Everything you need to know about buying a swimming pool

HONG KONG'S SUB-TROPICAL CLIMATE is ideal for outdoor living and an increasing number of house-holds with gardens are buying swimming pools. A pool can become the focal point of family activity and entertaining and can add value to real estate.

Pools come in plastic, fibreglass or concrete, of which the last is the most durable and adaptable. They are likely to last as long as the house itself, whereas pre-fabricated, above-ground, plastic or vinyl-lined pools can be taken with you if you move.

Concrete pools offer most flexibility because they can be designed according to a home-owner's specifications and can make maximum use of awkward spaces. The pool can become an integral part of the design of a house.

In contrast, says Dennis Lo, director of Century Pools (tel: 2602 8622), a pool with plastic lining will have a shorter lifespan owing to damage done by the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Concrete pools can be made a variety of depths and shapes - kidney-shaped is the most popular in Hong Kong - and finished with plaster, mosaic or glass tiles in a range of colours. Finishes in aqua or a foggy blue, which gives the effect of mist on the water's surface, are in demand. Images of dolphins, fish or other decorative items can also be set into the concrete.

There is a much wider choice of underwater lighting available for concrete pools and the water-filtration systems are more effective.

Optional extras include the new Liquid Electronic Display (LED) underwater lighting systems offered by Group Eagle Enterprises (tel: 2571 5660), which do not generate heat like traditional bulbs. LED lights come in six colours - amber, yellow, red, blue, green and purple - and can be set to change colours.