Don't know about costs, etc in the UK, but cranes are expensive just about anywhere.
If you can turn the spa on it's side, and don't have to deal with steps - It should be easy to roll on narrow PVC pipes. I think we used 1.5 inch pipe. Cut about 8 or 9 sections, put 6 or 7 under the spa and keep several in rotation to the front, rotating them back to the front as the spa rolls along on top of them.
You're gonna need a bit of clearance on each side, so the spa would need to have a height a little under a meter. Also, check to see if there are any protrusions from the side of the garage that will cause clearance problems.
In my locale, I would have to pay for any crane use which would add about $500 US to the cost.
I wet tested and bought from a dealer 40 miles away. He cut 1500 off the cost if I picked up and installed, so that was a no-brainer for me.
You do need some muscular guys with good backs to help you, and if it's medium size and weight shouldn't be too hard to handle.
Although summers and winters are usually milder in the UK than where I live in the Southeast USA, I love using the spa in winter even more than in summer. Our spa is about three steps from our master bath, so you can get the cover back and easily be in before you get chilled.
One person to whom I commented that we had a hot tub, said "do you use yours? A lot of people buy them and after a year or so don't use them much". We have had ours 13 years and still use it a good bit. I'm thinking about buying another one.
I think one reason we use it a lot is it's easy to use the way we have it. Right off the master bath, private, close. We have privacy screens up so don't have to bother with suits, just rinse off in the master bath shower, then 7 or 8 steps sliding into the tub.
Hard for me to imagine someone having a hot tub and not using it, but it does appear that to some people the new wears off.
After 13 years, I'm in the spa 4 or 5 days a week, my wife 3 or 4. Only a couple of times a week that we are in together.
