Owning a pool in a city known for its outdoor culture and gorgeous beaches is often seen as an amazing luxury. Swimming pools not only offer an effective way to cool off and unwind, they can also add significant value to your property and offer numerous health advantages.
Swimming can offer more benefits than just aesthetic enhancement; research has proven its physical fitness-boosting, social interaction-increasing and weight loss properties as well as being used as therapy against anxiety and depression. With all of the hectic activity associated with daily life, having your own backyard pool provides a relaxing escape from everyday stressors; especially for those with demanding work schedules.
From tiny triangular Fairy Bower to iconic Wylie’s at Coogee and Olympic-sized South Cronulla, ocean pools in Sydney are one of its best-kept secrets. Tucked beneath sandstone cliffs, they were constructed as places where swimmers could swim safely away from strong waves and sharks – each has its own character and charm; from beach runners in cossie’s to photographers captivated by beauty that has drawn artists for generations.
Rising sea levels pose a grave danger to ocean pools. Rising sea levels are “altering how ocean pools work,” notes architect Nicole Larkin. These pools – built upon rock platforms and depending on being flushed by waves to stay alive – rely heavily on being flushed by waves for purging purposes; but “there will come a point when this won’t work anymore,” warns Nicole Larkin.
Human-caused climate change is another significant threat, threatening beaches where ocean pools were established and raising ocean levels to the point that they’re washed out completely.
Good news is, there are still ocean pools we can save. Early this year, NSW councils began installing nets around some of Sydney’s iconic ocean pools such as Balmoral Baths, Morning Fraser Beach in Vaucluse and Nielsen Park at Concord; other councils plan on adding nets at North Sydney Beach and Canada Bay’s Bayview Park as well.
With climate change increasing its severity, having a pool at home has never been more essential. Sydney’s highly competitive real estate market makes pools even more valuable – they make your property more appealing to prospective buyers, raising its resell value significantly and ultimately increasing resale values. So if you are thinking of purchasing your dream home soon, be sure to factor in what benefits a pool could bring and make sure it’s well designed – this may make the difference between successful sale and missed opportunity!