This full-remodel project was an excellent display of strategy and beauty coming together to create an astounding experience.
An Edge Hill Airbnb transformation that took nearly a year of planning, some serious problem-solving, and a willingness to see possibilities where most people would only see concrete.
How do you build a swimming pool in a backyard that doesn't exist?
That's the question we had to answer when an Airbnb owner in Nashville's Edge Hill neighborhood came to us with a pretty ambitious idea. He wanted a pool, a fire pit, an outdoor kitchen, beautiful landscaping, and a place where guests could relax, entertain, and enjoy the property throughout the year.
There was just one problem. He didn't have a backyard.
What he had was a concrete driveway leading to a two-car garage. No grass, no outdoor entertaining area, and certainly no obvious place to put a swimming pool.
But he had a vision. He wanted to turn what was essentially a parking area into one of the property's biggest attractions, and that's exactly what we set out to do.
What we didn't realize at the beginning was just how many obstacles we'd have to overcome before that vision became a reality. This project would test our patience, our problem-solving abilities, and our willingness to tackle construction challenges that can make a pool installation anything but straightforward.
Here's how it happened.
When most people think about installing a swimming pool, they imagine putting it into an existing backyard. Maybe there's a lawn, a patio, or some landscaping. You figure out where the pool should go, how it fits with the rest of the space, and what features you want around it.
This project was different. We weren't simply adding a pool to a backyard. We were creating the backyard itself.
Because the available space was limited, every square foot mattered. We worked with the homeowner to develop a design that included an 8' x 17' fiberglass dip pool, a built-in fire pit with comfortable seating, an outdoor kitchen, landscaping, and a combination of Techo-Bloc pavers and artificial turf.
The existing two-car garage would also become part of the outdoor living experience. Instead of leaving a garage door at the end of the newly designed backyard, the plan was to replace it with large sliding glass doors and transform the interior into a fitness and poolside studio.
The goal was to create an inviting indoor-outdoor experience where Airbnb guests could swim, relax, work out, cook, and entertain, all within a relatively small urban footprint.
On paper, it was a great plan. Getting it built would be a different story.
Here's something homeowners don't always realize about complex pool projects: Sometimes the hardest part isn't actually building the pool. It's everything you have to do before you can start.
In our case, we spent nearly a year working through permitting, utility coordination, and issues involving neighboring properties before construction could begin.
Think about that. Nearly a year of work, and we hadn't even started digging.
Existing overhead electrical and communication lines created complications that required coordination to relocate. We also had to work through concerns and approvals involving neighboring property owners. None of these were issues we could simply ignore or work around without proper planning.
And while it's easy to look at a beautiful finished backyard and forget about everything that happened before construction, those early challenges were a major part of this project. They required patience, communication, and a willingness to keep working toward a solution.
They also reinforced something we've learned about unusual pool installations: If you have a complicated property, understanding the obstacles before construction is just as important as choosing the pool itself.
Access, utilities, permitting, and neighboring structures can all influence what's possible, how long it takes, and what the project ultimately costs. Just because a pool physically fits into a space doesn't necessarily mean installing it will be easy.
And in this particular case, we still had two more surprises waiting for us.
Once we finally had the necessary approvals, we had to figure out how to get equipment and materials into the construction area.
We had approximately six feet of clearance. That's it.
For a project involving excavation, installing a fiberglass swimming pool, extensive hardscaping, and multiple outdoor amenities, six feet is an incredibly tight working environment.
On a more accessible property, moving equipment and materials can be relatively straightforward. Here, everything required more thought. We had to consider how equipment would enter the space, how excavated material would be removed, and how to coordinate the different trades working in such a confined area.
These aren't the kinds of things that make for glamorous backyard photos, but they're exactly the kinds of challenges that can determine whether a project succeeds.
And just when we had gotten through the permitting and access complications, excavation brought another challenge.
We hit rock.
Now, if you've spent much time building pools in Middle Tennessee, you know rock isn't exactly an unusual discovery. But knowing you might encounter it and actually having to remove it from a site with severely limited access are two different things.
Rock can dramatically complicate an excavation, requiring different equipment or techniques and affecting both the construction schedule and overall cost. Add tight access to the equation, and the work becomes even more challenging.
Our team had to approach the excavation carefully, coordinate how material would be removed, and find practical solutions to keep the project moving.
Was this the easiest pool installation we've ever done? Not even close. But it was the kind of project that forced us to think differently, and those experiences have stayed with us.
There's something else worth discussing here, because it's an important part of any major construction project.
When a job takes longer than expected to get started, involves utilities and neighboring properties, and then encounters rock during excavation, there's a real potential for frustration. Especially when the homeowner has a very specific vision for the finished result.
One of the biggest reasons this project ultimately came together was the relationship we developed with the homeowner. Throughout the process, we maintained open communication about the challenges we were facing, the solutions we were exploring, and what those developments meant for the project.
