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The Sun
20-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
I DIY'd a 18ft dream pool in my back garden – it should have cost £40K but I saved a fortune & it looks so good
A SAVVY mum has revealed that rather than break the bank on her dream swimming pool, she decided to DIY it herself. Instead of splashing £40,000 on a deluxe 18ft pool for summer, Natalie Ward, 39, who lives in a detached house in Woking, nabbed bargains from Amazon, Costco, Halfords and even Facebook Marketplace to glam up her garden and create her own luxury chill space. 9 9 9 Now, Natalie has transformed her garden from a muddy patch to a backyard oasis and we think it looks incredibly impressive. The entrepreneurial strategist, who is Managing Director of Embur, a high-quality, affordable activewear brand, spent less than £3,000 on her DIY job - and it won't come as a surprise that her seven-year-old daughter and five-year-old son are obsessed with it. Not only do the other kids from her road come round to enjoy the pool, but it saved her £37,000 by doing it herself and costs less than £1.80 a day to keep it warm too. Now, Natalie has revealed all on her pool transformation to Fabulous, as she explained that while her husband and children gave her a hand during the process, she did the majority of the project herself. Natalie acknowledged that in February 2025, she decided to transform her garden and put in a pool, as she told us: 'I was on holiday in Spain and I watched this lady on Youtube build her own pool. That kind of planted the seed in my head. I was like 'she can do it, surely I can.' 'I spent the best part of 18 months researching all different things - insulation, pumps and heaters. All this stuff. 'If we did the block liner and everything else, we were looking at around £5,000, which we didn't have or didn't want to spend. 'So this seemed like a much more affordable option that wasn't one of the pop-up pools with the poles. We wanted something that was more semi-permanent and could just stay there for the next eight to 10 years. 'Where we live, we know people who've got pools and it costs £30,000 to £40,000, depending on size and whatnot. We've spent under £3,000.' The DIY process As a result of her 'wonky garden', she began by hand digging her space to create a flat area for the pool. Mum shares the £64.99 paddling pool that won't leave you puffed out blowing it up & it's perfect for the warm weather She was then offered a digger to help, which made the process much simpler. Following this, the DIY enthusiast decided to go as deep as she possibly could with the digger, which made the process 'a breeze.' The kids and even young neighbours got involved too, as Natalie highlighted: 'They were excited. They just wanted to dig and make a mess. 'There were points where [children from our road] were grabbing things from the garden and putting them in skips and, you know, trying to earn their swim. 'It was chaos and they loved every second of it.' Natalie and the little ones then got to the water table, which she decided to use as her bottom level of the pool. After this, she put in a gravel board so if she needed to dig out to replace the liner she had a back edge to work from. It took days to make sure everything was level and following this, she laid a ground sheet and 10 packs of Halfords floor mats to help absorb any impact and stop the sand from moving. Next, Natalie covered the bottom with foil insulation to stop it from losing heat through the floor. The following job was to put up the walls, which Natalie described as 'horrendous.' 9 9 Once this was done, Natalie realised she had missed a step, so had to take the walls out and undo the metal cross braces to insert liner covers. Natalie confirmed that she was then able to add in the pool - the Bestway UK Hydrium 18ft x 12ft pool - which she purchased from Costco for £1,500, including delivery. Getting the pool itself in was 'quite straightforward', as she shared: 'Putting it up probably took me four days. It was the prep work that took a load of time. 'It has to be 100% level. That's the bit that takes the time.' Cutting costs Natalie stressed that to keep costs down, she nabbed bargain buys from Amazon and Facebook Marketplace to build her pool area, as she shared: 'We've got insulation around the side of it to act like a hot tub situation that I got off Facebook Marketplace for £250. 'All the aggregates and stuff that went down underneath, we got from builders' merchants. Then the mats and some insulation underneath we got from Amazon. 'The only other extra thing we've got is the heat pump. Because it's a 20,000-litre pool, it needs to be heated. Otherwise, you're never going to use it - it'd be like getting into an ice bath. 9 9 'We've got a 16-kilowatt heat pump on it that I got second-hand on Facebook Marketplace for £400. That was a bit of a bargain.' Keeping costs down was important to Natalie, as she expressed: 'We've done it really smart and obviously done it on a budget. 'Some things are a bit faddish, aren't they? You don't want to spend thousands on something that you might find you don't use or decide isn't worth having. You might want to do something else with the space in five years' time, whatever it is. 'I don't really enjoy spending money. So if I could do it on a budget, why wouldn't I?' A two month process While it didn't cost Natalie anywhere near as much by doing it herself, she confessed that the process wasn't easy. 