I dearly want a pool and my husband is almost convinced. The challenge is that he will only agree if it's in one particular spot, as he feels moving it to the other (sunny! large!) side of the house will ruin the look of the lot. (He's kind of right, but I think it'd be worth it...)

Anyway, the spot he prefers could accommodate maybe a 12' diameter pool. It will require some sort of leveling or retaining wall; it is completely sloping and uneven. I'm not looking to swim laps, just to splash around with the kids, so this size might be ok, but I'm not sure. Does anyone regret having a very small pool?

Also, per my realtor friends, pools are generally not a positive thing in my area. Which led me to consider above ground pools, but the only one I've seen that's visually appealing without being surrounded by decking (which I don't have room for) was a wood-sided one that isn't THAT much cheaper than a fiberglass in-ground shell (at least, judging from online prices). The above ground option might be nice from the standpoint of discouraging animals, though, as I live in the mountains with snakes, skunks, etc. Thoughts?