I sympathise. The additional problem with mine is it is in completely the wrong place as far as I’m concerned - or rather, had I put a pool in, I wouldn’t have put it where the previous owner did.
Mine’s in a great place, but just don’t think I’d use it, but want to keep the option open if, for whatever reason, I did sell. Absolutely no plan or intention to sell but always like to be flexible if I can. I was in it the other day to clean it out. About 60% of it is >2m deep so it did cross my mind if I could put a ‘roof’ on it and convert it into some sort of basement space. I guess the walls don’t let water out, so assume they also don’t let water in 
You could be like those people one reads about in the paper and grow cashcrop ahem, unusual plants 
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A few years ago the police did identify, by helicopter, someone enthusiastically growing something illicit in the garrique locally😳
Turn it into a sunken area with seating round the side, what americans horribly call a conversation pit? With a bbq, or small water feature.
Not sure if a bunker would make any difference to potential events, but tempted. Wondering about damp in terms of using it for much.
My neighbour has already become a pool slave, cleaning and fussing every single day. Been there and done that and no thanks for ever again, can’t be bothered now nor with financial drain either. The sea is only 15mins away and costs nothing to use and probably warmer as well because the pools all around me spend most of the day in the shade of the houses.
Thankfully, for us the “pool question” never arose. We swam regularly at a local sports centre in UK and would (possibly) have done something similar here… as we only have a small terrace…
However, the desire to swim faded into the background as our new life unfolded… a very different life at that…
Neighbours took us to a local water mill… where it seemed as though the world-and-his-wife were dabbling in the freezing waters… brrrr… boiling day and freezing water…
The families were thoroughly enjoying themselves and we made some good friends that day as we struggled to make ourselves understood and, more importantly, struggled not to drown and/or get frostbite … 
Since those times… there are now 8 pools and 1 hot tub… all within the village itself… and many more pools across the commune.
Still, the fun and laughter of that watermill experience… gets my vote…
EDIT. all the pools are legal and legit… no problems.
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We’ve got a pool and as it means we no longer feel the need to drive to the beach and will not be going on holiday, I feel that we’ve more than offset our carbon footprint v water use so to speak.
It takes almost zero maintenance thanks to good installation and a pool robot and it’s been an excellent investment for us.
I think this is one of those dilemmas where everyone has to do what is right for their personal circumstances and approach to sustainability.
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Did he fill it? Hahaha
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Hur hur Hur
I grew up with a pool at home in the Var, I loved it and was never out of it, or the sea a bike ride away.
Here the pool was the best thing ever for my children growing up and I wouldn’t be getting rid of it if it were still in proper working order - it’s just that it needs a complete rebuild, and I’m sure there are ecologically better solutions.
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We’re all so different… and that’s one of the things which makes life interesting…
As kids, we would go swimming in the sea even when it was chucking it down… often warmer in the water than in the air… (typical british summers )
Cheer them up and tell them I said they are doing it all wrong
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@ anyone with a knackered old pool.
It is perfectly possible to build a new structure inside the old one if its not good. This also allows for a good bit of insulation around the structure to keep it warmer.
Liners are probably the cheapest option for making good but there are others like Ecofinish or sprayed polyurea coatings. There are some cold applied polyurea’ coatings as well but not personally tried those.
@Corona still thinking about options I managed to chisel off all the mosaics from my pool and was thinking to perhaps render it as I’ve seen a couple of really attractive pools with a cement finish, slightly tinted. After removing the mosaics what I’m left with is the adhesive and mesh from the mosaics i.e a rough surface, so guess appropriate key for rendering.
Would you have any recommendations as to an appropriate material to give it that rendered cement finish, as I’m sure it’s something specific that is used and not simply regular cement?
Dear All
id just like to apologise for my reactions to certain posts over the last 24 hours.
it was both completely wrong and whole heartedly offensive.
I felt hurt by some of the comments and I should have just brushed them off; after all this is a forum for comment.
my wife has assured me of her full social training in future matters !!
im on washing up duty for a long time.
apologies.
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I think most of us have been there at some point, well most of the others, I never do that
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You are correct its mostly a modified cementitious coating for continual immersion.
BASF make the std one in the EU but I cant remember the number so next week I will confirm. Liners or indeed glassfibre skins are easier to maintain chemically and the plaster finishes often go mottled after a while.
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Thanks alot - much appreciated 
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