Which Pool Builder to Go With

Now that we were sure we wanted a pool, we now had to decide which pool builder to go with. I started doing research online, reading lots of forums and reviews, as well as asking friends who they went with and if they were happy with the overall experience. 

We also toyed with the idea of getting a DIY pool kit and essentially being the owner builder of the project.

We went down the owner builder path when we built our triple bay shed so we had a idea of what steps we would have to take with council etc. It would have been a lot cheaper.

However, there were a few things that made us ditch this idea. The major one was that we are complete amateurs when it came to pools. If something went wrong with the pool, we wanted a reputable company who we could call now (or in years to come) to assist us. With a DIY kit, I felt that if we had any problems, we were essentially on our own. With our pool budget at $50,000, that was a risk I didn't want to take. 

After yet more late nights scouring the internet, we narrowed it down to three fibreglass pool builders:

1. Narellan Pools (who sell their own pools)

2. Irresistible Pools (who sell Barrier Reef Pools)

3. Compass Pools (who sell their own pools)

Although we had a big block (1000 square metres), our triple bay shed and side access to it took up a big chunk of space. This meant that the size of our pool had to be under 4m in width and no more than 7.5m in length. Any bigger and there would be no room to drive a vehicle into the first bay of the shed, defeating its purpose. 

Below is a photo of the area where we want the pool to go with the length parallel to the fence:

With this in mind, it really narrowed our selection down of rectangle-shaped fibreglass pools. We also preferred to have a pool with a decent seating area, not just a few steps leading into the water. Again this narrowed the selection down as most of the pool models we saw had limited seating space. 

We found a few models we liked with Irresistible Pools - the local business who supplied Barrier Reef Pools in the Hawkesbury area. However, it was virtually impossible to get in touch with them to even organise an inspection. After two emails, a phone call and a request to text my address details, I heard absolutely nothing. So we decided to take our business elsewhere. 

I was impressed with Compass Pools based in Dural. However, after a 45-minute phone call about technical and non-technical aspects of installing a pool, I felt completely overwhelmed to the point where I didn't think I was ready to take on such a big responsibility. I also got the impression that their pools were the top of the range with a lifetime warranty. We are not top of the range people therefore I didn't feel comfortable going for the biggest, the latest and the best. 

In the end we signed a contact on December 3, 2015 with Narellan Pools after four meetings with Ivan (two at our place and two at other people's homes to inspect their pool model and colour). Ivan really knows his stuff and has been a pleasure to do business with. He responds to my emails within 24 hours and has answered all my questions, making sure I understand the entire pool process. 

Narellan Pools had the exact model we were after (the Symphony) with a long bench seat along the whole width of the pool. We decided that the Symphony 7 (3.9m by 7.3m) would just fit in the backyard without obstructing the shed as long as it was a maximum of 1m away from the fence. 

This is an example of the pool and colour we are getting (in their brochure):

These are the specs of the Symphony. We are getting the Symphony 7:

The four big things that made us take our business to Narellan Pools was: 

1. 25 year structural warranty on the fibreglass pool and the confidence that if something went wrong, they could assist

2. Their pools are made in Australia so we were confident it would more than comply with Australian standards 

3. No hidden costs "at any time" so once the amount is agreed upon, it shouldn't change unless something disastrous occurs like hitting rock when the hole is dug 

4. They are a local pool builder so they have done this before (many times in fact) in the local area. Their brochure boasts:

"Because we are local, we have a sound knowledge of your local area and conditions." 

My Reason for Wanting a Pool

I have never been the type of person who wanted a house with a pool. Ever since I was a young girl, my mother drilled into my brain that kids drown in pools.

I grew up near the beach on the Mid North Coast of NSW. I loved the sound of the crashing waves and the feel of the sand on my feet. However, I was never confident swimming in the ocean.

I also never learned how to swim properly. My extent of swimming lessons were the few we had in primary school in the late 80s. My swimming teacher stepped on my fingers to try and get me to let go of the edge. I mastered dog paddling but that was about it. 

When I became a grown up and got a gig as a journalist, one of the interviews that always stuck with me was with a mother whose two-year-old son almost drowned in their backyard pool. He got through a loose bar in the fence while mum went into the house only moments earlier to bring the washing in. Luckily he survived but it left him with permanent brain damage. 

So when my husband brought home a pool pamphlet one day, I was of course nervous. We have two children aged 5 and one. I didn't want one of my children to end up brain damaged or worse. But then something inside me changed. Instead of thinking that a pool could cost a life, what if it could save one? If my children had the opportunity to be around water and learn to be confident swimmers, they may not grow up fearing water like me.

Australia is surrounded by water. It makes sense to learn how to swim and understand that water is fun but you also have to respect it and be safe. That is my goal for them. 

Me as a young tot at the beach near our family home.