Keep the pool!

They're not that expensive to care for if you're smart about it.

Buy your chemicals in bulk to save and get the mix right so you don't get algae blooms which can definitely be expensive to correct.

Do you have pool fence laws over there? We do here and they're in place to protect small children mostly. We still have infant drownings in pools, but they are often attributed to poor maintenance of the fence or simply leaving the gate open.

There's a cinderblock wall all around the house including the pool. In California, you can put up 10 feet walls with signs that say NO TRESPASSING!", and "DANGER SWIMMING POOL! DO NOT ENTER SWIMMING POOL WITHOUT OWNER'S CONSENT OR ADULT SUPERVISION" but if your neighbors kids climb your fence and drown in your pool, you can still be sued.

The fences that are legal for pools here are meant to be very difficult to climb like these ones. They basically isolate the pool from the rest of the yard. Worth putting in if you have a small child even if they're not required by law in your area.

If your back door opens straight onto the pool, best to get self closing doors to protect the little one. Even when she can swim, it's sometimes hard for little kids to actually get out of pools, particularly if they're fallen in and used up lots of energy trying to get to the side after a big fright.

Unfortunately for me, there is no "rest of the yard". The pool takes up everything. The back door does open up to the pool area. We may have to put some kind of special locks on the door that are high up so she can't reach them.

That won't last long though because she already stacks stuff up and climbs out of the crib.

Maybe I can setup some kind of electronic door where you have to type a code to get out. Expensive, but probably less expensive than getting the pool removed.

Or losing your daughter...

Lose the pool - it only increases the value of the home if the buyer wants one. If not - like you (and me) it is a negative. You can beat them up about the price because of it.

My only worry is that when my daughter is older, she'll want a pool. :)

Buy her a plastic one. That or she'll certainly have plenty of friends with them. Don't sweat it either way. If you do keep it get one of those Pool covers that the elephant stands on in the commercial. They are incredible!

Oh and good luck on the house to both of you.

Beautiful, I would love to see some better pics.

Just tell whoever that its an acceptable property - not that you really, really want it ;)

My cousin does this swimming instruction thing, where you teach a kid to swim when they are 1-2 years old:

http://feagans5ive.blogspot.com/2008/04/video.html

Our swim club teaches them from 6 months. Keep the pool. If you get a cover, it must be 100% childproof, because if they get under the cover, you can't see. Better to get the code lock as you suggest and teach them young. also teach them to stay away without an adult, just like you do for the street. maybe add an easy ladder out for them, just in case they disobey. I say they advisedly ;) /mysticmeg

Here is the type of cover I was referring to. I have clients here that sell them and they are very safe.
PM me if you want a dealer in your area. I'll have to get the contact info from my office computer.

It's hard to believe, but when you blink your daughter will be old enough to leave alone around a pool. They grow up fast. Keep the pool.

Ours has a pool too, and we're going through the same series of questions. Neither of us wanted a pool, and we have two young kids around too.

A pool fence would be about $1200 to install, pool removal quotes ran in the $10,000 range (in some cities, you also need a soil engineers report after the removal).

For us, it's staying. It fits really well on the property, and we think we'll use it. We'll be putting up a fence, and getting a big huge insurance policy to protect us against lawsuits.

I'll be taking care of it. After scraping up the money for a down payment, and extra $100 a month for a pool service just isn't going to happen.