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BUYINGBuying a home
Understand approval in principle, sale agreed, contracts, closing and the costs in between.
Read the buying guide →Your Irish home journey, made clearer
Buying a home in Ireland?
Free guides, practical checklists and simple tools to help you understand the process — from mortgage preparation and solicitors to new-build handover and moving day.
Explore the homebuying guideGet free downloadsSTART HERE
Not sure what to ask next?
Use our question lists to prepare for conversations with your solicitor, mortgage adviser, estate agent or builder.
- Understand the stages
- Keep track of costs and documents
- Know which questions to raise
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Explore HomeReady
Help for every stage of homeownership
Start with the topic you need today. Each guide is designed for the Irish context and points you towards official sources for decisions that need professional advice.
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LEGAL PROCESSQuestions for your solicitor
Prepare for your first call, compare quotes and keep track of conveyancing questions.
View the question list →🏗️
NEW BUILDSNew-build handover
Plan your walk-through, record visible snags and ask for the documents and demonstrations you need.
Prepare for handover →📝
FREE CHECKLISTNew-build snagging checklist
Work through rooms, fittings, finishes and services, and record items to raise with your builder.
Open the snagging checklist →💶
MONEYMortgage & buying costs
Organise the deposit, fees, insurance, stamp duty, moving costs and contingency.
Use the free calculator →📦
MOVINGMoving home
Keep utilities, broadband, address changes, keys and first-day essentials in one place.
Get the moving planner →🛠️
IMPROVINGRenovation & maintenance
Compare quotes, track work and plan a realistic budget for your new home.
Download the budget planner →Free printable resource
New-build snagging checklist
Work through this list during your walk-through. Tick each item and record defects with a photo, location and date.
Download printable snagging checklist (PDF)
Tip: Bring your specification, phone/camera, torch and notepad. Ask the builder how defects should be reported.
Outside & entrance
Walls, ceilings & floors
Kitchen & utility
Bathrooms & plumbing
Electrical, heating & safety
Rooms & handover documents
Record your snags
For each issue, note the room/location, description, photo reference and date reported.
This is a visual checklist, not a structural, electrical, plumbing or legal inspection. Consider an independent qualified snagging inspector. Do not open electrical panels or access unsafe areas.
Free interactive tool
Irish mortgage calculator
Estimate your monthly mortgage repayment, check the standard deposit requirement and see how your interest rate and mortgage term affect the cost.
1. Property and deposit
If left blank, the calculator subtracts your deposit and assistance from the purchase price.
2. Mortgage details
The income guide uses the standard Central Bank loan-to-income limits. Lenders may apply exceptions and their own affordability checks.
Estimated monthly mortgage repayment
€—Mortgage amount
€—
Deposit including assistance
—
Loan-to-value (LTV)
—
Total interest over term
€—
This is an estimate of principal and interest repayments only. It excludes mortgage protection/life insurance, home insurance, property tax, utilities, fees and other household costs. It assumes the interest rate stays unchanged for the full term and does not account for fees or rate changes.
Irish standard deposit rules shown: 10% for first-time buyers and second/subsequent buyers, and 30% for buy-to-let buyers. These are regulatory limits, not a guarantee of mortgage approval. Some lender allowances and exemptions may apply. Check the Central Bank of Ireland rules.
Free interactive tool
Home purchase cash planner
Enter your own estimates to organise the other costs involved in buying a home. This is not a mortgage approval or affordability assessment.
Illustrative price less deposit (not a lender quote)
€315,000Cash / funds entered including your other estimates
€48,000Stamp duty and legal costs are user-entered estimates. Ask your solicitor and tax adviser to confirm the correct figures for your circumstances.
No paywall
Free downloadable resources
Save, print or adapt these planning tools. We intend to keep these resources free.
PDF WORKBOOK
Your First Home Planner
Buying journey, questions, cost checklist, new-build handover, moving and document organisation.
Download free PDF →EXCEL WORKBOOK
Home Budget & Renovation Planner
Buying costs, renovation budget, quote comparison, snagging and document tracker.
Download free spreadsheet →PRINTABLE PDF
New-build snagging checklist
Take a room-by-room checklist to your handover, tick off what you inspect and record defects to raise with the builder.
Download free snagging checklist →ONLINE GUIDE
Solicitor question checklist
Prepare questions before instructing a solicitor and understand the conveyancing process.
View the questions online →Useful information. No pressure.
HomeReady is being built as an independent, free resource. We aim to explain the process in plain English and link to authoritative Irish sources wherever possible.
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