'It took me two months from start to finish. I work from home so the minute I was done for the day, I was in the garden doing stuff. It was pretty full-on. It's been an absolute delight. The children are home from school, they're straight in the pool Natalie Ward 'I was just doing as much as humanly possible in the time we had available. 'We were really lucky with the weather that actually, when we were doing all this digging, it wasn't raining. If it had been raining, we'd have been in a world of trouble, and it would have taken significantly longer,' she admitted. Not only was Natalie doing the pool project during her evenings, but she also used her weekends too, as she continued: 'If I wasn't working, I was doing the pool. 'It was a huge challenge and I don't think I realised just how big of a job it was until we'd finished. But now it's done, I would 100% do it again.' Making the weather bearable Not only is Natalie, who posts on TikTok under the username @ natalie_ward15, impressed with her pool, but her kids, as well as others in the neighbourhood, can't get enough of it. She beamed: 'It's been an absolute delight. The children are home from school, they're straight in the pool. The children in the road see that the kids are in there and ask, 'Can we come in as well?' It's amazing. 'It's lovely and it's making the weather bearable as well. They're obviously getting to cool down after school. Five ways to keep your kids cool in the heat IT can be really difficult - and costly - to keep kids cool when it's hot outside. But Fabulous Digital Senior Reporter and mum-of-two Sarah Bull shares five ways to help, and they won't break the budget either. Strip them off It might sound simple, but stripping kids off at home can really help them regulate their temperature when it's warm outside. Just remember to regularly apply suncream, as more of their skin will be exposed to the sun. Cool down bedrooms before nighttime When it's hot outside, it can be difficult for kids to go to sleep - especially if their bedroom feels like an oven. If you have a room that's not in direct sunshine, keep the windows open to let in a breeze. It's also a good idea to keep the curtains closed, to prevent the room from heating up. Wear a hat Another simple technique, but one that really works. Make sure that if your kids are playing outside, they've got a hat on. It keeps their face and head shielded from the sun, and also helps if you've got a little one who struggles with bright sunlight. If your tot struggles to keep a hat on, try one with a strap that goes under the chin to help. Avoid the car The car can be one of the hottest places during a heatwave, and often takes a long time to cool down. If you have the option, it's better to stay at home rather than taking kids out anywhere in a hot car. Stay hydrated This is always important, but even more so in a heatwave. Make sure you're regularly reminding your kids to have a drink, and top them up with cool liquids whenever you can. Use ice too to ensure it's as cold as it can possibly be. 'All the kids walk out of school grumpy and miserable, with faces like they've had enough. We get home, they're straight in the pool, and their whole attitude changes. 'They're happy, they're having fun, and they've cooled down quite significantly as well. In this weather it's amazing. 'In a world where kids are attached to screens 24/7, you can't have a screen in a pool. You have to engage, you have to be present, you have to play. 'Having the children at home during half terms means they won't be stuck on a screen. I would much rather they were out playing, having fun, exercising. It's about their quality of childhood as well as the benefit of just having a pool.' Less than £2 a day to run Natalie claimed that her pool costs 'next to nothing' to run, as she acknowledged: 'Our house has solar panels - by utilising that, when we run the pool it costs us next to nothing. 9 9 'The most we've spent in any one day this month is £1.80, and that was a day when we had the dishwasher, tumble dryer, washing machine, and pool all going at the same time. 'The only other thing is the chemicals and treating the water. You buy multifunctional chlorine tablets with everything you need in them, and a five-kilo box costs about £30. I get through one bucket in three months.' Natalie claimed that while she is only paying £30 a month for chlorine tablets, it used to cost her £30 each time to take her family of four to a local swimming pool. As a result, she is 'definitely' saving money in the long run and advised those eager to do the same to simply 'do it'. Parents aren't allowed to take children out of school during term time, holidays aren't always an option, so why not invest in your home and garden? Natalie Ward So if you'd love a similar swimming pool in your back garden and aren't sure where to start, Natalie shared her advice. 'Join pool groups on different social media channels and learn from people who've already done it. 'Everyone's got things they would potentially do differently or things to take into consideration. Do your research before you start digging and before you buy the pool. 'The cost of the pool is one of the cheapest parts. It's the heating and the groundwork that then costs more,' she stressed. Not only this, but Natalie also advised: 'Our summers are getting hotter, the cost of going abroad is increasing. Parents aren't allowed to take children out of school during term time, holidays aren't always an option. 'So why not invest in your home and garden? Holiday at home, take the week off work, and enjoy it.'
