The short answer
A mini prefab pool or plunge pool fits a yard of just a few square metres. The walls come in sections that pass through the door, digging is done with a mini digger or by hand, and the plant room goes into a small box.
What we mean by a small pool
We call a pool small when it is 3 to 5 metres long. It is not for swimming lengths, but for cooling off, relaxing and play. A plunge pool is a variant: small surface and a depth of 1.30 to 1.50 metres, so you are in up to your shoulders.
The good thing about small pools is that they warm up fast and need little water, few chemicals and little power.
How it fits a tight space
Steel walls are light and can be lifted by two people. No crane or truck at the door is needed. For digging, a mini digger just under a metre wide gets through most garden gates. Where it does not, we dig by hand.
Where the plant room goes
For a large pool the plant room is a small room. For a mini pool a watertight box in a corner of the yard or under a timber bench is enough. The pump it needs is small and quiet. More in the plant room guide.
Ideas for small yards
- A pool right against a wall, with the wall clad in stone or plants.
- Timber decking round the pool at the same level, so the yard reads as one space.
- A bench inside the water, to sit waist-deep.
- A few LED lights, because in a small yard the pool becomes the centrepiece at night.
From our experienceFor small Athens yards we almost always suggest a light membrane. The water looks lighter and the yard bigger.
