Building & Renovation in France - Installing a swimming pool in France
For many people, the idea of owning a house in France – whether as a second home or a permanent move – conjures images of period properties surrounded by beautiful countryside.
These houses often need work and usually have good-sized gardens, affording the possibility of improvements to enhance the experience of ownership and boost the value. There are lots of ways to improve a home, but for people who are buying a house in France, particularly if it’s south of the Loire (and therefore officially in the South) there can surely be nothing more exciting than the addition of a swimming pool.
When we first considered the fanciful idea of moving to the South of France a few years ago, in my mind’s eye was the image of summer evenings spent sipping wine on the terrace next to a shimmering pool. When we viewed houses, therefore, the size and suitability of space for a pool near the house was high on the wish list.
But what about the financial aspect? Installing a pool is a costly exercise and, after that, there are the running costs to consider.
The thing that needs to be calculated, as with all investment decisions, is the projected Return on Investment (ROI). At the outset of our project, I allowed a budget of €14,000 – to include the pool, the coping and the safety cover – hoping to increase the value of the property by as much again, so €28,000 or a 100 per cent ROI.
The cost of installing a pool varies considerably and depends upon some fairly fundamental factors that need to be decided at the outset.
Firstly, you need to decide whether your pool will be above ground or in the ground.
Above ground pools are available as kits from DIY stores and larger supermarkets in France and are becoming increasingly popular. They’re not subject to any form of planning permission because they’re classified as temporary structures, they don’t incur tax and they’re not subject to the new safety regulations (although, if you have children, safety will still be your priority).
They’re quick and cheap to install because there’s no digging necessary, no concrete to pour and the plumbing and electrical connections are very straightforward. An above-ground pool, however, is not as aesthetically attractive or durable as an in-ground pool, is less easy to use and, since they are so easy to install, they have no investment value.
For the true lifestyle experience of pool ownership, you need an in-ground swimming pool. Expensive, difficult and time-consuming to install, an in-ground pool is still the right choice for anyone who thinks of a pool as more than a means to cool off.
Whilst in-ground pools are subject to some regulations, at the time of writing, the requirement is the lesser declaration de travaux and not the full-blown permis de construire. The form that you will need is available from your local mairie. The approval can take anything from a couple of weeks to a few months, so allow plenty of time. You can start some of the preparation work whilst awaiting approval but don’t start serious work in case they ask you to alter the location of the pool.
Cost effective
The second important decision is whether you intend to do the work yourself or pay a local contractor. If you’re fit, strong, adept at carrying out large DIY projects and you have the time, doing the installation yourself will save a huge amount of money. However, if you’re concerned about the scale of the project or want it to be completed within weeks rather than months, then go for a prêt à plonger installation. If you decide to go it alone, there are parts of the project for which you’ll need professional help, such as the terrassement (excavation) and a truck load of beton (concrete) when you’re ready to create the floor of your pool.
There are various different methods of creating an in-ground pool, falling into three broad categories – a solid construction with walls made from parpaings (concrete blocks), monocoque (a single fibreglass moulding), or a kit with prefabricated wall panels.
If you’ve decided to handle the project yourself, you’ll probably rule out the concrete block method, as it requires a skilled builder to achieve a really good result. If you have engaged a contractor you might go for this method, though, as it’s very cost effective.
The fibreglass shell pools are often seen displayed on the outskirts of towns, propped up against buildings to grab your attention. They look impressive and there’s an attraction to the idea of not having to create walls or a floor for your pool and not having to fit a liner. However, there’s a limit to how big these shells can be manufactured and transported – the largest I’ve seen was about 7 metres long and, compared to kits, they’re very expensive.
The most popular choice is the kit. The wall panels are usually made from stainless steel or aluminium, but increasingly in composites. One of the latest developments is walls that you build with hollow high-density polystyrene blocks – once you’ve got it the way you want it, you fill the cavity with concrete. If you’re going to build your own in-ground pool, going for a kit provides a good compromise between ease of construction and price. This was the method we chose for our project.
Safety features
There are some other factors that will affect cost too, but to a lesser extent – briefly:
* Security: Which of the safety standards (see inset) will you adopt for your pool? The most expensive by far is the shelter, or abris, which usually looks a bit like a telescopic greenhouse, which most people rule out on grounds of price and aesthetic appeal.
At the other end of the scale is the alarm – they cost just a few hundred euros, but I’ve heard stories of people who switch theirs off because of false alarms every time a twig falls in the pool.
A cover is possibly the most effective device from a safety perspective and negates the need for winter cover (which you would need anyway), but does take a few minutes to open and close each time you leave poolside. A cover for a standard 10m x 5m pool will cost about €1,200 to €1,500.
The most popular solution is the barrier as it’s the easiest to use and relatively effective. The fences are quite expensive – you should allow about €80 per metre of fence, which doesn’t sound too bad until you work out how many metres you need and do the sums.
* Size: The bigger the pool, the more expensive.
* Features: If you want a staircase that leads into the pool, rather than just a ladder, you need to allow for it. Similarly any additional lighting, terracing, slides and so on.
Water treatment: The old-fashioned method of water treatment is to add chlorine (usually in pastilles or powder). Nowadays, most new pools use a saltwater system – you add salt to the water (but only a bit, so the water isn’t very salty like seawater), which is then converted into chlorine in small doses by an electrolyser or chlorinator. Saltwater pools are nicer to swim in as they don’t make your eyes sting and don’t make your clothes smell like a chlorine pool. Whilst saltwater pools are marginally cheaper to run (you have to occasionally add more salt instead of regularly adding chlorine), there is an additional outlay for the electrolyser.
