All your property-related questions answered here.

Planning permission refused

We bought a house two years ago and at the time it was very much with a view to putting on a large kitchen extension. The garden is big and we didn't see any problem at the time. When we eventually got around to getting plans drawn up we discovered that the main sewerage system for the entire terrace runs down the centre of the back garden - and we are not allowed to build on it. Without this extension the house is not suitable for us and we are going to have to move on. Do we have to admit that planning was refused and explain why. If we have to explain that, we feel no one will want this house.

You are not obliged to tell prospective buyers that you have applied for planning permission and that it was turned down. However, anyone is free to call the county council's planning department who, once provided with the correct address, can search their planning data bases for planning permissions either refused or granted. It depends on how long their computer records go back for but, for most, it'll be at least 10 years. If the extension was an absolute must-have for you then you really should have sounded out the council on the idea before you went through with the sale. You know that now, of course, but it's worth pointing out for others. On the subject of sewers and checking things out, this column recently heard of a buyer who bought a house in Dublin with an impressive new kitchen extension on the back. Shortly after he moved in he noticed a couple of other problems in the house that had supposedly been "renovated top to bottom" by its builder owner and he got an engineer to do a complete inspection. It turned out that the extension was built over the opening to the entire terrace's main sewer pipe and it had to come down. As for your problem, there's nothing like being refused planning for a much longed for extension to make a person absolutely hate where they live. Just because you don't rate your house anymore, it doesn't mean every single househunter out there will feel the same. Not everyone wants a great big kitchen extension. Once your house is priced properly it will sell.

Buying in Croatia

Following our summer holiday there, we have made tentative attempts to buy a small holiday home in Croatia but are getting progressively more confused. As foreigners, we have to get permission to buy a house which we understand can take some time. However, our agent is pressurising us to pay the full amount and take our chances with the permission to buy. This seems a very risky thing to do.

Irish citizens must get permission from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to buy a property in Croatia and the process can take up to a year. Meanwhile, you will have paid a 10 per cent deposit and will be sitting there hoping that the seller doesn't get a better offer and gazump you. If you are gazumped, the seller must refund your 10 per cent and pay an additional 10 per cent as a penalty. As property prices are rising in Croatia - in coastal areas it's especially strong - gazumping is a feature of the market which is why some agents are suggesting that buyers pay the full price for the property and take full possession. Take legal advice before you do anything.

Send your queries to Property Questions, The Irish Times, 10-16 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2 or e-mail propertyquestions@irish-times.ie.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to respond to all questions. The above is a representative sample of queries received. This column is a readers' service and is not intended to replace professional advice. No individual correspondence will be entered into.