Bringing a resort-style oasis to the countryside in Coatesville, Auckland

Starting the process

An inground swimming pool is the ultimate landscape accessory but, challenging logistics can also make it a massive undertaking. However, homeowner Judy, undeterred and motivated, wanted to maximise her expansive lifestyle block by creating a resort-style oasis with a luxurious pool as the focal point. 

By the time she reached out to Zones, Judy had already arranged for the pool installation and engaged an independent designer, but she needed a trusted and skilled team to execute her vision. Landscaping Consultant Sandy Lochhead connected with Judy to learn more about the scope of her project.

Taking care of technicalities

Since Judy had already been working with a designer, she and Sandy were able to move right into making plans. As they reviewed the costs and working drawings, Sandy explained which aspects of the landscape renovation would require additional attention. Geotech reports and the location of Judy’s lifestyle block meant they had to build a specially engineered retaining wall to accommodate the full project. Sandy then submitted the consent applications for the wall and pool installation, both of which were approved by the council. 

On the design side, Judy had specific ideas about the materials she wanted to use. Achieving an ambience of luxury was top priority and she was realistic about the investment needed to bring that dream to life. So, when Sandy provided her with the $131,000 quote, she wasn’t deterred. The all-inclusive cost covered both hard and softscaping elements — decking, concrete, plants, and pavers — fencing, balustrades, and excavation, as well as labour and council fees.

Going with the flow

Having to coordinate timing with outside teams proved to be a challenge especially since they were collectively working against difficult weather conditions. Sandy’s in-house project manager Kyle was on site to ensure the day-to-day operations ran smoothly. 

With the pool scheduled to go in at the end of October, Kyle and Sandy’s team built the engineered palisade retaining wall well ahead of time. Then bad weather caused several delays to the pool installation, pushing it out to the end of November. This left just a few weeks to execute the surrounding landscape renovation as the projected deadline was before Christmas.