Calculation basis, sources and review
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.
- Publisher
- Count.ie, operated by K Imports
- Page last updated
- — explanatory content and transparency information, not a new rules verification.
- Documented source check
- No dated source check recorded.
- Professional review
- No named independent professional review is recorded for this tool.
Any dated method notes below apply only to their stated scope. A formula or user-entered rate is not evidence that statutory rules are current.
Uses the cited Revenue guidance for the stated method and scope. This is not Revenue approval or endorsement.
Source references
Estimates, not financial, tax, legal or accounting advice. How our dates and checks work. Report a correction.
What is the most I can spend on a new home as a first-time buyer in Ireland?
Find the highest new-build price that fits 4× income, your deposit, Help to Buy and optional First Home Scheme equity together. A mortgage limit, a deposit, Help to Buy and First Home Scheme equity each have their own rules, so separate maxima cannot simply be added. This tool finds one price at which every rule holds together, and reports a shortfall or an unsupported result when none does. It is a planning budget, not lender or scheme approval; local price ceilings are entered by you.
How the calculation works
First-time buyer maximum budget applies one fixed set of rules to the inputs described below, so the same entries always give the same answer. The exact formula is published once, in the Sources, formula and methodology section further down this page.
Household gross annual income (€) is entered as 90,000 in the illustration. Keep the unit shown on the field when substituting your own measurement or amount. Mortgage limit selects the calculation case; this illustration uses “4× household income”. Available own deposit excluding Help to Buy (€) is entered as 45,000 in the illustration. Keep the unit shown on the field when substituting your own measurement or amount. Use Help to Buy is yes in the illustration; tick a confirmation only when its condition actually holds.
Worked example
A fixed illustration uses Household gross annual income (€): 90,000; Mortgage limit: 4× household income; Available own deposit excluding Help to Buy (€): 45,000; Use Help to Buy: yes. Max Purchase Budget: €405,000.00; Mortgage Drawdown: €360,000.00; Help To Buy: €0.00; First Home Scheme Equity: €0.00. All remaining illustrated settings are listed in the example-input disclosure below. These are reproducible sample figures, not saved visitor inputs; this text does not change when you edit the interactive form.
Compare max purchase budget, mortgage drawdown, help to buy using matching periods and units. A total cost, a recurring payment and a percentage answer different questions. Check omitted costs and the timing of payments before using the result as a spending commitment.
What moves the answer
Each comparison changes one input of the fixed example and re-runs this calculator’s engine. Other assumptions stay unchanged.
- Raising household gross annual income (€) from 90,000 to 99,000, with everything else unchanged, max purchase budget moves from €405,000.00 to €441,000.00 and mortgage drawdown moves from €360,000.00 to €396,000.00.
- Raising available own deposit excluding help to buy (€) from 45,000 to 49,500, with everything else unchanged, max purchase budget moves from €405,000.00 to €409,500.00.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I increase household gross annual income (€) in this example?
Changing household gross annual income (€) from 90,000 to 99,000, with the other example settings unchanged, changes max purchase budget from €405,000.00 to €441,000.00. This isolates one input using the form's actual calculation. Compare changes separately rather than attributing a difference to several assumptions at once.
What assumptions should I check for First-time buyer maximum budget?
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. The linked sources support the documented method, not every possible circumstance. Confirm transaction dates and eligibility where relevant, and distinguish a statutory rate from a rate you enter yourself.
Quick answer
The First-time buyer maximum budget model returns max purchase budget, mortgage drawdown, help to buy and first home scheme equity. A mortgage limit, a deposit, Help to Buy and First Home Scheme equity each have their own rules, so separate maxima cannot simply be added.
Outputs and units: Max Purchase Budget (euro (€)); Mortgage Drawdown (euro (€)); Help To Buy (euro (€)); First Home Scheme Equity (euro (€)).
Fixed worked example results
First-time buyer maximum budget example — Household gross annual income (€): 90,000; Mortgage limit: 4× household income; Available own deposit excluding Help to Buy (€): 45,000; Use Help to Buy: yes. Max Purchase Budget: €405,000.00; Mortgage Drawdown: €360,000.00; Help To Buy: €0.00; First Home Scheme Equity: €0.00.
Illustration only, not your entered figures. Use the complete example inputs below, selected options and stated limitations when quoting these results.
| Result | Example value |
|---|---|
| Max Purchase Budget | €405,000.00 |
| Mortgage Drawdown | €360,000.00 |
| Help To Buy | €0.00 |
| First Home Scheme Equity | €0.00 |
Exact inputs used in the worked example
- Household gross annual income (€)
- 90,000
- Mortgage limit
- 4× household income
- Available own deposit excluding Help to Buy (€)
- 45,000
- 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 (€)
- 30,000
- 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
Cite this calculation example
Count.ie. First-time buyer maximum budget: fixed worked example. Page updated 2026-10-16. https://count.ie/property/first-time-buyer-budget/#worked-example
This citation describes the fixed example above, not your entered figures. Include the complete assumptions and relevant year when quoting a result. Official sources remain the authority on the underlying rules.
Link to the worked exampleFixed example, assumptions and sources (JSON)AI discovery index
Sources, formula and methodology
| Step | Formula or calculation | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Published 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. | Use the stated input units, supported modes and limitations below. |
Assumptions and limits
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.
Explanation of the implemented calculator, not independent professional review, enactment verification or a promise of AI citation. See the source links and review scope above.