How to Get the Perfect Fiberglass Pool for Your Property
Before you can get to a fiberglass pool installation – and start enjoying a cool, relaxing oasis in your backyard – you need to choose a swimming pool and a company to work with. These are easy choices to gloss over when you’re dreaming about tranquil July afternoons spent floating around with a cold beer in your hand. But, they can have a huge impact on your budget and satisfaction.
With that in mind, I want to use today’s post to draw on my 20+ years of experience with northeastern Massachusetts patio design and give you some insider advice. Specifically, I want to share a few ideas on how you can get the perfect fiberglass pool for your property.
It all starts with the right mindset, which can be summed up into a phrase I often share with our customers…
“Think About the Patio, Not the Fiberglass Pool”
When I am meeting with a homeowner for the first time, I try to stress to them that any work we do should be to move toward a bigger picture. Projects like fiberglass pool installation or deck construction, as examples, shouldn’t be the end goal all by themselves. Instead, they should be part of a bigger plan for an outdoor area to be as beautiful, useful, and valuable as possible.
In that spirit, I would invite you to ask yourself a couple of questions:
- Why do you want a swimming pool?
- How will you be using the pool?
- What are you hoping to get from your outdoor space?
- What does your perfect day spent by the pool (or around your patio) look like?
- What constraints do you need to work around?
We talk about these topics during our initial consultation and design interviews with potential customers. That’s because the fiberglass swimming pool someone might choose as a standalone item from a brochure could be much different than the one they would if they were actually considering a bigger lifestyle shift.
As an example, we often install fiberglass swimming pools next to fire pits and outdoor kitchens. If your dream were to have a space where you can throw the perfect barbecue for your friends and business partners, then you might devote more space to a deck or grill than you would a waterslide. But the photos you would see when looking at swimming pools online might not be installed with the same kinds of features around or take details like available space into account.
Likewise, you could have a property with a heavy slope or gradient, or one with peculiar power and lighting needs. You could be hoping to finish your fiberglass pool installation on a certain budget, or within a tight timeline. These details might not necessarily be part of your patio, but they will affect your patio design project.
Don’t worry: I’m not saying you have to have everything figured out when you talk to a contractor. What I am suggesting is that you stay open-minded and think about the outcome before you get too attached to a specific price.
Accents and Extras Complete the Space
I have already mentioned the need to consider your fiberglass pool installation in the greater context of your patio, but it’s worth adding some detail. I can tell you from experience that even though your pool might be the centerpiece of your patio, the other elements you add to the space can make or break the feeling you get when you’re spending time in your backyard.
What kinds of accents and extras should you thinking about? Here are some of the most popular elements for our customers:
- Paving around your pool to add safety and beauty
- A deck so you have an elevated, easy-to-clean space to enjoy
- Umbrellas for plenty of shade and comfort
- A fire pit or fireplace for those cozy evenings spent outdoors
- Lighting to make your outdoor space more usable at all hours
- A grill area for outdoor cooking and entertainment
- Or a full outdoor kitchen for larger groups and parties
- A pergola, whether Italian or covered roof, to protect you from the elements
- Outdoor sheds, game rooms, and other structures
Nearly every homeowner we have worked with has incorporated at least a few of these elements into their patio design. While you certainly could add them piece by piece after your fiberglass pool installation, things will go much more smoothly if you have a cohesive plan from the start.
If you doubt this, think about what could happen if you buy a swimming pool without considering the rest of your backyard. At a minimum, you would probably have to limit your options to whatever happens to fit the remaining space. Even worse, you could be forced to excavate areas around your new pool to install posts, plumbing, or electrical wires. Then you could be looking at damage, delays, and/or higher costs.
I want your patio design project to go smoothly. I also want you to end up with pieces that all complement one another perfectly. The best way to do that is by thinking ahead. An even better idea is to get help from a team of professionals who can ensure that what you’re planning makes sense and is feasible in the real world.
It All Starts With a Patio Design Consultation
There is a perfect fiberglass pool out there waiting for you. But, what makes it perfect isn’t the size or shape on its own, but the way it will fit into your completed patio as a whole.
The first step toward finding the right solution is getting design consultation from an experienced contractor. It’s completely free and takes place at your property. That way you can take as long as you want to ask questions, get suggestions, and end up with a realistic quote for your project. Then you can decide whether to move ahead, break the job into stages, or even get a second opinion.
If you happen to live in or around the Saugus, Massachusetts, area then we would love to help. Contact the team at Stefano’s Landscaping today so we can schedule a time to talk.