Eventually when you come to resell, a pool is an added plus. But for your own purposes, emptying the pool and adding a deck over it with a hinged door and steps placed below would be great for storage (as per option b but bearing in mind you could revert). All the best for your lovely new home.

Some kind of teak wood would be best. IPE is what this looks like. Please purchase responsibility as it is harvested by clear cutting in some areas. FSC is best.

Dear Mr. Surya, You could try an inside out concept with a house centered around a built forest/ structured landscaped areas. You could design the place in such a way that both the frontyard and the courtyard would be accesible/vislble from every room. For privacy, wood/metal jaalis would suffice. You could also place a waterbody in proximity to formal and informal living areas so that an outdoor deck doubles up when large volumes of guests need to be entertained. You could also incorporate an outdoor seating with fireplace and BBQ by the landscapes/ aquasccapes. In general, a green building which ensures cross ventilation, follows vaastu and sustainability principles could be packaged as one product and aesthetics seamlessly merges with functionality. Regards, Aurum Ideas and Spaces Bhubaneswar

HI Koushik. Depends on the style you would like to go with. Options are unlimited... Concrete flooring, Ceramic Tile, Terracotta Tiles, Clay Brick Tiles, Natural Stones, Natural Wood flooring, Artificial Grass (Cheap and Quick), Artificial Wooden Decking, Gravel etc.