The optional extras edit - Our top picks to make your pool that little bit 'extra'

If you find yourself on the phone to me (and i really hope you do someday) you’ll be hard pressed to get a single negative thing out of me about a pool. 

I love them - can’t get enough of them. I love how pretty they look in your backyard, I love how much entertainment they bring your family, and I especially love that on a stinking hot summer day when you’ve busted your chops around the house - you can dive in, cool down and relax. 

Gone are the days of just a plain old pool. Like anything, the optional extras are endless. A pool is a massive investment, it’s something that you might have spent your whole life dreaming of and saving for. So when you’re getting yourself ready to build one, it’s worth considering your options so that you package it up as best you can to get the most bang for your buck.

I’m lucky enough to have some very clever people on hand who continue to add a bit of ‘extra’ to our pools. So let me save you some time. Here’s a few extras that are definitely worth your consideration.

1 // Heat it

Let me tell you. The day we decided to put a heater in our pool goes down as one of the best decisions we have ever made. We can chat about the type of heater you need later because it’s largely dependent on how you want to use your pool and also how big your pool is. But if you want to extend your swimming season and stop the kids from wanting a bath to warm up as soon as they get out, then a heater is for you.

2 // Design it

Too often we see premeditated backyard design - clients or architects find something in a magazine and want to replicate it. This doesn’t always work very well. It’s important to define the spaces in your yard and how each space links to the other. Then go through a system of approval to see what’s achievable. And that’s where a great landscape architect will add value - offering advice on regulations and issues that could constrain the design.  

 3 // Tile it

A regular (awesome) pool of ours will have a waterline tile and be finished with a rendered product called Designer Beadcrete. A far superior product to the old pebblecrete it features mineral quartz and glass bead spheres which create a reflective mirror underwater. It’s pretty bloody fancy if you ask us and can be upgraded to feature 100% glass - super smooth under foot too.  For a little bit ‘extra’ consider fully tiling your pool, what you outlay in cost you’ll recover in the aesthetic and durability of your pool. My personal favourite right now are larger format tiles in 50mm x 50mm but the options are endless.

4 // Cover it

Consider a cover early on in the process of designing your pool. Because if you want one, then it’s worth building one in so that it's discreet and out of the way. There are a number of types on the market and the benefits are plentiful. But top of the list for us is their ability to retain heat in the cooler months and to keep your pool nice and clean if you are surrounded by trees. 

5 // Automate it

What can’t you do with your smartphone these days? Your pool pump, chlorinator, heating and any additional features can all be controlled from the palm of your hand. Great for if you're out and about and want to crank the temp up on the pool so the kids can have an early evening dip! Or for if you’ve just left work and want to have the spa heated for when you get home. Pool automation really does remove the hassle from pool and spa operation. 

So there you have it. Plenty to consider when designing and building your dream pool. All of which we’d love to chat to you about. And now is the time to plan, spend the cooler months getting your designs and approvals sorted so that we can get that pool ready for you once summer whips around again. Give us a call today.