it like https://www.oakmasters.co.uk/products/pool-buildin... and otherwise do it up. This would add value to the house by making it a proper feature in the garden, with changing rooms, perhaps gym alongside etc. Planning likely required, plus building regs and a lot of additional infrastructure for dehumidifying etc. For this I'm guessing we're looking more like £250k, to do it properly. I'm not sure I / the family like swimming that much. Is there an alternative, like a more permanent enclosure-type arrangement that is nicer than the ally frame ones, but wouldn't need planning or additional infrastructure? I can't find it but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Fill it in - will cost money but ultimately this is the easiest option and probably the cheapest.
But there must be a fourth - in my head there must be some kind of option to do an "Amazing Spaces" type deal and use the concrete hole in the ground for something. It's a constant depth so basically flat bottomed. Perhaps build a low structure over it and turn it into a semi-buried gym / cinema room or similar, something else like that? I'm just struggling for ideas, it could be a total pipedream or a dead-end but I don't want to let it go without thinking about it first.
There are some budgetary constraints but we're at the ideas stage first and then can work out how much we might spend, within reason. So any and all ideas, very welcome - what would you do? If you were reusing the hole in the ground, what crazy ideas do you have?
PS sadly the garden isn't accessible from a road so anything automotive is out the window - my first instinct was car barn but it's not possible without a crane to get them over the house...
Will follow this thread with interest.
We have a large brick, wood and glazed building in the garden - currently contains pool table, table tennis table, darts and lounge area. It's also slowly dying as the wood is rotting away. We hardly ever use it as it's freezing in the winter, boiling in the summer and the process of exiting the house is a weird psychological barrier to its use. It will need re-building in the near future and I can't imagine wanting to spend £70,000 on something we'll rarely use. As such, we're probably at the same stage as you, of trying to think of alternative uses.
Best of luck. Having already repurposed one of our other outbuildings for a use we really did need, we're low on interesting ideas.
We have a large brick, wood and glazed building in the garden - currently contains pool table, table tennis table, darts and lounge area. It's also slowly dying as the wood is rotting away. We hardly ever use it as it's freezing in the winter, boiling in the summer and the process of exiting the house is a weird psychological barrier to its use. It will need re-building in the near future and I can't imagine wanting to spend £70,000 on something we'll rarely use. As such, we're probably at the same stage as you, of trying to think of alternative uses.
Best of luck. Having already repurposed one of our other outbuildings for a use we really did need, we're low on interesting ideas.
We are going through similar motions to the OP. House came with an indoor pool (its not as big but still there) we dont use it a great deal but do at least maintain it and scoop the odd dead rodent out of it. Eventually something in or over it will fail and force our hands. We are likely to just fill it in and get rid when that happens.
Thats before you sort the chemicals and servicing of sand filters etc
LooneyTunes said:
We ve looked at getting an indoor pool installed - planning aside, the main advice we received was to not underestimate the costs associated with heating / air handling and the electricity demands thereof.
This oh so much this. Even the simple job of running the pump is 500w of load (so about £2.50 per day), we dont run it 24/7 but enough to keep the water circulated (4 hours a day I think is the automation I have setup). Heating it is expensive even with an air source heat pump (which is now dead as I forgot to drain it in the winter) . We have a 3kw ceramic heater that does the job but you can easily see how much that costs to run. Fine in the summer with lots of solar knocking about, madness in the winter.Thats before you sort the chemicals and servicing of sand filters etc
Thanks all - some good ideas (Gladiator Arena no.1 at the moment). Agree on running costs - we heat the pool at the moment via ASHP and it is actually pretty reasonable but we filter and heat overnight on off-peak rate which massively reduces the cost. I'm not sure if you can do humidity control on a part-time basis and really I don't want to spend a huge sum on building an indoor pool arrangement in any event.
Will find / take some pictures
Will find / take some pictures
Hooters waitress chocolate wrestling job audition zone.
A better idea than my gladiator suggestion. Put a post on Facebook for hot chicks with decent racks and experience in the catering/stag night industry.
Order 500 gallons of Nutella to be delivered by cement mixer and charge punters £50/pop to include a buffet and unlimited booze. Run a book on the eventual winners, 20% overround will bring in another few grand.
Winners get a job at the Hooters franchise you're going to build where the swimming pool once was.
A better idea than my gladiator suggestion. Put a post on Facebook for hot chicks with decent racks and experience in the catering/stag night industry.
