Chapter 5 of 10 · From sale agreed to keys · 2 of 12
Closing on a house: what happens on the day, step by step
Checked 21 Oct 2026the Central Bank's mortgage measures, Revenue's rules and the scheme operators' published terms.
Closing day step by step: funds transfer, keys, stamp duty filing, title registration, meter readings and what to check before you leave.
Check before you hire: a removals should be on the register kept by the CRO. Companies Registration Office
Written in plain English for the person buying, selling or switching. This guide covers the Republic of Ireland only.
Closing day is the day you get the keys. It is also the day the money moves, and the day a list of small jobs starts: stamp duty, registration, meter readings, insurance. Most of it happens between the two solicitors while you wait by the phone. This guide walks through the day in order and lists what to check before you settle in.
The week before
By the closing date your solicitor (check the Law Society's register; see the conveyancing solicitor page) has already:
- Exchanged contracts and sent the 10% deposit to the seller's solicitor.
- Requested the mortgage money from the lender, which lands in the client account a few days early.
- Asked you for the balance of your own money: the rest of the deposit if any, the stamp duty, the fees and the outlays.
- Done the final searches on the home and the seller: planning, judgments, bankruptcy.
- Confirmed mortgage protection and buildings insurance are in place from the closing date.
Your solicitor gives you a completion statement. This is a single page showing what is coming in (the mortgage, your money) and what is going out (the price, stamp duty, fees, outlays, registration). Read it. Ask about any line you do not understand.
A worked example
Rory buys a second-hand house for €380,000 with a €342,000 mortgage. His completion statement looks like this:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Price | €380,000 |
| Less deposits already paid | €38,000 |
| Balance due to the seller | €342,000 |
| Stamp duty at 1% | €3,800 |
| Solicitor's fee €2,000 plus VAT at 23% | €2,460 |
| Outlays (registration, searches, commissioner) | €900 |
| Total from Rory on closing, beyond the mortgage | €7,160 |
The stamp duty calculator gives the duty for any price, and the cost of buying calculator adds the rest.
The day, step by step
- Morning: your solicitor confirms the mortgage money and your money are in the client account.
- Your solicitor sends the balance to the seller's solicitor by bank transfer.
- The seller's solicitor confirms the money has arrived, usually early afternoon.
- The seller's solicitor hands over the signed deed and the keys, or tells the agent (an agent needs a PSRA licence; see the estate agent page) to release the keys.
- Your solicitor rings you: the sale has closed.
- You collect the keys from the agent and go to the house.
You do not attend a meeting. Keep your phone on and do not book the removals van for 9am.
Stamp duty
Stamp duty is a tax on buying property. The rate is 1% of the price up to €1 million, 2% on the part from €1 million to €1.5 million, and 6% above that. There is no first-time buyer exemption. On a new build it is charged on the price without VAT. Your solicitor files the return and pays Revenue within 44 days of the deed; in practice the money is collected from you before closing. The stamp duty guide covers the bands and the VAT rule.
Registration
After closing, your solicitor registers two things with Tailte Éireann, which runs the Land Registry: your ownership of the home, and the lender's mortgage against it. The fees are set by Tailte Éireann; check the current schedule on its fees page rather than relying on a figure here. Registration takes months. It does not affect your right to live in the home. When it is done, your solicitor sends the deeds to the lender, which holds them until the mortgage is paid off.
What to check when you walk in
Do these in the first hour, before the removals van arrives:
- Read the electricity and gas meters. Photograph them with the date showing. Send the readings to the suppliers so you are not billed for the seller's use.
- Check the water: turn on a tap, flush a toilet, look under the sink.
- Check the heating comes on.
- Check every item the contract said would stay is still there: the cooker, the blinds, the shed.
- Check the home is empty and clean enough to move into. The contract required vacant possession.
- Count the keys: front, back, windows, shed, gate, alarm code, meter box key.
- Walk the boundaries. Anything that does not match the map, tell your solicitor the same day.
If something is missing or damaged, tell your solicitor at once, in writing, with photographs. There is little that can be done after the money has gone, but a claim for the missing cooker is easier on the day than a month later.
The admin in the first week
- Set up accounts with the electricity and gas suppliers in your name. You can switch supplier at the same time.
- Tell the council the Local Property Tax now has a new owner. The owner on 1 November pays for the following year; the seller's solicitor has confirmed it is paid to the sale date. The LPT guide explains the handover.
- Register for bins, broadband and the TV licence.
- Change the locks. You do not know who holds copies of the old keys.
- Check the alarm, the smoke alarms and the carbon monoxide alarm.
- Keep the completion statement, the deed copy and every receipt in one folder.
Removals
Book the removals for the afternoon of closing day or the day after. A local move with a van and crew typically costs €500 to €1,500 plus VAT; more for a long distance, packing or storage. If the close slips by a day, which happens, a firm that can move the booking without a fee saves a lot of stress. See the removals page.
When closing slips
Sometimes the money does not arrive in time, or the seller is not out. If closing fails on the day, the contract allows either side to serve a completion notice, which gives a set number of days to complete. Interest can run on the balance in the meantime. Most slips are a day or two and need nothing more than patience. The drawdown guide explains how to time the money so it is not the cause.
Where this leaves you
Use the stamp duty calculator to check the figure on your completion statement, and the first-time buyer journey for the steps after you move in. If you have not booked removals yet, get quotes now so the date is held.
Questions people ask
What happens on closing day when buying a house in Ireland?
Your solicitor sends the balance of the price to the seller's solicitor, who confirms receipt and tells the agent to release the keys. You collect the keys, usually from the agent, and the home is yours. You do not normally attend any meeting.
What time do you get the keys on closing day?
Usually in the afternoon. The money has to arrive and be confirmed first, and bank transfers between solicitors can take until early afternoon. Plan the removals for the afternoon or the next day.
Who pays stamp duty and when?
You pay it, through your solicitor, who files the return and pays Revenue within 44 days of closing. Your solicitor asks you for the money before closing. It is 1% of the price up to €1 million, on the price without VAT for a new build.
How long does it take to register a house with the Land Registry?
Months, sometimes longer, depending on Tailte Éireann's workload and whether the title was already registered. It does not affect your right to live in the home. Your solicitor sends the deeds to the lender once it is done.
Do I need to be there on closing day?
No. The solicitors handle the money and the paperwork between them. You need to be reachable by phone, and you need to collect the keys once your solicitor confirms the sale has closed.