Fine finishes

(021 975 9242, bloubergpools.co.za) Electrical fittings Builders (0860 284 533, builders.co.za) Insta-lawn Smile Gardens (074 073 5556, smile-gardens.co.za) Kids’ table and chairs Mambo’s Plastics Warehouse (021 911 5555, mambosplastics.co.za) Marina outdoor rug Fabhabitat (fabhabitat.co.za) Lounger mattress and cushion, towels and turquoise bowls Woolworths (0860 022 002, woolworths.co.za)

Labour is very expensive – the more you can do yourself, the better. Simply having the sand removed from the property cost us more than R2 000. What advice can you offer others who want to do the same? Plan well. We did a lot of research and drawing ahead of time – and kept everything on record using Excel spreadsheets. We looked at a lot of other DIY fibreglass pool jobs, and took note of the potential pitfalls. Did you enlist the help of any experts? It’s amazing what you can find online! With a bit of confidence and help from family and friends, anyone can do it. Blouberg Pools were also helpful; they supply you with a DIY installation kit and instructions as well as a pump and the electrics. Tell us more about the solar heating? We installed six solar panels, which we bought on Gumtree, on the garage roof. The piping comes all the way down from the roof, goes underground and leads to the pool; Michael ‘Googled’ how to put it all together. What’s up next? We’d like to update our entertainment/braai area and perhaps install a pizza oven.

2The children loved digging, pushing the wheelbarrow and bringing everyone glasses of water. “Imagining the outcome must have been great motivation!” says Chantal with a laugh. It took three weekends to finish digging the hole – this was the longest and toughest part of the process.