Are you thinking of swimming pool removal? The Southern Highlands has a cooler climate than coastal NSW, with mild summers and cold winters. Consequently, many homeowners in the Southern Highlands have pools that sit unused for much of the year, cost money to maintain, and take up valuable outdoor space.

If this sounds like you, this article walks you through ideas for your reclaimed backyard and explains the full Southern Highlands swimming pool removal process, so you know exactly what to expect.

Swimming Pool Being Demolished

Why Remove Your Pool?

Apart from local climate considerations, some common reasons Southern Highlands homeowners are choosing to remove their pools include:

Costs

  • Constant maintenance costs, for chemicals and equipment servicing
    • Don’t forget all the time you spend taking care of an unwanted pool, too!
  • Pool cleaning, if you hire a company to look after it for you.
  • Repair costs for older pools, including resurfacing, pump replacements and plumbing issues

Safety Concerns

  • The drowning risk for young children, elderly relatives and pets
  • Maintenance burden of complying with NSW pool fencing regulations
  • NSW Pool regulations also require a CPR sign to be displayed, and all pools must be registered

Lifestyle Changes

  • A pool no longer suits the household. For instance, if children have grown up and/or moved away.
  • The pool is simply unloved and sits unused for most of the year
  • You would really like to reclaim that yard space for other purposes

Environmental Reasons

  • High water consumption, particularly relevant during Southern Highlands droughts or water restrictions
  • Chemicals run off into soil, groundwater and local drainage systems
  • Energy use from pool pumps and heating

What Could You Do With the Reclaimed Space?

You could soon have the pleasure of being left with a generous section of usable land. Some of the ways you could use the extra space include:

Outdoor Living and Entertaining

  • A patio, alfresco dining area or deck for entertaining
  • Install an outdoor kitchen or fire pit zone to enjoy cooking outdoors
  • Create a landscaped entertaining area suited to the Southern Highlands climate
  • With the cooler climate of the Southern Highlands, covered outdoor living areas are likely to be valued and used more than pools for much of the year

Gardens and Green Space

  • A lush lawn for playing on or native garden beds
  • A vegetable garden, fruit trees or orchard for the pleasure of growing your own food
  • Low-maintenance landscaping options
  • The Southern Highlands has excellent soil and an ideal climate for gardening

Functional Additions

  • Work under cover or have extra storage with a shed or workshop
  • Enjoy a super-fast daily commute to work with a home office or studio
  • Accommodate a growing car-driving family, with additional parking or driveway extension
  • Build a granny flat or secondary dwelling (with council approval)
  • A benefit of garden construction is that adding a functional structure may increase your property value

Property Value Considerations

  • Pools can deter buyers who don’t want the upkeep
  • A blank canvas yard appeals to a wider range of buyers
  • Converted space can add real value, depending on the end use
  • If you are thinking of selling, a smart choice may boost your prospects in the Southern Highlands real estate market, where lifestyle properties are popular

The Pool Removal Process: Step by Step

Knowing what to expect during the removal process makes the whole experience far less stressful. Here is a typical sequence of events for Southern Highlands pool removal.

Site Assessment and Quote

  • During a site inspection, your contractor assesses the pool type and size. They attempt to identify potential problems around access and site conditions
  • Factors affecting project time, timescales, and cost include pool construction type, water depth, soil type and proximity to structures
  • A written quote will be provided detailing the full scope of work

Obtaining Approvals

  • You will need to submit a Development (DA) or Complying Development Certificate (CDC) application to Wingecarribee Shire Council if required
  • You must have approval before work commences
  • You may need to confirm that the pool deregistration process has been initiated

Utility Disconnections

  • All services must be disconnected before work starts
  • Electricity supply disconnected by a licensed electrician
  • Plumbing capped by a licensed plumber
  • Plus, removal or disconnection of gas lines, if applicable

Demolition and Excavation

  • The pool is drained. The water may need to be kept away from local water systems
  • Concrete pools are broken up with excavation equipment; fibreglass pools may be lifted out
  • All pool materials are removed from the site and disposed of responsibly
  • Waste materials are sorted for recycling where possible (for example, crushed concrete may be recycled as fill)

Site Backfill and Compaction

  • The old pool area is filled with approved material in layers
  • Compaction is carried out in stages to ensure ground stability in future
  • Topsoil is laid, if requested, ready for landscaping

Site Clean-Up and Completion

  • The site is left clean and ready for its next use
  • The final paperwork is completed to include the NSW pool register deregistration confirmation

Ready to Remove Your Pool in the Southern Highlands?

Southern Highlands Demolition handles pool removal Southern Highlands and surrounding areas of NSW. We have extensive experience in both concrete and fibreglass pool removal, and we understand the current Wingecarribee Shire Council requirements and the local approval process.

Get in touch with your questions, arrange a site visit, and get your free quote.