In the past, private pools have been the preserve of celebrities and lottery winners, a serious luxury item. This year, sales have picked up considerably, as one would expect when Michelle Smith collides with a Celtic Tiger. As Des Stirrat of Cascade Pools in Leopardstown, Co Dublin observes: "Houses are so expensive at the moment that spending an extra whack on a pool hardly makes a difference to a lot of people." He is currently building five outdoor pools for homes in the area with another four on the cards.
Anyone who loves swimming and has had to brave the crowds at one of the country's few public pools or children's hour at the local fitness club may have found their thoughts drifting occasionally to building their own pool. But can a mere mortal afford to take the plunge? What's required to make the dream a reality?
First and foremost, space. An average good-sized, in-ground pool which can be used for lengths as well as floating around in with a cocktail, is 20 x 40 feet plus a patio surround. Covering adds height which may be objectionable to neighbours but most agree it's well worth considering, given the climate.
John McKenna of Pooltec strongly recommends putting pools indoors rather than out. "If you're going to put a pool in, you might as well get good use out of it year round." But space constrictions need not squelch aquatic fantasies completely. The new mini-pools engineered for swimming in place could fit into an existing garage. Although expensive (a 4 m x 2.5 m model put into a pre-prepared area costs about £10,000), they come with a current that can be adjusted to a swimmer's speed for a challenging workout. While this is pricey, so is a garden-variety, full-size pool. As with anything, the precise cost is difficult to pin down. There are cars and there are cars, there are pools and there are pools. As a general guideline, it costs at least £8-£10,000 to install a proper in-ground, outdoor pool with good filtration and heating. For an indoor pool, add the cost of a superstructure, which can be as little as £1.50 a metre for a temporary plastic greenhouse model, or as much as a modest house.
Naturally, it's possible to cut corners (although 1960s kidney shapes are so out they're almost in again) by digging the hole yourself, opting for a smaller pool or choosing cheap slabs for patio paving. In the opposite direction, the extras can be tempting - fancy finishes, landscaping, state-of-the-art tiling, ozone systems, fancy heating and automatic hoovers abound. Either way, maintenance after installation is neither time-consuming nor prohibitively expensive - just the cost of a once-yearly service and pool chemicals throughout the year plus an average of £8 a week on electricity for heating.
Above-ground pools may be limited in terms of fitness possibilities but they suit many people with less space and cash. A good model costs between £1,500£3,000 depending on how much DIY is involved. When the sun shines, there's a rush for these units, which last about 10-15 years (an ideal lifespan for families who would like their garden back after the children drift away). A word of caution: a pool is a magnet for neighbourhood children, friends and family. Some might find this daunting but one pool owner in a relatively remote area says it's great. "We use the pool every single day. It's always full of people and if more people knew about it, it would be even fuller."
The overground pool is purely for fair weather and primarily for children; equally sociable but more suited to the Irish climate and adults is the hot tub or spa. A six-person outdoor unit such as can be found in a ski resort, sporting potent massage jets, can be installed in a day for £4,000-£6,000. All that is required is a level surface, a power point and access to a hosepipe. A thermal cover keeps heat locked in all year round (cost: approximately 50p a day) so the spa can be used rain or shine at the drop of a hat. Some swear it's even nicer to use in the rain than on a fine day.