And the homeowner understood something that's especially important on complicated jobs: You can plan carefully, assemble the right team, and still encounter problems nobody expected.
What matters is how you respond when those problems arise.
We were fortunate to work with a client who remained patient, flexible, and committed to the overall vision. That didn't make the challenges disappear, but it made a tremendous difference in how we were able to work through them.
It's also a reminder that when you're hiring someone to build a pool, especially on a difficult property, you should be evaluating more than just the pool itself. You want to know how the company communicates, how it approaches unexpected problems, and whether it has experience working through challenging construction conditions.
Let's talk about the pool itself.
The centerpiece of the backyard is an 8' x 17' x 4.5' ImmerSpa fiberglass dip pool in a light gray finish.
When you've got limited space and want to incorporate multiple outdoor amenities, a traditional large swimming pool can dominate the entire yard. And if that happens, you may have very little room left for anything else.
With this project, the homeowner didn't need a pool designed for swimming long laps. He needed a pool that would create an enjoyable experience for Airbnb guests without overwhelming the available space.
The 8' x 17' footprint gave us enough room for guests to relax, cool off, float, and enjoy the water while leaving space for the fire pit, outdoor kitchen, seating, and landscaping.
But we also wanted the pool to offer more than a place to cool off in the summer. That's where several additional features came into play.
We incorporated spa jets along the pool's built-in bench seating, allowing guests to turn them on or off depending on the experience they're looking for.
It's a relatively simple feature, but it gives the pool more flexibility than a basic plunge pool. Guests can enjoy the water as a traditional dip pool or turn on the jets for a more relaxing, spa-like experience.
We also equipped the pool with a heater capable of bringing the water temperature up to approximately 100°F.
Why is that important? Because Nashville doesn't have twelve months of traditional swimming weather. But with the right heating system, a compact fiberglass dip pool can offer a warm, spa-like experience even during the colder months.
For a short-term rental property looking to provide amenities throughout the year, that's an attractive feature. Instead of having a pool that's primarily useful during the summer, the homeowner can offer guests a way to enjoy the water across more of the calendar.
The pool also includes an automatic cover, which helps retain heat, reduce debris entering the water, and provide an additional layer of safety when used properly.
For a short-term rental property where different guests may use the outdoor space regularly, features that simplify operation and reduce maintenance demands are especially valuable. Of course, an automatic cover doesn't replace appropriate safety precautions, supervision, or routine pool maintenance.
Ultimately, the objective wasn't to install the biggest pool we could fit. It was to install the right pool for what the homeowner was trying to accomplish.
And that's an important distinction for anyone considering a swimming pool in a smaller backyard.
One thing we wanted to avoid was designing a space that looked beautiful but didn't offer much beyond the pool itself.
After all, Airbnb guests aren't necessarily going to spend every minute in the water. They might want to sit around a fire in the evening, cook dinner outside, relax with friends, or simply enjoy being outdoors.
So we designed the surrounding space to create several different experiences within one compact area.
Immediately adjacent to the pool, we constructed a built-in fire pit surrounded by three loveseat-style outdoor couches.
This became one of our favorite parts of the finished project because of how naturally the two spaces work together. Guests can spend the afternoon enjoying the pool and then move a few feet over to gather around the fire as the evening cools down.
It's two distinct experiences within the same backyard, without requiring a tremendous amount of space.
We also incorporated a built-in outdoor kitchen with a grill, giving guests another reason to spend time outside rather than leaving the property.
For an Airbnb, this adds another dimension to the guest experience. Instead of simply having a place to swim, the property now offers an area where visitors can cook, eat, gather, and enjoy time together.
Throughout the backyard, we used Techo-Bloc hardscaping materials, including pavers arranged in a crosshatch pattern with artificial turf.
This combination helped soften the appearance of the space while providing the durability and relatively low-maintenance qualities that are important for a heavily used rental property.
We also incorporated landscaping and fencing to provide privacy and help the backyard feel like a true outdoor retreat, despite its urban setting.
Remember, this was originally a concrete driveway. The goal wasn't simply to make it look less like a driveway. It was to make guests feel like they were somewhere completely different.
One of the most interesting decisions on this project wasn't about the pool at all. It was what to do with the existing two-car garage.
Leaving it as a traditional garage would have meant the newly designed outdoor space still looked directly toward a large garage door. Instead, the homeowner decided to transform it into a fitness and poolside studio.
We brought in Redbarn Craftsmen, one of our building partners, to handle that portion of the project. The existing garage door was replaced with large sliding glass doors, and the interior was improved to accommodate its new use.
That decision completely changed how the property functions. Instead of having two separate spaces - a garage and a backyard - the property now has a connected indoor-outdoor experience.
Guests can use the fitness studio, step through the sliding doors, and enjoy the pool, fire pit, or outdoor kitchen.