Tom's Guide
28-05-2025
- General
- Tom's Guide
How to stay safe this BBQ season: 9 grilling safety checks you're probably forgetting
With the summer fast approaching, we are spending more time outdoors, swapping cozy dining for al fresco eating. Instead of relying on your gas range or electric range to cook your fare, your favored cooking companion switches to one of the best grills. However, as your cooking method changes, the environment does too, and you need to be extra cautious to keep safe while cooking up a BBQ feast. From fuel hazards to positioning your grill in the wrong place and wearing inappropriate gear, I've called in the experts to share their top 9 tips on the grilling safety checks you're probably forgetting. One of the most significant dangers of using an outside grill is the potential for fuel hazards, which is why it should be at the top of your safety checklist. Ryan Schellhouse, owner of Firemetal says, 'For natural gas, built-in grills, ensure that you know where the gas shut-off valve is located for the line bringing natural gas to your outdoor kitchen. If, for some reason, you don't have a line shut-off valve for your outdoor kitchen, then you should know where the gas shut-off valve is for the entire house.' For equipment that uses propane, he advises, 'Make sure that you're using commercially available propane tanks to ensure the propane tank valve has been serviced recently.' Courtney Klosterman, a home insights expert at Hippo Home Insurance, also advises checking the gas tank hose for leaks before using it. Andy Wu, outdoor living expert and founder of Backyard Oasis, recommends applying a soap and water mix to propane connections. If you spot any bubbles, it's a sign of a leak. He then recommends tightening the connections or replacing any parts before lighting your grill. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. And if you are using a charcoal grill, Courtney says, 'Only use charcoal starter fluid as a starter fluid; don't add charcoal fluid or other flammable liquids to the fire.' Wu also warns about stacking the briquettes incorrectly, 'Charcoal setups need airflow to avoid carbon monoxide buildup, overstacking briquettes excessively is an invitation to an uncontrollable flare-up,' he warns. Top tipIf you detect a gas leak, turn off the gas and don't attempt to light the grill until the problem is fixed. Apart from being aware of fuel hazards and keeping up with fuel safety checks, having a fire extinguisher readily available is a top priority. Wu recommends having a Class B (grease fire-rated) extinguisher nearby and that 'everyone should be familiar with its location and proper use,' adding, 'A small spark can become an inferno in seconds.' Ann Ziata, chef at the Institute of Culinary Education, adds, "A fire extinguisher is the absolute best tool for quickly addressing small fires before they escalate. Fire extinguishers prevent property damage, prevent injuries, and save lives." As we start to use our grills regularly, Jen Wilbert, assistant vice president of property portfolio at Travelers, says that the accumulation of food particles and grease can pose other hazards, with leftover food particles, particularly, being a health risk as they harbor bacteria. Regularly cleaning a grill will help avoid food poisoning. Wilbert says, 'Keep your grill clean in between uses by removing grease or fat buildup with a grill brush.' Using one of the best grill brushes will make light work of the chore and will ensure that any food and grease residue is removed, ready for your next BBQ. Top tipFor the sake of cleanliness and ease of use in the future, Schellhouse suggests, 'Always let the grill run on medium to high for 8-10 minutes after use to burn off any food remnants. This keeps the grill cleaner and makes it less enticing for rodents and insects in between grills.' He also suggests seasoning the grates with a high-heat oil, such as certain vegetable oils or avocado oil, to make them cleaner and easier to use the next time. The Kona 360 Clean Grill Brush is designed with durable, bristle brushes, it also comes with a grooved finger rest and comfortable, long handle for ease of use. It's particularly effective at cleaning up after fish and is voted as the best grill brush overall in our buying guide. Choosing the best place for your grill will help reduce potential hazards, as sudden flare-ups can cause a fire. 