I really don't know what else there is to look for. It seems like you already know about trees etc.I think that after looking here that you can see the variety of spaces that people have put pools into. Basically, I think that anything goes. People always find a way to make it work out whether there is rock underground, small spaces, a hillside, any soil condition-which my soil is very sandy and rich. Good for planting, but bad for building a pool if the gunite is not sprayed right away after digging and doing the rebar. We could have easily had my freshly dug hole in the ground cave in if one small rainfall had occurred before the gunite was sprayed. As far as trees, any tree can be cut down as long as its not on any kind of protected registry as some old oaks are here in Louisiana. We had to cut down 8 crape myrtles, one pecan, and 5 pines. I still have atleast one live oak and another pecan to cut. I think the biggest consideration are the pool details. You want to decide on shape, freeform or formal. Then comes placement, but you have to have a house and yard first. Then you will have to decide on coping, decking, tile, finish, color of finish, etc...The biggie will be to find the right Pool Builder. Make sure and do your homework. Check the BBB and ask here. It can be a nightmare hiring the wrong PB. Have a look around here and you will discover a few very bad experiences that people here have had. Good luck.

In Texas trees are as important as a pool IMHO. I have a yard with big oak trees and my pool occupies the part of the back yard where the trees are not. So either you are under the trees in shade or in the cool water. I don't think there is anything special. People have put pools on cliffs and in yards that were just a bit bigger than a dog house. However, I picked my back yard kind of imagining where the pool would be relative to the trees. Pools are all about maintenance. I had few if any trees with my last pool and still had leaves....you can't escape them. I have a RC boat with two motors and a leaf net....you just sit in a chair and drive the leaf net around....or get the kids to do it.

Check the setbacks on the property you are considering, and whether easements exist, to find out whether you can actually situate the pool where you want it. Also check on whether any deed restrictions limit or dictate the pool and fencing designs you anticipate having.

Jmas65 is correct...defintely check on those easements!

If the seller has a survey, that's great, but check the date on it. Our lender didn't require a survey to close and we saw the original survey done after the house was built. No additional structures had been added so we didn't give it much thought. When we had a survey done to site the pool, surprise, surprise, there was a 15' easement all across the back! That easement was NOT shown on the original survey!

You can always make your offer subject to an acceptable survey. If the home seller knows the reason behind your request, they shouldn't have a problem with it.

Although you're moving closer to town, if there's a chance you'll have a septic system, be sure to find out where your drain fields are. I believe these can be moved, if needed, but would be pricey.

Yes, I forget about Deed restrictions. We were looking at one house in texas that had a 20' deed restriction on the back part of the lot. You were not even allowed to cut or trees or brush down in the back of your yard! It would have pushed the pool long and right up to the back door.

This isn't so easy to check, but if you can figure out if there are any underground utilities in the backyard then that is a consideration. Anything can be moved, but the less you have to deal with the better! The most common utility conflicts are gas and electric. Electric is the most expensive to relocate because it's typically 36" deep or more. Phone lines are pretty cheap to move, so that's not a biggie.

The pool site should be relatively level with positive drainage away from it. If it isn't this can usually be regraded by the PB at extra cost.

One big issue for me is sight-lines from inside the house to the pool. There's nothing more awesome than a fabulous framed view of the pool from inside your house. We located our pool to make sure we could see it from as much of the house as possible. Ours can be seen from the kitchen, living room, breakfast room and master bedroom. If you're going to sink all that money into it you might as well be able to admire it even when you're not using it :-)

I would also look at the access to the back yard. An 8 ft gate would be ideal as it costs more to dig with a small machine. Also, is there any thing in the way to the future pool area A/C, trees, etc..Tight access and remove/relocation of things can get expensive. Good luck and what an exciting time for your family.

Don't forget to check out any Homeowner Association restrictions and approvals. Sometimes they can be a headache.

Thanks guys. Lots of great information to think about.

The #1 house we are looking at has a yard that slopes away from the back patio so there would be several steps down to the pool and then probably a drop-off from the pool to the back fence. I'll ask for a survey and look at all the easements.

No trees so that's a good thing. The house we are selling would have required ripping out 8 mature oaks to properly site a pool. I tried to figure out how to make it work but never could figure a good way that satisfied me. Not moving because of the pool issue but now that we are moving I want to be thinking ahead.

A yard can always be reconfigured. Rather I'd look at the cost of making the needed adjustments, as well as the cost/quality of the house. In any yard, any pool is do-able, but what you need to ask yourself is how far you are willing to go to get there.

Make sense?

The other thing to worry about in Texas is flooding...make sure your pool will be up off the ground enough that a dry creek bed which may some day become a full fledge river doesn't run right through your pool. Lots of drop offs probably means retaining walls and they can be expensive. When it rains here, it really rains.