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Holiday cottage with a pool - outdoor pool with Alston Hall in the background.

Are you looking to maximise your holiday let income and extend your booking season? We understand that holiday letting can evoke many questions. Here at Helpful Holidays, we are on hand every step of the way. One common question we get asked by holiday home owners is ‘is installing a swimming pool a worthy investment?’.

In this blog our property experts take a deeper looking into the cost of building a swimming pool and the benefits of having a holiday cottage with a pool.


Installing a swimming pool in a holiday home

Use the quick links to navigate to a particular topic or read on for our full guide to pool installation.


How much does installing a swimming pool cost?

Installing a swimming pool in a holiday home - outside pool with steps.

The cost of installing a swimming pool will vary but on average an 8ft by 15ft ‘endless pool’ costs between £16,000 to £20,000 to install. These are great in a single property.

A more conventional larger pool can cost anything from £60,000 to £120,000, and the price varies greatly depending on site, size, and style.


Does a swimming pool boost holiday let income?

Holiday cottage with pool.

Yes, swimming pools can be a big asset to your property and certainly help to bring in bookings, boosting your holiday let income.

On average a swimming pool can boost your annual income by 30-40%. However, this is dependent on the size and location of the property, the size of the pool and how many properties share its use.

If a swimming pool is too much of an investment why not consider a hot tub. Hot tubs can boost your annual income by 54%! More than 62% of guests are now looking for a hot tub break.


Are swimming pools expensive to maintain?

Swimming pool maintenance - indoor pool with life ring and pool cover.

No, swimming pools are not expensive to maintain. Annual maintenance costs for chemicals and heating range from £500 – £1,000.

Pool maintenance is easy. However, you do have to have a basic understanding of chlorination and how to test the water. On average pool maintenance usually takes half an hour a week.

Indoor pools are easier to maintain because they don’t fill up with leaves and debris unlike outdoor pools. The most common cost for maintaining an indoor swimming pool is replacing the pool lining, we recommend you budget this into the cost of installing a swimming pool. Usually this is replaced every 10+ years.

Here at Helpful Holidays, we recommend holiday cottages with a pool are checked and maintained by a reputable company. For full guidance read the HSG179 swimming pool document produced by the HSE.

We have produced our own property safety guide which includes leisure and spa safety, please contact our team for a copy.


Case study: holiday cottage with pool – Burnville Farm

The Red Barn swimming pool

Victoria Cunningham, who has successfully let three popular Dartmoor holiday homes with Helpful Holidays for many years, gives an insight into owning a holiday cottage with a pool…

“Burnville Farm is a 250-acre working farm with great leisure facilities, including stabling for horses and activities such as tennis, clay pigeon shooting, archery, and mountain biking.

About 12-14 years ago, we started converting a property called The Red Barn. We asked Helpful Holidays for advice before we started, and they advised us to make it into a cottage that could sleep six, with three en-suite bedrooms. They also said that if we possibly could, we should put in a pool, so that’s what we did”.

Has the swimming pool been popular?

“Oh, everyone loves it. Kids enjoy the pool and it’s great for teaching young children how to swim. Elderly people enjoy it too as it’s good for mobility. We’ve even had athletes using it to train for Iron Man competitions.

In fact the Red Barn pool was so successful that we put one in another holiday let, The Coach House. This is a bigger property with more space, so we were able to put in a larger pool”.

Did installing a swimming pool assist with bookings?

“Yes, the bookings were strong right from the beginning. It extended our booking season with many guests now coming out of season.

Dartmoor is beautiful, but the weather is not always brilliant. Having an indoor pool is important for us and the local businesses around here who depend on year-round trade”.


Pool installation companies

There are many pool installation companies in the South West. Here at Helpful Holidays, we recommend opting for a pool installation company that are a member of the Swimming Pool and Allied Trade Association (SPATA).

SPATA is a trade association that ensures companies involved in building swimming pools are working to British and European standards. SPATA also protects customers if the pool installation company are unable to complete the contract, giving you warranty insurance cover.

We recommend local pool installation company Westcountry Leisure. They offer design, construction, and completion of swimming pools as well as refurbishments and maintenance. Westcountry Leisure have three levels of pool maintenance; you can find out more here.


Let your cottage with Helpful Holidays

The Red Barn holiday cottage - building with green lawn.

If you would like to know more about installing a swimming pool in your holiday home or how to maximise your holiday let income, please get in touch.

Our expert property team are always on-hand to offer advice, call 01647 433593 or email help@helpfulholidays.co.uk. For more useful tips, head over to our Owner Advice blog.

To find out more about letting your cottage with Helpful Holidays, request your FREE owners guide today.