Start here · 15 steps
Buying your first home in Ireland, step by step
Checked 21 Oct 2026the Central Bank's mortgage measures, Revenue's rules and the scheme operators' published terms.
This is the whole journey, in the order it happens. Start at step 1 if you have never done this before. Each step says what to do, who you need, what it costs and how long it takes. Every figure comes from an official source with the date it was checked.
This journey assumes: You have never owned a home, in Ireland or anywhere else, and you are buying with a mortgage.
Find out what you can borrow
The Central Bank lets a first-time buyer borrow up to 4 times their income, and up to 90% of the price. So your income sets the loan and your savings set the price. Put your numbers into the calculator to see both.
Save the deposit, and claim what you are owed
You need at least 10% of the price, plus money for the fees. Lenders want to see the same amount saved every month for six to twelve months. If you rent, claim the rent tax credit now: it is worth up to €1,000 a year and many people never claim it.
Check which schemes you can use
Help to Buy gives up to €35,000 towards a new build. The First Home Scheme can add up to 30% of the price as a share the State owns. The Local Authority Home Loan is a council mortgage if two lenders turn you down. Each has its own rules; check them before you look at homes.
Help to Buy calculator →First Home Scheme calculator →Local Authority Home Loan calculator →The Help to Buy scheme in Ireland: up to €35,000 towards a new homeThe First Home Scheme explained: the State takes a share of up to 30%The Local Authority Home Loan: the council mortgage explainedEvery grant and scheme for first-time buyers in Ireland, on one pageTidy your money and check your credit record
Lenders read six months of bank statements. Clear overdrafts, stop gambling payments, and avoid Buy Now Pay Later. Get your free Central Credit Register report and fix anything wrong on it before you apply.
Decide: broker or bank direct
A mortgage advisor (broker) compares most lenders for you and is usually paid by the lender, not by you. Going direct to a bank is fine too, but you only see that bank's offer. Either way, check the Central Bank register before you give anyone your documents.
Get approval in principle
Approval in principle (AIP) is a lender saying how much it would lend you, on paper, usually for six months. Agents will ask for it before they take a bid. It is not a loan offer: that comes later, on a particular home.
Choose a solicitor before you bid
You cannot buy without a solicitor, and having one ready makes your bid stronger. Get two or three written quotes. Ask for the fee, the VAT and the outlays (Land Registry, searches) as separate lines.
View homes and bid
Look up what nearby homes sold for on the Property Price Register. At viewings, check the BER, the heating, signs of damp and anything built without planning. Bid in writing, with your AIP, and set yourself a top price before you start.
Sale agreed: pay the booking deposit
When the seller accepts, you pay a booking deposit to the agent, usually €5,000 to €10,000. It is refundable until contracts are signed. Sale agreed is not binding on either side yet, and the seller can still take a higher offer (gazumping).
Get the home surveyed
A survey is your check, not the lender's. For a second-hand home, book an engineer or building surveyor straight after sale agreed. If the survey finds work, you can go back on the price or walk away. For a new build, book a snag list before you close instead.
Apply for the full loan offer
Now you have a home, the lender values it (about €185) and issues a loan offer. The offer has conditions: mortgage protection, home insurance, sometimes a letter from your employer. It usually lasts six months. Read every condition with your solicitor.
Sign contracts and pay the 10%
Your solicitor checks the title, the planning and the seller's answers, then you sign. At signing you pay the rest of the 10% deposit (the booking deposit counts). From now on the deal is binding: pulling out means losing the deposit.
Closing day: the money moves and you get the keys
Your solicitor draws down the loan, pays the seller, and you collect the keys from the agent. Stamp duty (1% on most homes) is paid through your solicitor within 44 days. Have your insurance live from the day you sign, and take meter readings when you walk in.
Claim Help to Buy and register for Local Property Tax
On a new build, Help to Buy is paid to the builder at the claim stage; your solicitor and the builder confirm it. Local Property Tax starts the November after you buy, and new builds have their own rules. Keep your closing statement: you will need it when you sell.
Set a reminder for the end of your fixed rate
Most first mortgages are fixed for three to five years. When the fixed period ends, lenders move you to their variable rate unless you act. Set a reminder now for 90 days before, and you will never roll onto a dear rate by accident.
Who you need on this journey
Mortgage advisor (broker)Ticked for you
Compares the lenders and handles the application; untick if you have one
Conveyancing solicitorYou will need this
You cannot buy without one; pick one before you bid
Surveyor or engineer (pre-purchase or structural survey)You will need this
A second-hand home needs a survey before you sign
Mortgage protection and home insuranceMost people use one
Needed before you can draw down the loan
Snag list (new builds)Optional
For a new build, before you close
RemovalsOptional
Closing week
Questions people ask
How long does buying a first home take in Ireland?
From approval in principle to keys, most people take four to eight months. From sale agreed to closing is usually 8 to 16 weeks for a second-hand home. New builds close when the builder finishes, which can be longer.
Do first-time buyers pay stamp duty?
Yes. There is no first-time buyer exemption. Stamp duty is 1% of the price up to €1 million. On a new build it is charged on the price without VAT.
Can I use Help to Buy and the First Home Scheme together?
Yes, on a new build. When you use both, the First Home Scheme share is capped at 20% instead of 30%.
Do I need a mortgage broker?
No, but many people use one. Most brokers are paid by the lender and charge you nothing. Check the Central Bank register before you hand over documents.
What if two lenders turn me down?
You may qualify for the Local Authority Home Loan, a council mortgage with an income limit of €80,000 for one person and €85,000 for two, and a fixed rate for the whole term.