Chapter 4 of 10 · The cost of buying · 7 of 8
The hidden costs of buying a house in Ireland
Checked 21 Oct 2026the Central Bank's mortgage measures, Revenue's rules and the scheme operators' published terms.
The costs buyers forget: survey re-visits, bridging interest, insurance from signing, utility connections, furniture and the first LPT bill.
Written in plain English for the person buying, selling or switching. This guide covers the Republic of Ireland only.
Most buyers plan for the deposit, the stamp duty and the solicitor. The costs that catch people are the ones nobody mentions until the bill arrives. This guide is a checklist of them, with a typical figure for each where one is published, and a note on when it lands.
The checklist
| Cost | When it lands | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| A second valuation | If closing drifts past the first one's date | €150 to €250 plus VAT |
| A survey re-visit | If the first survey finds something and you want it checked after works | A share of the first fee |
| A full structural survey | If the standard survey raises a flag | €1,500 to €3,000 plus VAT |
| Home insurance from signing | The day you sign contracts, before you move in | €300 to €600 for the first year |
| Mortgage protection | Before drawdown | €200 to €700 for the first year |
| Bridging interest | Each month you own two homes | 0.5% to 1% of the loan a month |
| Rent overlap | The weeks between keys and the end of your lease | A month's rent or more |
| Utility connections | Moving week | Varies by supplier |
| Flooring, blinds, appliances in a new build | Before you move in | Up to €10,000 |
| Snag list on a new build | Before closing | €350 to €600 plus VAT |
| Management fees on an apartment | The first year, often paid at closing | Set by the development |
| Local Property Tax | The first 1 November after you buy | €95 to €523 a year for most homes |
| Storage | If closing and moving out do not line up | Varies |
| Commissioner for oaths, copy folio, transfer fees | On the solicitor's bill as outlays | Within the €400 to €1,200 outlays |
| Breaking a fixed rate on your old mortgage | If you are moving and redeem early | The lender's breakage fee, in writing |
The ranges are from our costs list at 21 October 2026 and the rules config. They are a planning guide, not quotes.
A worked example
Eoin and Grace budget for a €350,000 second-hand home: €35,000 deposit, €3,500 stamp duty and about €6,000 in fees. Then:
- The survey finds damp in a back bedroom. A full structural survey follows, at €1,800 plus VAT.
- The seller's probate delays closing by three months. The lender asks for a second valuation, €185 plus VAT.
- They sign contracts in May and close in August. Home insurance runs from May, so they pay three months on a home they do not live in.
- Their lease ends in September. A month's rent overlaps with the first mortgage payment.
The extras come to about €4,500 on top of the €9,500 they planned. The cost of buying calculator lets you add lines like these so nothing is a surprise.
Before you sign
The second survey
A standard survey costs €300 to €600 plus VAT. It may raise a flag, such as cracks, damp or an extension without a certificate. Then you may need a full structural survey from an engineer or building surveyor (Engineers Ireland or the SCSI). That costs €1,500 to €3,000 plus VAT. See the house survey page. The money is small against a repair bill.
The second valuation
The lender's valuation has a shelf life, set by the lender. If closing drifts past it, you pay for another. Mortgage valuations explains what else can go wrong with it.
Insurance from the day you sign
The lender requires buildings insurance from the day you sign the contracts. From that day the risk is yours, even though you do not have the keys. Budget for a policy that starts at signing, not at closing. Mortgage protection must be in place before drawdown too. Both are yearly costs from then on; the cost of owning guide covers the years after.
Between signing and keys
Bridging interest
If you buy before you sell, a bridging loan covers the gap. It is priced by the month, typically 0.5% to 1% of the loan. On €100,000 that is €500 to €1,000 a month. Since 8 April 2026 a bridging loan on your own home does not count in the Central Bank's income limit, for up to 18 months, but the interest is still real. See the changes page.
Rent overlap and storage
Few people get the keys the day their lease ends. A month of rent on top of the first mortgage payment is common. If closing slips and you have already given notice, storage and a short-term let cost more.
At closing
Outlays you did not expect
The solicitor's outlays include the registration fees, the searches, the commissioner for oaths, a copy folio and map, and bank transfer fees. They come to €400 to €1,200 in all. Some quotes leave the smaller ones out of the headline. Ask for the section 150 letter with every line. Solicitor fees explains it.
Management fees on an apartment
An apartment, and some housing estates, carry a yearly management fee for the common areas, insurance and the sinking fund. The seller's solicitor gives the figure. At closing you often pay the share for the rest of the year. Ask for the management company's budget before you bid, not after.
After you move in
The new build with nothing in it
A new home usually comes without flooring, blinds, curtains, light fittings, a cooker, a fridge or a washing machine. Our costs list allows up to €10,000 for furniture, appliances and connections. Ask the builder what is included and what is an extra. A snag list at €350 to €600 plus VAT catches defects before you close; see the snag list page.
Utility connections
Electricity, gas and broadband connections each have a fee from the supplier, higher for a new build with no connection yet. Take meter readings on the day you get the keys.
The first Local Property Tax bill
Whoever owns the home on 1 November pays Local Property Tax for the next year. If you buy in March, the seller pays for that year and you start the next. The charge for 2026 to 2030 runs from €95 for a home valued up to €240,000 to €523 for one up to €630,000, before your council's adjustment. The Local Property Tax calculator gives your figure.
Three ways to keep them in view
- Ask every professional for the full price in writing, with VAT and outlays.
- Hold back 1% to 2% of the price for things that go wrong. On €350,000 that is €3,500 to €7,000.
- Build the closing statement before you bid, not after.
Where this leaves you
Put your price into the cost of buying calculator and add a line for each cost above that applies to you. Then you know the real cash you need. The first-time buyer journey shows when each cost falls, and get quotes gets you written figures from a solicitor and a surveyor.
Questions people ask
What are the hidden costs of buying a house in Ireland?
The ones not on the first list: a second valuation, a second survey, home insurance from the day you sign, bridging interest, utility connections, flooring and appliances in a new build, management fees, and the first Local Property Tax bill.
Do I need home insurance before I move in?
Yes. The lender requires buildings insurance from the day you sign the contracts, not the day you get the keys. Between signing and closing you are insuring a home you do not yet live in.
Does a new build come with flooring?
Usually not. Most new homes come without flooring, blinds, curtains, light fittings and appliances. Budget for them. Our costs list allows up to €10,000 for furniture, appliances and connections.
When do I start paying Local Property Tax after buying?
From the first 1 November after you buy. Whoever owns the home on 1 November pays for the next year. If you buy in March, the seller pays for that year and you pay from the next.
What does a snag list cost?
€350 to €600 plus VAT for a professional snagger to check a new build before you close. The builder then fixes the snags. It is money well spent on a new home.