Origin, the UK’s longest established swimming pool company, has been designing and building swimming pools in homes for over 35 years. In this time, the firm has spoken to hundreds of satisfied customers and compiled a catalogue of case studies to help understand how the addition of a home swimming pool benefits family life. These studies revealed that, while rarely considered, the emotional advantages of swimming at home are just as significant as the physical, fitness-related benefits.

Losing touch with family members is a problem experienced nationwide, as it becomes more and more difficult to organise get-togethers with relatives. The ability to bring families back together and instigate the spending of more quality time as a group is just one of the hidden benefits of home swimming pools.

This is certainly the experience of Buckinghamshire based couple Peter and Christine. While restoring their 14th century manor farmhouse, the couple’s love of swimming prompted them to build an indoor swimming pool in their garden. Their decision was made in the hope of bringing all the family to the house and becoming a space for the group to enjoy. After research into various swimming pool contractors, they chose Origin to design, build and manage the project.

Once completed, the pool succeeded in becoming a focal point for family meet ups and gatherings. “We have three grandchildren, three daughters and their partners. They come over every weekend, sometimes all at once, and whenever they are here they all pile into the pool.”

Family time is now a regular part of the couple’s life, and they enjoy spending time in the pool with their friends and relatives every week.

A home pool can also encourage positive wellbeing. The addition of a pool creates a place for relaxation, and somewhere homeowners can spend time unwinding.

This was experienced first-hand by Michelle and Paul Green when they extended their new house to include a bespoke Origin swimming pool. Discussing his wife’s use of the pool, Paul comments: “She uses it for leisure. It’s a very pleasant space to relax and enjoy activities such as having a drink and reading a book.”

The couple now see the pool as more than just a fitness facility. They treat the pool as an extension of their home, and as a peaceful place to wind down.

As the popularity of flexible working rises, many professionals still struggle to balance their personal lives with their jobs. Work can easily take control, leaving little time for leisure. Bringing a swimming pool into the home can help family and personal life regain some importance.

A couple who personally experienced this rebalance were Ian and Michelle Scott. Prior to building their bespoke Origin swimming pool and pool house, Michelle really struggled to balance her time, as work dominated her life. Ian explained: “She would often get home late after a full day’s work and not have the time or energy to head off to the gym.”

However, now she manages to balance her life much more efficiently. “We noticed that when we were on holiday we would both get up early and start our day with a morning swim which was great! We’ve now brought this luxury into our home and it has enabled both of us to improve our fitness every day before work.”

Bringing a swimming pool into the home also creates an opportunity for huge improvements to daily routines. Rather than be marshalled into a lack of exercise and leisure by work, it is possible to overhaul an overly ordered lifestyle.

Sarah Taylor, Essex-based Origin customer, decided on building her own swimming pool after enjoying the luxury of her father’s pool in the south of France. She had always loved swimming, yet her busy working life meant free time was at an absolute minimum. “The only exercise I really enjoy is swimming and I often don’t have time to go to a gym because I work 12-hour days.”

The project took six months and now completed allows Sarah to make the most of her free time. What was once a jam-packed routine without room for exercise, now includes daily swimming and relaxing in the pool. “It’s definitely changed my routine for the better, I’m swimming every day before I head off to work which makes me feel enriched and energised.”

HOME & PROPERTY - September 2018