Your property queires answered

We want to change the plans

We are interested in a site that has outline planning permission for a bungalow. The site owner has shown us the plans and while we like them, there are a few things we would definitely change, such as the size and position of the windows, the position of the hall door, and we would put in two attic rooms and . But what if we buy the site and don't get planning permission to build the house we want?

One way to get around your uncertainty is to put a deposit on the site and apply for planning permission for your preferred house. Not that the deposit will secure the site in any way - as you know, in a private treaty sale, the owner can still pull out of the deal pretty much at any time (as can you) - but getting a deposit should reassure him that you are serious. A major hurdle with this is that the planning process can take some time - getting your plans drawn up and getting the permission through could take at least three months and in this time your seller could get an offer from someone prepared to go ahead with the outline plans.

However, don't let fear of losing the site prompt you into rushing into something you don't ultimately want. While some of your changes sound minimal, others - such as the two attic rooms, particularly if you have dormer windows in mind - could be seen as being a fairly major departure from the outline planning permission. This column recently received an e-mail from a reader in a similar situation to yours - except in their case, the problem was with the lending institution, which was not inclined to advance them the loan until full planning permission had been granted on the site. The seller had already had three sales fall through so wasn't exactly delighted with the proposition but agreed to the process (as it turned out, ) and the sale went through when full planning was granted.

Will extension add value?

I live in a three-bedroom semi-detached house built in the 1950s and I intend extending the kitchen by going into the garage at the side to create a larger kitchen as well as a utility room. Do I need planning permission, and how much can I expect this job to add to the value of my home?

You don't need planning permission when converting a garage attached to the rear or side of the house to domestic use so long as it has a floor area of less than 40 sq m (430 sq ft). Incidentally the same applies if you are building a garage at the back or side of a house, so long as it does not extend out in front of the building line of the house and does not exceed four metres in height (if it has a tiled/slated pitched roof) or three metres (if it has any other roof type).

This building will be exempt from planning permission once the floor area is limited to 25 sq m (269 sq ft). As to how much your improvement is going to add to the value of your home - well, that is impossible to say. As a general rule, large eat-in kitchens, especially in semi-ds such as yours, make a house a more attractive propostion, but as with any home improvement the job has to be done to a high standard of design and finish to truly add value.

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.