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Buying a House in Ireland

Plan an Irish house purchase from borrowing and deposit to stamp duty, upfront cash, possible Help to Buy and ongoing costs, with connected calculators and guides.

Page content updated Publisher profileReview policy

Scope and checksPlanning estimates, not mortgage approval, property valuation or legal/tax advice. Check purchaser status, transaction date, property type and supported rules in each calculator. Do not rely on an unconfirmed relief or Budget announcement to close a cash shortfall. The date above records when this page's content was last updated; it is not a source verification or rules-check date.

Start with two different questions: what borrowing might fit the supported lending rules, and how much cash you will need to complete the purchase. A mortgage limit is not approval, and the deposit is not the full cost of buying a home.

Use this hub to work through the decisions in order, then use the existing Buying a home workflow to bring the supported figures together. The individual tools remain the place to inspect inputs, methods and sources. Quotes, lender decisions and legal eligibility must come from the relevant professionals or authorities, not from a planning estimate.

  1. Establish a borrowing and deposit scenario

    Use the mortgage tool to compare the supported income and loan-to-value assumptions with your household income and a proposed purchase price. A lender can apply its own affordability assessment and conditions. Keep the required deposit separate from the additional purchase costs you will budget next.

    Prepare

    • Relevant household gross income
    • Buyer and property-use status
    • Purchase price, deposit and proposed loan terms

    Outcome: An indicative borrowing, deposit and repayment scenario to discuss with a lender.

    Tools for this stage

  2. Budget for the full cash cost of completion

    Estimate stamp duty using the actual supported consideration, transaction type and date assumptions. Then build an upfront cash budget with legal, valuation, survey and other quoted costs. Transfer an estimate only once: if stamp duty is included in your purchase budget, do not add it again when comparing that total with your savings.

    Prepare

    • Agreed or proposed price and transaction type
    • Legal, survey, valuation and other fee quotes
    • Savings, confirmed funds and payments already made

    Outcome: A purchase-cash requirement that includes more than the headline deposit.

    Tools for this stage

  3. Treat potential Help to Buy as conditional

    If your purchase may qualify, explore the Help to Buy estimate using the tool’s supported price, loan and tax-paid assumptions. The estimate does not confirm eligibility, the developer’s status or what Revenue will approve. Keep a funding scenario without an unconfirmed refund so that you can see the risk if the expected support is unavailable.

    Prepare

    • Relevant purchase and mortgage figures
    • Eligible tax paid within the supported period
    • Official confirmation of purchase and applicant conditions

    Outcome: A conditional support estimate, clearly distinguished from confirmed cash.

    Tools for this stage

  4. Check the budget after the keys arrive

    Test recurring household spending against net income, including mortgage repayments and costs that were not present while renting. Use the rent-versus-buy scenario to explore assumptions about the comparison period, costs and resale value, not as a prediction of the housing market. Keep upfront fees separate from recurring expenses.

    Prepare

    • Net household income and mortgage repayment estimate
    • Essential spending and recurring ownership costs
    • Consistent comparison horizon and your own price assumptions

    Outcome: An ongoing affordability scenario and an assumption-led rent-versus-buy comparison.

    Tools for this stage

  5. Allow for bills, property tax and a reserve

    Use tariff quotes and realistic energy usage rather than treating a previous occupant’s bill as your own. Check property-tax inputs against the applicable valuation and local-authority information. Preserve a separate emergency reserve after purchase commitments; a tax or energy estimate does not cover repairs, insurance or every ownership cost.

    Prepare

    • Electricity tariff and anticipated usage
    • Applicable property valuation and local-authority adjustment
    • Accessible cash remaining and essential monthly costs

    Outcome: Visible recurring-cost assumptions and a reserve scenario after the purchase.

    Tools for this stage

  6. Plan the move without using the same cash twice

    List moving, temporary accommodation and immediate setup payments separately from money already allocated to completion. Enter only the relevant costs and mark payments consistently. This is a financial handover checklist; conveyancing, surveys, closing dates and property condition still need the appropriate professional checks.

    Prepare

    • Moving and setup quotes
    • Payments made and balances still due
    • Cash remaining after purchase commitments

    Outcome: A moving-cash plan that does not reuse the deposit, purchase fees or reserve.

    Tools for this stage

Consolidated workflow

Buying a home

Connect your deposit, Irish mortgage limits, repayments, stamp duty and ownership budget.

Open Buying a home