When deciding between whether to install either a swimming pool or a swim spa at home there are many factors to consider.
Cost of installation, running costs, resale value, ease of use, maintenance, usability all year round, the space they will take up in the property and also, how you intend to use it, must all be given careful thought to ensure you make the right decision.
To install a swimming pool, even outside without the additional costs of putting one into a building, is quite expensive. The average starting costs of a swimming pool installation is going to be somewhere in the region of £120,000 plus. A swim spa however, could be installed recessed into the ground for anything from as little as £35,000 to £40,000. To install one above ground could be achieved for around just £25,000.
What to consider
You should also consider the cost of heating a swimming pool as they will typically be 8m to 10m in length but 4m to 6m in width and contain a lot of water to heat to a comfortable temperature to swim in. Also, given the size of them, people usually install a counter current into one end to allow them to swim without the need to change direction every five or six strokes! Therefore you are essentially creating an oversized swim spa anyway. A swim spa will hold the right amount of water to allow you to swim comfortably and also most come with a particularly refined swim current system designed for optimal performance and a smooth swim experience.
Swim spas cost between approximately £20,000 and £60,000 and in terms of groundworks, can be installed with just a concrete plinth and an electrical supply. Swim Spas can also be installed in the ground or partially recessed which would cost more, but significantly cheaper still than an in-ground swimming pool.
Can swim spas add value to my property?
For some properties, adding a swim spa or a swimming pool may add value to the property itself when it comes to resale of the house, and also may make it easier to sell when people are searching in that area. It really depends if the style of house is the sort that potential buyers would expect to see such a high end lifestyle feature when considering purchasing the property. A swimming pool can occasionally have a detrimental effect on the value of a property and make it harder to sell if buyers are concerned with the potential upkeep and running costs. Being a smaller body of water with advanced filtration and purification systems usually standard, swim spas are inexpensive and simple to maintain by comparison with the larger volume of water found in a typical domestic swimming pool.
A swimming pool is built-in and therefore, once installed, can not be taken out and sold on and to decommission them and fill them in can also be costly if the pool wasn’t going to be used. A swim spa on the other hand can be simply, drained, disconnected and removed if you decide not to sell it with the house. As they are a self contained unit, they can be easily transported to a new location and recommissioned, or indeed sold on second-hand, as they will retain a residual value. Swim Spa retailers are increasingly being called upon to install a swim spa into the existing pit of a domestic swimming pool so that the owner can reduce the amount of maintenance and save on their energy bills whilst retaining the ability to enjoy the benefits of swimming and aquatic exercise in the comfort of their own home.
What’s the difference in running costs?
A swim spa is built and insulated much like a hot tub and therefore will be considerably cheaper to run than a swimming pool. The reduced water volume will be quicker and cheaper to heat and maintain anyway, but the insulating side walls and covers make a swim spa also more energy efficient, with the ability also to heat and use all year round. A swimming pool would, when installed outside, give you a usable swim season of May to September when the weather is favourable, but a swim spa can be used all year round in all weather conditions.
A swimming pool will give you the largest available footprint of usable space and can be built bespoke in terms of shape and size making your installation flexible. A swim spa however is perfect for more compact spaces or for people who are looking more for a swimming and aquatic exercise pool.
In conclusion, you need to decide what the best option is for your lifestyle now you have all the facts! If you require any more information on swim spas please contact MySpa and we can help advise you further!
