Housing in Ireland | Buying a House in Ireland

If you are moving to Ireland from the UK or further afield, then finding housing in Ireland will be a priority and possibly one of the more difficult tasks you have to complete. 

The housing market in Ireland is hot and demand is currently outweighing supply. 

Set a Budget

It is worth noting that as of the date of this blog, the average price for a house in Ireland is as follows:

• Dublin €436,000
• Cork €332,000
• Limerick €227,000
• Galway €331,000

The general consensus is that pricing is due to slow down in 2023 in response to increased interest rates. 

There is a national register in Ireland called the Property Price Register that will show the price of completed house purchases.

Financing the house purchase

Our experience is that for anyone that has just arrived to live in Ireland, getting a mortgage is very difficult. Even a 50% loan to equity mortgage. If you are looking to purchase a house in Ireland and you have not been living here, then getting any type of mortgage from the bank will be very difficult. 

Conveyancing

Once you’ve found a house you want to purchase, and it’s been agreed on price and conditions between the seller and yourself (through an estate agent), you will then need to instruct your solicitor for your own conveyancing.

They will open a file and put transaction proceedings into motion. This professional will be able to guide you through all the paperwork you need to complete and what exactly needs to be done, so it’s vital to get one that you trust.

We always recommend that you find a solicitor before you try and purchase a house. This is a very important relationship, so you don't want to rush it.

Get an Engineers Report

One of the quirks of the Irish property market that people moving here do not expect is that each purchaser needs to arrange their own engineer's report. This is not the responsibility of the seller. 

You need to budget around €500 for an engineers report for the engineers report and you need to ensure that the engineer you use is a member of qualified and members of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers, a recognized association under the Building Control Act 2007.

Closing The Deal

Now that you and your solicitor have closely examined the contract, it's time to sign on the dotted line! After making payment of a deposit (usually 10% of the purchase price) all necessary documents will be duplicated by both solicitors. Exchanging contracts is an essential step in creating a binding agreement between parties and their terms; once completed, requisition papers may need forwarding from one side’s lawyer to another - so our legal advisors can work together towards successful completion.

Associated Fees with purchasing a house