When thinking about building a pool on your holiday rental property listed on Search and Stay, there are several factors to take into consideration. Apart from cost and aesthetics, you need to establish if your site is up to it and if you are allowed to install a pool as your local or state government may have regulations that you should know about. You then need to weigh up all of these elements against what you stand to gain from adding the pool to your holiday rental listed on Search and Stay.
We break down the process by looking at five aspects which will hopefully make your decision a simple (and potentially lucrative) one.
1. Consider Planning Approval For A Pool At Your Holiday Property
When planning your pool for your holiday rental property listed on Search and Stay, it can be easy to get carried away with the idea and benefits. However, it’s important to view anything which can be a major investment with a level head. Firstly, investigate permits and authorization to build a pool at your holiday home. Call your local government or council to identify what regulations or requirements for planning submissions they have. Also, evaluate the size of your yard and the ratio of pool-to-land that you want. You may need to remove a tree or two to avoid them creating too much shade or dropping foliage in the water, or due to potential root damage to the pool lining in the future.
Finally, consider your guests’ privacy. Is the pool visible from the street? Is it possible to see swimmers? Can nosey neighbours see over the holiday house fence? You may need to adjust your boundary fence for intimacy. All of these factors can have cost implications and it’s better to be aware of them upfront.
2. Establish Whether You Holiday Property Will Allow for a Pool
One thing that many holiday home owners forget to assess when putting in a pool at their holiday rental property, is whether the site is able to support such a large, heavy body of water. If you live on an angled piece of land, you’ll need to compensate by adding a foundation and supports to ensure your pool doesn’t slide down the hill. It’s also useful to review the substrate material. For example, it may be very sandy or wet due to a high water table, which could require extra preparation before the pool goes in. If you are unsure, it’s wise to involve a structural engineer in the process.
If there are too many complications involved with adding a pool to your site, look into adding a spa or hot tub to your holiday rental listed on Search and Stay. They are smaller and often, installation is simple. Additionally, they cost far less, but a spa at your holiday home is still a huge perk for holiday rental guests.
3. Find the Ideal Position for Your Holiday Rental Pool
There is no doubt that adding a pool to a holiday home listed on Search and Stay, makes the place more attractive and enticing for guests. Approximately 80 per cent of holiday rental guests want holiday rentals with pools. However, when deciding on your pool’s position, you do need to take a few things into consideration regarding its use. Think about the type of holiday rental guest you are most likely to host at your holiday property.
For instance, for family holiday homes, it’s important that the pool is visible from inside the house, so adults can keep an eye on kids who are swimming. Or, if your guests are adults, provide space around the pool for entertaining and relaxing, and determine where you will store related items like cushions, pool inflatables and even cleaning equipment. Make sure the pool gets as much sun as possible during the day to help keep it at a pleasant temperature, naturally. If you are in a windy location, you can create a windbreak by planting trees or adding a fence, which will protect guests and prevent increased water evaporation (saving you money!).
4. Choose the Best Pool to Suit Your Holiday Rentals Needs
Contemplate which style of pool will be best for your needs. Looking again at the type of guests you will have, examine how the design of the pool will affect them. For instance, if you host families with children, a large shallow step would be handy. Or, if you are targeting guests who enjoy fitness or working from the holiday home, it may be a good idea to design a long pool to allow for a few laps in the morning before work. Try to cater to as many different holiday rental guest types as possible, within your means.
Choose the type of pool you want according to cost, style and use. For instance, a prefab, moulded pool is quick and cost-effective to install, but there are limitations in designs and colours, Also, decide if you want your pool to be heated or not, and if you’re going to heat it, the kind of system will affect cost. For example, solar panels have a higher up-front cost but should pay for themselves in the long run.
Irrespective of use, you will need to consider pool safety, keeping in mind some items are required by law, and will be especially useful given your guests will be using the pool without you there to supervise. Though pools are lovely, they can also be dangerous and it’s important to protect yourself from damage, accidents and costly litigation. In hotter areas, installing a solid pool cover and keeping the pool covered when not in use will save on water evaporation, cleaning, and heating and it’s an extra safety feature.
5. Consider How Much a Holiday Rental Pool is Going to Cost
The type of pool you choose will have different cost implications. The price to install an above ground pool starts from about $6,000 and you can spend up to $100,000 for a concrete inground pool for your holiday home. Maintenance tasks include regular cleaning as well as long-term care. A chemical pool, for example, requires regular monitoring to check acidity levels but provides that crystal clear blue water ideal.
Another important factor is the timeframe: how long will it take to build the pool at your holiday house? Can you afford to have your holiday rental property out of commission for a week or several months depending on the complexity of the work? And builders and contractors will have the necessary access to your holiday property.
Consider These Main Points Before Adding a Pool To Your Holiday Rental
These are the main points necessary to consider for your pool’s cost-benefit analysis, and hopefully, they have provided clarity. Of course, once you’ve considered all of these aspects you need to find a builder or contractor who is able to work with you and carry out the installation to your exact requirements. For any renovation, there will always be unpredictable elements, but we have pointed out potential problem areas so you can avoid issues before they happen. At the end of the day, you’ll end up with a beautiful pool in your holiday rental property listed on Search and Stay which can increase occupancy significantly, especially in warmer areas. Remember that, for some guests, a pool will be the difference between choosing your home or someone else’s when they book your holiday property on Search and Stay.