A resourceful father utilized the potential of social media to transform his backyard into a tropical oasis.
The father of two found some inspiration in a YouTube video that showed a woman building a pool in his yard and then he decided to take the plunge.
Alex Dodman, motivated to “give it a go,” decided to rent a mini digger despite having “zero experience.” On the very same day, he commenced excavating dirt from his yard to create a pool. Continue reading to learn more about this individual’s dream project and how he accomplished it within a budget.
In 2018, Alex Doman, an emergency medical technician from Essex, relocated to a dilapidated residence with his partner Sarah and their two young children, Allie and Eddie.
The residence required significant renovations, and Dodman, now 38 years old, found motivation in social media to dismantle the family home in order to create a dream home for his family.
The renos started with a YouTube video that showed a tradesperson putting up a wall stud.
In the coming period, Dodman, an employee of the National Health Service, incorporated a gym into his backyard, created a cinema area suitable for family use, and installed a foldable bed in his modern home office.
And then he learned the home, purchased for £250,000 (about $322,000 US), had more than doubled in value to £525,000 ($675,000 US).
“We had the house valued and were told it was now worth £525,000, which I put down to the work I’ve done,” Doman tells The Sun in February 2022.
Realizing he had a natural talent for DIY, the father was ready for his next project.
Diving in
During his lunch break, Dodman shared that he had viewed a YouTube video featuring a woman in Holland who constructed a pool in her garden. He conveyed his long-standing aspiration of owning a pool and mentioned that he had even designated a small area for its potential construction in the future. With this inspiration, Dodman eagerly embarked on his new DIY project.
“As soon as I’d watched [YouTube video] I rang up and hired a digger. I’d never driven a digger before, so I’d dug this massive hole and then there was no going back.”
‘A blessing’
Though there was no going back he did hit a huge obstacle.
Dodman started building the pool in January 2020 “but then Covid hit, and [he] couldn’t get any materials for ages.”
Stuck with a giant hole in his yard, Dodman explains he had to get creative.
Describing the pandemic closures as “a bit of a blessing,” the DIY dad “started buying the things [he] needed from Facebook Marketplace which was a lot cheaper.”
‘Zero experience’
Dodman shares with his 247,000 TikTok followers the twelve stages he undertook to construct “a fully functioning swimming pool in [his] backyard without any prior experience.”
Each video outlines different phases of the project, including mastering the operation of the digger, plumbing installation, brick laying, tiling, and ultimately enjoying a dive into his newly completed blue pool.
@alexdodman Mud to Pool #swimmingpool #poolbuild #beforeandafter #fyp ♬ Chasing Highs – Sped Up Version – ALMA
And he did it for less than £10,000 ($12,871 US).
Dodman reflects on his ideal construction project, stating, “Overall, the most challenging aspect from a DIY standpoint was plumbing – it can be quite frustrating. If mistakes are made, one ends up with leaks and other issues.” He adds, “However, it turned out to be less difficult than I had anticipated; it truly resembles assembling with water LEGO.”
Following the completion of the pool, Dodman has since incorporated a garden cabin, a pergola featuring a large projection screen for viewing games while enjoying the hot tub, a barbecue house, and a playhouse for his two children.
Explaining he wasn’t “confident in DIY,” the renovations hobbyist says he learned by “just by giving it a go.”
“I’ve made mistakes and stuff doesn’t always turn out how you think but giving it a go is the best way.” Crediting YouTube for his successes, Dodman adds, “I learned almost everything from YouTube, and there are a lot of builders’ forums online where you can find help on loads of projects, any problem you come across, it’s likely someone else has in the past and has written about it online.”
Although Dodman’s initiatives deserve commendation, we advise against commencing extensive excavation in your backyard.
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