Perth\u2019s pool boom is exploding \u2014 but experts warn that chasing the \u201cfeel-good woke\u201d trend could leave homeowners drowning in costs.<\/p>\n
With more than 178,000 private pools already across WA and about 17 per cent of Perth homes boasting a pool or spa, the great Aussie backyard has become a status symbol as much as a summer staple.<\/p>\n
But behind the Instagram-perfect plunge pools and \u201cwellness\u201d trends, industry insiders say many homeowners are buying into hype \u2014 not reality.<\/p>\n
Jim\u2019s Pool Care boss Brett Blair said there were more than 1.4 million pools nationwide and Australians were installing up to 25,000 new pools a year \u2014 often without understanding what actually kept them clean.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople spend tens of thousands installing a pool but don\u2019t realise the system they choose determines how much time and money they\u2019ll spend maintaining it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
And here\u2019s where the so-called \u201cwoke\u201d pool movement cops a reality check.<\/p>\n
Luxury mineral and magnesium pools \u2014 heavily marketed as healthier, softer and more \u201cnatural\u201d \u2014 are booming across Perth backyards.<\/p>\n
But they still rely on chlorine to stay safe, just dressed up with fancy branding and a bigger price tag, according to Mr Blair.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese pools feel great but they come with higher installation costs and ongoing mineral replacement,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe irony is the less chemicals people want, the more expensive and complex the system becomes.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the other end of the scale, old-school chlorine pools \u2014 often dismissed as harsh or outdated \u2014 remain the cheapest and most effective option, albeit with more hands-on maintenance.<\/p>\n
Saltwater systems sit in the middle, wildly popular across WA because they automate chlorine production and strike a balance between cost and convenience.<\/p>\n
The message from experts is blunt \u2014 not every trend is worth following.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want simple and affordable, stick with proven systems,\u201d Mr Blair said.<\/p>\n
\u201cChasing the latest \u2018wellness\u2019 trend can turn what should be a lifestyle investment into a constant headache.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Perth\u2019s pool boom is exploding \u2014 but experts warn that chasing the \u201cfeel-good woke\u201d trend could leave homeowners…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":622774,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[64,63,99,44,46,4686,45],"class_list":{"0":"post-622773","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-business","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-perth","13":"tag-property","14":"tag-wa-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=622773"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622773\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/622774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=622773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=622773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=622773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}