Property · Calculator companion · By K Imports
First-time buyer maximum budget: practical guide
This guide explains how to use the Count.ie first-time buyer maximum budget. Find the highest new-build price that fits 4× income, your deposit, Help to Buy and optional First Home Scheme equity together. Follow the inputs, method and worked example below, then compare your own scenario.
Guide written . Supporting content updated ; this is not a renewed rules verification.
Open the First-time buyer maximum budget calculatorUnderstand the inputs
- Household gross annual income (€)
- Numeric input; minimum 0; maximum 1000000000000.
- Mortgage limit
- Use the selected value in the linked calculator.
Options: 4× household income; Lower of 4× income and lender-approved amount.
- Lender-approved maximum mortgage (€)
- Numeric input; minimum 0; maximum 1000000000000.
Shown when Mortgage limit is cap.
- Available own deposit excluding Help to Buy (€)
- Numeric input; minimum 0; maximum 1000000000000.
- Use Help to Buy
- Use the selected value in the linked calculator.
- Contract signing date (or self-build first drawdown)
- The €35,000 cap applies only from 7 October 2026; earlier supported dates use €30,000.
Shown when Use Help to Buy is true.
- Income Tax and DIRT paid in the four years before application (€)
- Numeric input; minimum 0; maximum 1000000000000.
Shown when Use Help to Buy is true.
- All other Help to Buy conditions confirmed
- Use the selected value in the linked calculator.
Shown when Use Help to Buy is true.
- Use First Home Scheme equity if there is a gap
- Use the selected value in the linked calculator.
- Confirmed FHS local property price ceiling (€)
- Enter the current limit for your local authority and property type from the official FHS checker.
Shown when Use First Home Scheme equity if there is a gap is true.
- Optional target purchase price (€, 0 for none)
- Numeric input; minimum 0; maximum 1000000000000.
The calculation method
Tests each constraint boundary and returns the highest price at which deposit + Help to Buy + mortgage (+ FHS equity) equals the price and every rule holds together.
Worked example
Illustrative inputs and their result.
Example inputs
- Household gross annual income (€)
- 90000
- Mortgage limit
- 4× household income
- Available own deposit excluding Help to Buy (€)
- 45000
- Use Help to Buy
- Yes
- Contract signing date (or self-build first drawdown)
- 2026-10-07
- Income Tax and DIRT paid in the four years before application (€)
- 30000
- All other Help to Buy conditions confirmed
- No
- Use First Home Scheme equity if there is a gap
- No
- Optional target purchase price (€, 0 for none)
- 0
Calculated example result
- Max Purchase Budget
- €405,000.00
- Mortgage Drawdown
- €360,000.00
- Help To Buy
- €0.00
- First Home Scheme Equity
- €0.00
What changes the result?
These computed examples change one input from the worked example above; the other inputs stay the same. They illustrate this model, not a forecast, entitlement or recommended setting. Input units are those in the input guide.
Household gross annual income (€): 90000 → 108000
- Max Purchase Budget
- €405,000.00 → €450,000.00
- Mortgage Drawdown
- €360,000.00 → €405,000.00
Available own deposit excluding Help to Buy (€): 45000 → 54000
- Max Purchase Budget
- €405,000.00 → €414,000.00
Assumptions and sources
Not mortgage approval or scheme approval. Help to Buy needs a price of €500,000 or less, mortgage at least 70% of price and four-year tax. FHS needs maximum mortgage, no macro-prudential exception, deposit plus HTB of 10%, equity from the higher of €10,000 or 2.5% up to 20% with HTB or 30% without, and a price inside your entered ceiling. Fees, taxes, affordability and Central Bank LTV exceptions are excluded.
Sources and further information
If your case falls outside this scope, use a more suitable calculator or contact us about an unclear method.
Related property guides
Try the example while reading
Open the actual first-time buyer maximum budget model here to reproduce the inputs above, then change an assumption. Figures remain in this browser; opening this panel does not send a question, create an account or load advertising.
This is the same calculation engine as the full tool. Hiding the panel preserves its figures until you leave or reload this page. Use the full calculator for features outside this embedded view.