I would think that a bigger pool would be better. We do use our spa quite often in the winter months, but we use the big pool almost every day once it's warm enough to wade in. If you miss having a spa later, you can always buy a hot tub (and close it in the summer months like my neighbor). Since the heating is going to be a problem, that might be the best way to go anyway. We were lucky that we had gas to our house, oddly, just to the water heater in the garage (I suppose electric ranges were all the rage in 1970), which we extended into the house when we remodeled the kitchen and laundry room for a gas range and dryer, and now along the side of the house to the spa heater. We have Artistic Pavers Shellock, which are pretty cool in the hot sun (compared to regular pavers) and expensive, but we end up using flip flops almost all the time anyway. We don't want to track grass or dirt into the pool and we need them for the shell under our tiki hut, so the deck isn't as important as I thought it would be. We also got a removable hand-rail offset at the main steps that we thought would be for when in-laws visit, but we ended up never taking it out. We use it for hanging towels that we grab as we step out into our flip flops. The fact that it's off-set instead of smack in the middle of the steps is really great. Anyway, biggest thing to think about is how YOU really expect to use the pool. If you are building it for your own young kids - remember they grow up fast you will be stuck with a pool you won't use for yourself once they're out of the house, so if YOU want a spa, get the spa. I was warned off of building a pool by lots and lots of people who had them for their kids - but our pool was really for me, and now my hubby uses it more than I do! The teens and their friends are just a temporary bonus. And the salt system is so easy to maintain, a happy surprise.

Update: Holes in the spa are looking much better. Service guy came out today and worked on them again. I think the end result when finished will be great. My concern would be will the fix chip off later since it is not the original finish. Steps are so much better. First, because I started buffing them MYSELF today with the buffing pad they left my husband the first day my pool was supposed to be "buffed" as advertised. Anyway, the installer came out today and started "buffing" them more...they needed it. There is a huge difference between a buffed area and a non-buffed area in your pool even if the installer of PT tries to tell you it is smooth enough. The steps are a slightly different color because they were redone. The only thing that I am not sure how to fix is the deep end....the finish there looked amazing the first time. After they drained the pool to redo the steps, and the pool is now filled up and balanced, the deep end looks splotchy. I repeatedly raised concerns about them leaving crappy, non-chemically balanced, stagnant water sitting in the deep end and in the spa in the hot sun for 2 days while they worked to correct the steps. I was told not to worry...well now I am very worried. We were told today to let the pool cure....I don't buy that BS....the deep end looked perfect after the initial fill and through 3 days of meticulously brushing and keeping the chems balanced. They let the spa sit stagnant and partially drained my pool. All kinds of crap was sitting in that nasty water.

Seeing your house, your tile choices are right on the money and my guess is when the house is clean and staged you'll have no problem selling. Be sure to post in buying and selling a house forum the pictures you want to use in your sale. You'd be surprised how helpful everyone there is with staging advice.

I love the tile and the peacock wallpaper! My only misgiving about that pretty tile is the grout and maintenance aspect. Will that be too much grout for you and is the mother of pearl tile too delicate a surface for your needs? The wallpaper is a winner but check the scale of the motif. The examples shown are murals. Will the peacock be whole if you order the smallest size, etc.? Also, check the size you want against canvas frame sizes before ordering to make sure it will be an easy wall art project. You don't want the wallpaper to be an inch narrower than your preferred canvas size, for example. Might be obvious but thought I'd mention it. :)