Building a Pool House: What's On Your Wish List?

Building a pool house requires a great deal of thought and consideration. The first question you need to ask yourself is what do you want to use your pool house for? Do you simply want some extra storage for all the equipment, chemicals and pool toys associated with owning a pool? This is extremely important as they need to be kept away from children and animals.

Or do you want changing facilities, a shower and some extra entertaining space? There's nothing like finishing off a swim sitting in the sunshine around your pool house bar, sipping a few cocktails as the sun sets!

Make A Wish List

One of the best ways to make sure you get everything you need and all that you want from your pool house is to make a wish list. Write down all the elements you'd like to include - a space for entertaining, storage, towel shelves, shower facilities or other luxuries such as a sauna or Jacuzzi. Then you'll be able to work out what you can afford and prioritise what's important for you.

If you're also installing a new pool, it's a good idea to get your pool company involved as they'll often give you a lot of ideas and advice on what you can achieve with your budget.

Location, Location, Location

Obviously, you'll be building a pool house as near to your swimming pool as possible. But there are also a number of other considerations to bear in mind. Firstly, think about which area catches the most sunlight, as this is important for any pool house.

Also remember that season to season, the garden and landscape will change. Think about whether you'd like your pool house to blend into the landscape or make a statement. You might like to create a new garden around your pool house, so think about where you have good soil for planting.

Wherever you decide on building a pool house, make sure you give it a suitable base. The ground should be flat and level with good drainage. For small pool houses you can provide a simple base of patio slabs. For larger pool houses you will need to lay a new concrete slab or an appropriate wooden base. Go to our articles on shed flooring for more advice.

Before you start building, stake out the footprint of your new pool house to see if it fits into the location. Decide whether you have enough space for everything you plan to use it for and think about whether you like the view from the main door.

Pool House Design

When building a pool house, the design really does depend on personal taste. There are so many different styles, shapes and sizes to choose from - rustic cottage, boathouse, a tropical or beach theme. You may want to match it to the style of your home with similar windows, roof and trim. Or you could blend it into the landscape or make a statement and create a focal point for your garden.

If you're opting for a smaller, simpler design that only has enough space for storage and a place to change, you could have an outdoor shower to rinse off. It's not a complicated job to plumb in a shower to the side of your pool house or fence. You could then tile around it for a sophisticated and elegant finish.

Pool House Accessories

Whatever your budget, the key to building a pool house with your individual stamp is to accessorize. There are so many products available to give your pool house a unique look, which are fairly economical and won't add much to your budget.

You could use decorative shells and pictures to create a beach theme, or a tiki style pool house for a tropical theme. Hooks, benches and towel shelves add practicaility and lights and lanterns create a wonderful atmosphere in the evening.

You could also finish off your pool house with window boxes and shutters, or bar-serving window to make the perfect entertaining space that's compact and fun.