If covid has taught us anything, it’s that having all the things you want at home is not such a bad idea.
I don’t know about you but before going through a global pandemic the list of things we wanted to do in our home was longgggggg! And there was always one thing getting in the way of completing these tasks … TIME! Little did we know that once we had the time, materials and competition would be the next hurtles to overcome. Clearly, we weren’t the only ones with the bright idea to tackle that home reno list.
Decisions Decisions
The idea of putting a pool in our backyard wasn’t one we came up with on a whim. It has been a thought in our minds since we moved into our home 4 years ago. But the reality is that taking on a pool project is a HUGE expense. There are also a lot of companies offering the best service but really, how do you choose?
In 2020 we had a few companies come and quote us what our project would cost – insert shocked, crying face here – but timelines didn’t align and we had a hard time spending money on a project we would have to wait 8 months to enjoy. So we waited. Finally in March of 2021, after endless research we decided on Koho Pools in Barrie as the company who would do our pool project. WE WERE SO LUCKY to have squeezed into Koho’s Summer schedule!
Planning and Design
When I say the possibilities are endless with pool designs, I’m not kidding. I would highly recommend searching Pinterest for inspiration but have someone close by who will bring you back to earth when you decide on that lavish pool photo as your template of what you want!
Let the Dig Begin
Our project start to finish only took a month. When they say they can get a lot done in a short period of time, they mean it! I am amazed at how quickly the project came together, considering we had unexpected delays and the weather was not our friend in June. If I can give you a tip, a lesson I learned the hard way was don’t hire out your own trades. We wanted to try and save some money and we made the (terrible) decision to sub contract some of our trades. I would never do this again. Moving forward, I would just have the pool company take care of the project as a whole.
More Than Just the Pool Price
Let’s have a quick but important run through on what you should expect to pay for when getting a pool. If you think that the price the pool company gives you will be your one and only bill to pay, I’m sorry to say, that’s not true. Having talked to MANY companies, we quickly learned that on top of our pool price, we had to pay separately for landscaping (think pool surround, grass, etc), electrician, gas fitter, water (your pool does not come filled … I know right), pool permit and honestly, there could be more. I would recommend adding a good $10k to the price of your pool to take into consideration all the extra costs.
Now We Enjoy
June was a rough month! Personally, home renovation projects stress me out to the max and I struggle hard knowing that someone else is in control of timelines and deadlines. It was by far one of the longest months.
But, the feeling I get now, everyday, when I walk out and see the backyard oasis that is mine, it makes it all worth it! Having a pool of my own is something I had always dreamed about. All the setbacks, the mess, the worry, all of that goes away when I get to see my kids enjoy the pool.
All in all, it was worth it.
