Your property questions answered

I'm divorced: do I qualify for affordable scheme?

As a divorcee I find myself in the position of having to start over and after some years renting I want to buy a house. My means are such that I would not be able to afford a house on the open market. The affordable housing scheme as run by the various local authorities seems aimed at young first-time buyers. This would disqualify me on two counts - primarily that I owned a house during my marriage but now have no interest in it. Is there a similar scheme I could apply for, particularly one that allows me to apply for a house in the area where I previously lived and where my children now live?

While it is true that coverage of the affordable housing scheme does tend to focus on young people getting their foot on the housing ladder, there most certainly are no restrictions on age - other than those restrictions imposed by financial institutions in relation to getting a mortgage.

In general, to qualify for an affordable home you should be a first-time buyer - but there are exceptions, one of which is if you are divorced. So you qualify on that point. As to the location of the house, you apply to the local authority in the area in which you want to live and you can apply to more than one local authority. When the affordable housing scheme was introduced people found it difficult to access information; however this has changed with a helpful, easy-to-understand website: www.affordablehome.ie. Log on to get information and application forms.

Must we show buyers where we plan to build?

We live in a house on a large corner site, so applied three years ago for permission to build a new house in our side garden. We got permission and are now in a position to start construction. For financial reasons we need to sell our house before we start to build. Do we have to mark out the plot or will this be off-putting for buyers (we think it will).

Are you hoping in some way that if you don't mention the new build, a prospective buyer won't notice it?

That's plainly daft. The estate agent will have to declare which part of the garden is for sale and if asked will have to say that you are building in the garden.

The first thing any serious prospective buyer will do is head for the planning office to see exactly what you have been given permission for. They will also ask their solicitor to pay special attention to the site map of the property for sale to clarify which part of garden is now part of the sale.

You don't have to go to the trouble or expense of erecting a large fence - sticks and rope will do at a push. In the long run it might be wise to go to the expense now of building the new dividing wall so that there is no confusion about who owns what.

Good walls make good neighbours - start as you mean to continue.

Send your queries to Property Questions, The Irish Times, The Irish Times Building, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2 or email 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.