The installation of an in-ground pool is a fairly straightforward, if challenging, project when you use a kit. Once you’ve chosen the type of pool you want to install, you need to find a supplier for your kit. There are plenty of piscine magazines to choose from at French newsagents, with lots of adverts for potential suppliers. Or try putting ‘kit piscine’ into your internet search engine. Be warned, many suppliers make the kit to order and it may take several weeks to be ready. A kit usually comprises the walls, the plumbing, the pump, the filter, the liner, and an underwater light. Options that you might order with it include a staircase, security equipment, the electrolyser and a heater.
Work in progress
So, you have your declaration de travaux approved and you’ve ordered your kit. Now you can start the project – here’s a quick recap of the main steps:
* Dig a hole. Your local terrassier will come with a full-size JCB and a lorry, so make sure you have planned a route through your garden. Also, plan in advance what you want to do with the removed earth – if you can’t use it yourself, lookout for local building sites where they’re requesting earth – the further the lorry has to travel, the higher the cost. Some of the earth (about a quarter) will need to stay next to the hole for use as backfill later.
* Fit the wall panels (and staircase, if you have one). This part is time consuming, as you have to continually check that the wall is straight and level. The staircase, if fitted, needs to be supported by walls made with concrete blocks under each tread.
* Do the plumbing and install the local technique. The plumbing looks a little daunting, but is actually very easy to do as everything is brand new and fits together perfectly.
* Concrete day. Physically, this is the most difficult day, so round up as many extra helpers as you can possibly muster and ask them all to bring a shovel and a rake – don’t make my mistake and think that you’ll get by with just two or three people. Make sure you accurately estimate how much concrete you need and, again, plan the route for the lorry to the pool. Once the concrete has hardened, you’ll need to do a coat of mortar over the floor to make it nice and smooth.
* Backfill. You’ll need the terrassier to come back and move the remaining earth into the gap behind your pool walls.
* Fit the liner. This is very straightforward, but requires a high level of concentration, since you have to cut the liner in various places for the skimmers, inlet jets and staircase. Before you make any incision, double-check the position of your cut!
* Coping. The coping is the special slabs that are fitted along the tops of the walls.
* Fill the pool with water and start the pump. But make sure that your safety measure is in place beforehand to prevent accidents. Our pool took three days to fill using a regular garden hose.
In our case, I spent about two months on the project, plus time later to complete the terrace – was it worth it?
The bottom line
After we’d finished, my sums ended up looking like this:
Costs:
Pool Kit (including security cover): €8,500
Electrolyser €500
Excavation €750
Coping slabs €750
Concrete €500
Tools, bricks, sundries and water €1,000
Total Cost: €12,000
Value Added: €45,000 to €50,000
My initial budget was €14,000 but we managed to complete the project for €12,000. And, according to our expert Stéphane Bertoletti, we added an astonishing €45,000 to €50,000 of value to our property. Instead of my target 100 per cent ROI, we actually achieved 300 per cent – not bad for a couple of month’s backbreaking labour. The going rate for contractors to do the job for you is between €25,000 and €30,000 for a similar sized installation so, even if you go this route, you could still almost double your money.
From a lifestyle aspect too, the pool is a great asset. The summers here are long and hot and without the pool to cool us off, it would be impossible to stay outside through the afternoons. And in the evenings, once the kids have gone to bed, we can have a relaxing swim and even, yes, a glass of wine at the side. Well worth it.
French Swimming Pool Safety Legislation
In the summer of 2003 there were 435 cases of accidental death by drowning in France. Of these, only 43 (9.9 per cent) occurred in private swimming pools at people’s homes. Tragically though, if you only consider the five-and-under age group, these private pools accounted for 21 deaths out of a total of 54 (or nearly 40 per cent). (Source: Official French Government Statistics, published 9 July 2004)
Quite correctly, the French government responded by introducing a set of regulations that came into force for new swimming pools from 2004 and applied to all swimming pools by the start of 2006. There was a considerable amount of confusion over the precise details of the regulations (which were published once, then revised and then revised again) and the effective dates. Now, however, the regulations are clear and are in effect for all outdoor, in-ground pools (they do not apply to indoor or above-ground pools).
The law states that you must comply with one or more of the following 4 standards before you fill your pool with water:
- NF P90-306 A Safety Barrier (Fence)
- NF P90-307 An Alarm
- NF P90-308 A Safety Cover
- NF P90-309 A Shelter
Whichever one you choose, you have to make sure that the device complies with the standard, which usually means that it displays the NF number. You are also required to ensure that the device is functional, correctly fitted and used appropriately. The penalty if you are discovered to have a non-complying pool is €45,000!
The Estate Agent’s View
To investigate the investment value of the swimming pool, I visited local estate agent, Stéphane Bertoletti, who has four offices across the southwest and is a member of the large ERA network of Immobiliers. Stéphane’s agency specialises in older properties that are ideal for development and, therefore, deals with many prospective customers from the UK.
‘A pool is almost an essential feature for most British buyers,’ he told me. ‘If a property doesn’t have a pool already, it certainly must have space for one.
‘In terms of the value it adds to your house, a pool is the best possible feature to introduce – selling your property later will be far easier if the pool is there. House hunting is most popular in spring, so with the thoughts of the coming summer, a house with a pool is an attractive proposition.’
Then came the good news for which I’d had my fingers crossed: ‘A 10m by 5m in-ground pool such as yours, if it’s nicely finished with an adjacent terrace will add between €45,000 and €50,000 to the value of a property in this region.’
Stéphane Bertoletti (telephone 0033 5 5871 8549 or email immotursan@erafrance.com)