It's a great example of why we encourage homeowners to think about the entire property rather than treating the swimming pool as an isolated feature. Sometimes the decisions you make around the pool can have just as much impact as the pool itself.
We also want to give credit where it's due, because a project like this isn't something one company necessarily handles entirely on its own.
We partnered with Landscape Solutions on the hardscaping, landscaping, fencing, and other outdoor elements that brought the backyard together. And as mentioned, Redbarn Craftsmen handled the garage conversion.
With such limited access, utility complications, and so many different elements involved, coordination between the various teams was especially important.
Pool construction, hardscaping, landscaping, and building renovation all needed to contribute to the same overall vision rather than being treated as unrelated projects.
That's one of the reasons we value having experienced partners. When different trades understand how their work affects the rest of the project, it's much easier to deliver a finished space that feels cohesive.
And in this case, the final result depended on all those pieces coming together.
This is a fair question, and it's one anyone investing significant money into a short-term rental property should be asking.
A beautiful backyard is great. But if you're making an investment in a rental property, you also want to understand whether those improvements are helping the business.
According to the homeowner, the backyard has become a major attraction for the property, which he reports has performed well in the Edge Hill short-term rental market.
That's encouraging to hear, especially considering the amount of planning and construction involved. But we also want to be clear about something: We can't tell you exactly how many additional bookings came from the pool, fire pit, or outdoor kitchen. And we wouldn't suggest that every Airbnb owner will experience the same results simply by installing a swimming pool.
Rental performance depends on a lot of things, including location, property size, pricing, guest experience, seasonality, and overall market demand.
What we can say is that the homeowner wanted to create a property that stood out by offering guests more ways to enjoy their stay. The finished backyard gave him those amenities, creating an experience that simply didn't exist when the area was a concrete driveway.
For homeowners considering a similar investment, the important question isn't necessarily how many features you can squeeze into a backyard. It's whether those features support the experience you're trying to create and make financial sense for your particular property.
If you're reading this because you have a small backyard - or a property that doesn't seem like it could accommodate a swimming pool - there are a few important lessons worth taking away.
Compact fiberglass pools can work in spaces where a traditional large swimming pool simply doesn't make sense.
The key is choosing the right pool and designing the outdoor area around how you actually want to use it. In this project, the dip pool gave the homeowner the water feature he wanted without sacrificing the rest of the backyard experience.
A pool might physically fit in your yard, but how will the equipment get there? What needs to be removed? Are there utilities, fences, structures, or neighboring properties that complicate installation?
These are questions worth asking early in the planning process. As this project demonstrated, limited access can significantly influence how the work must be performed.
In Middle Tennessee, rock is one possibility. Utilities, grading, permitting, drainage, and access limitations can also create complications.
This is one reason the cost of one backyard pool project can be very different from another, even when the pools themselves are similar in size.
And because we haven't provided the total investment for this particular project, it wouldn't be responsible to suggest another homeowner could reproduce the entire transformation for a specific dollar amount. Every property and project scope needs to be evaluated on its own merits.
Before deciding what type of pool you want, ask yourself what you actually want your backyard to do for you.
Is the goal family time? Entertaining? Relaxation? Creating a gathering place? Or, as in this case, providing an attractive amenity for a short-term rental property?
Your answers should shape the design, the pool size, the features, and how the available space is used.
Years later, this is still one of the projects we talk about at Nashville Dip Pools.
Not just because of how the finished backyard looks, but because of everything that happened before we got there.
Nearly a year of permitting and utility coordination. Neighboring property challenges. Six feet of construction access. Rock during excavation. Multiple contractors working together to bring a very ambitious vision to life.
There were plenty of opportunities for this project to become frustrating or for the original plan to be scaled back. But the homeowner remained committed to what he wanted to create, and our team worked through the challenges to make it happen.
Today, where there used to be nothing more than a concrete driveway and a two-car garage, there's a swimming pool, fire pit, outdoor kitchen, landscaping, and connected fitness studio.
And that's what makes this project so memorable.
It reminds us that a great backyard isn't always about how much space you have. Sometimes it's about being willing to see what that space could become.
Maybe your yard is small. Maybe access is limited. Maybe you're looking at your property and thinking there's absolutely no way a swimming pool could fit.
Those are exactly the kinds of conversations worth having before you rule anything out.
At Nashville Dip Pools, we can help you evaluate what's realistic, what challenges your property might present, and which pool options make sense for your space, goals, and budget.
Because sometimes what looks like an impossible backyard is simply a project that needs a different approach.
Width is 8'
Length is 17'
Depth is 4' 5"
Seating capacity is 8-12 people
Some additional images to show off the property and end experience.
View a few of our other installations you may enjoy.
A dip pool is a great investment for your well-being and enjoyment. We can turn your yard into an oasis.
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Monday–Saturday: 8 AM to 7 PM Special appointments available upon request.