Order 500 gallons of Nutella to be delivered by cement mixer and charge punters £50/pop to include a buffet and unlimited booze. Run a book on the eventual winners, 20% overround will bring in another few grand.
Winners get a job at the Hooters franchise you're going to build where the swimming pool once was.
https://naturalswimmingpools.com/swimming-pool-con...
This is what I've been looking at for the bottom of the garden...
This is what I've been looking at for the bottom of the garden...
AB said:
https://naturalswimmingpools.com/swimming-pool-con...
This is what I've been looking at for the bottom of the garden...
Mate of mine has a “natural” swimming pool. It looks better at his place than a standard outdoor pool would, but has had some water quality issues that seemed a bit tricky to resolve. It’s probably a lot cheaper than a full blown indoor pool and is certainly less visually intrusive. This is what I've been looking at for the bottom of the garden...
Russet Grange said:
Hooters waitress chocolate wrestling job audition zone.
A better idea than my gladiator suggestion. Put a post on Facebook for hot chicks with decent racks and experience in the catering/stag night industry.
Order 500 gallons of Nutella to be delivered by cement mixer and charge punters £50/pop to include a buffet and unlimited booze. Run a book on the eventual winners, 20% overround will bring in another few grand.
Winners get a job at the Hooters franchise you're going to build where the swimming pool once was.
A UK gallon of Nutella weighs about 5.7kg if the interweb is to be believed, the largest catering tub is 3kg and the best price that I can find is £17A better idea than my gladiator suggestion. Put a post on Facebook for hot chicks with decent racks and experience in the catering/stag night industry.
Order 500 gallons of Nutella to be delivered by cement mixer and charge punters £50/pop to include a buffet and unlimited booze. Run a book on the eventual winners, 20% overround will bring in another few grand.
Winners get a job at the Hooters franchise you're going to build where the swimming pool once was.
500 UK gallons is 2850kg or 950 catering tubs @ £17 a tub or £16,150
I have absolutely no idea how much of a discount you would get for three metric tons of Nutella but say £3 a kg? This would bring the cost of the Nutella down to £9,000 plus a bit for delivery.
At £50 a head the O/P would need to find 180 paying customers just to cover the Nutella, now obviously some of them will be repeat customers which would make the sales and marketing a lot easier, but I'd say the main problem with the whole "Hooters waitress chocolate wrestling job audition zone" is the free booze element.
Firstly would the O/P would need a licence to give the alcohol away? Then they would have to front up the cash to actually buy the alcohol along with plastic beakers etc
I'd say the O/P would be better off if the punters were to bring their own alcohol but team up with their local corner shop so the punters get a small amount of discount on their booze purchases on production of their "Hooters waitress chocolate wrestling job audition zone" entrance ticket and the O/P can get a small kickback from the corner shop owner.
Instead of a buffet I'd suggest the O/P issue each punter with a box of crackers/biscuits/stroopwafels or several slices of bread/toast so they can eat the Nutella thus saving the O/P the cost of disposal too.
I'd say that with a bit of thought and careful planning the "Hooters waitress chocolate wrestling job audition zone" is a potential money spinner with franchise possibilities too
Following with interest. I may be facing a similar problem in the years to come.
We bought the house almost 30 years ago. It had a large pool - c13m x 8m x 3m deep. It was quite dilapidated. We had young children, so I took the decision to invest. We tiled it, replaced the plant shed with a building, updated all the kit, new boiler, automatic cover (which broke too often and was junked). We have had great use out of it.
Now it is starting to look a little tired. We still use it most days in the summer but there are only two of us now. The cost of heating oil has gone through the roof. At some stage we will have to do something with it. I have always said I should just fill it in and would never build a pool if I didn't have one. The best pool is one owned by a close friend and neighbour!
We already have a pool house with showers, loos, kitchen and gym, so we don't need new buildings.
We bought the house almost 30 years ago. It had a large pool - c13m x 8m x 3m deep. It was quite dilapidated. We had young children, so I took the decision to invest. We tiled it, replaced the plant shed with a building, updated all the kit, new boiler, automatic cover (which broke too often and was junked). We have had great use out of it.
Now it is starting to look a little tired. We still use it most days in the summer but there are only two of us now. The cost of heating oil has gone through the roof. At some stage we will have to do something with it. I have always said I should just fill it in and would never build a pool if I didn't have one. The best pool is one owned by a close friend and neighbour!
We already have a pool house with showers, loos, kitchen and gym, so we don't need new buildings.
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