'Grills should be placed at least 10 feet away from any building, structure, or any combustible materials like plastic, wood, paper, and certain chemicals', says Ziata. She also advises that the grill should be in an open, well-ventilated area and never placed in a tent or under a canopy. Grilling under trees, overhanging branches and enclosed patios should also be avoided. And Wu adds choosing a flat and level surface will help keep the grill steady and will eliminate any risk of the grill toppling over. Ziata warns you to be vigilant at all times, 'Remember you are cooking directly over an open flame. As long as the grill is on, you need to be alert and never leave the grill unattended,' and adds, 'Grill fires can start from grease drippings accumulating and igniting, which is a higher risk when the grill is not properly cleaned, but also from contact with flammable materials and from leaving the grill unattended.' Hungry hounds and curious kids will want to get a look in on the action, but they should be kept at a safe distance to avoid burns and serious mishaps. While a dog might be enticed to pinch a banger off the barbie, they risk knocking the whole grill over, causing burns and fires. While children can unintentionally touch the hot grills or get clothing caught in the flames. When cooking with your outdoor grill, it can be tempting to grab your usual kitchen utensils that you use indoors. However, think about your safety. 'Long tongs and spatulas allow you to cook without ever having to hold your hands directly above the grill,' says Ziata, 'Even at medium heat, you'd only be able to hold your hand six inches above the grill for just a few seconds before getting too hot.' And she adds, "Long utensils let you flip and turn your food exactly when you need to. You'll be able to work much more comfortably, safely, and efficiently without your hands ever getting hot or burned.' This set has everything you need to grill like a pro. Made with durable stainless steel and heat-resistant handles, these tools are designed to last. The included carrying case makes it easy to store and transport your tools, making it perfect for camping trips or backyard BBQs. The set includes 6 skewers, a skewer removal tool, locking tongs, a spatula, and a Palmyra grill brush with a grill brush refill. Apart from keeping yourself safe while using a grill, you want to keep your family and friends safe too. That's why our experts always recommend using one of the best meat thermometers. 'When cooking over direct heat, such as when grilling, it can be challenging to uniformly cook the food,' says Ziata, 'On a grill, there are hotter and cooler spots, and you'll also have a much higher temperature on the bottom of the food than on top, especially compared to when cooking on the stovetop or in the oven.' Due to the numerous variables, she recommends using a meat thermometer to check the food's temperature, ensuring it's safe to eat and at the desired doneness. And she adds, 'Be sure to insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, away from bones or fat, which would give you an inaccurate reading.' Cooking temperature guideUsing a meat thermometer will help prevent illness and take away the uncertainty of whether your protein is ready to serve or not. Wu recommends the follow temperature guide for your protein: Chicken: 165°FSteaks: 145°F for steaksGround meat: 160°F The clothing you wear can be a particular hazard with grilling outside, and it's best to avoid loose-fitting clothing which can get caught in the flames. Ziata says, 'I recommend a heavy apron and strong heat-proof gloves that cover your forearms, both of which will help protect you from the heat.' She also recommends tying back long hair and protecting feet with closed-toe shoes, which will keep them safe from dropped coals and drips of grease from hot food.
