The complete 2026 guide to buying or building a home in Ireland
From getting mortgage-ready 12 months out, to approval, schemes, viewing, bidding, solicitors, surveys, collecting the keys and the admin afterwards. One clear guide for the full Irish homebuying journey.
Buying a home in Ireland should not feel like guesswork
The estate agent works for the seller. The lender protects the lender. The solicitor handles the legal work. The surveyor checks the property. But you are the one making the biggest financial decision.
This guide gives you the map. It shows the full process in order, what each step means, what to ask, what to check, and where buyers usually get caught.
Founder of Crazy House Prices
How to Buy a Home in Ireland reached number one in Ireland for two weeks
First-time buyers, single buyers, movers, self-builders and more
Understand every step before it costs you money
Over 180 pages and 50,000+ words of practical guidance, checklists, scorecards, worked examples and scripts, from getting mortgage-ready to collecting the keys and the admin afterwards.
Get mortgage ready
Clean statements, credit records, saving a deposit, and exactly what you can borrow and afford under the 2026 rules.
The mortgage, decoded
Broker or bank, fixed or variable, green rates, the document pack, and mortgage protection made simple.
Every scheme explained
Help to Buy, the First Home Scheme, the Local Authority Home Loan and vacant grants, plus a full new chapter on every SEAI home-energy grant, one by one and side by side.
Find and win the home
Researching before you view, the off-market letter approach, viewing with a sharp eye, and bidding without overpaying.
The legal process
Sale agreed to the keys: solicitors, surveys, contracts, stamp duty, common delays and how to avoid them.
Five worked examples
Real numbers for five different buyers, from a single first-time buyer to a trading-up couple, so you see the maths.
Checklists & red flags
Part-by-part checklists, a property viewing scorecard, a bidding log, a before-you-bid list, an apartment checklist, and warning boxes for the costly mistakes.
Scripts to copy
Ready-to-use wording for emailing agents, briefing a broker, and questions to ask solicitors before you commit.
Quick references
The numbers you need, decision tables, a 7-day action plan, a jargon primer, a full glossary, and QR codes to every official source.
Whatever your starting point
Useful if you are a first-time buyer, single buyer, couple, new build buyer, self-builder, apartment buyer, returning emigrant, fresh-start buyer, second-time buyer or trading-up homeowner.
The book follows five real-world buyers so you can find the situation closest to yours.
Clear, practical, and built for Ireland
No waffle and no jargon walls. Just the sequence of steps, the numbers that matter, and the questions to ask at each stage.
- The exact deposit and borrowing rules for 2026
- How to combine Help to Buy and the First Home Scheme
- How the off-market letter approach can help you find hidden homes
- How to bid to a walk-away number and stop
- What your solicitor really does, step by step
- Diagrams for the journey, the schemes and the costs
- A full chapter on every SEAI home-energy grant, and how to combine them
- QR codes to Revenue, SEAI, the Property Price Register and every official source
What membership adds to the eBook
- Unlimited property reports on any home you are looking at: nearby sold prices, a valuation range, running costs, flood risk, schools and transport
- The guide, kept up to date. When the rules, rates or schemes change, the online guide changes with them
- Ask me what you are stuck on. I answer members’ questions every week, and there is a webinar every month
- Your tracker, calculators and checklists for every house you view
- The members’ community and Members Audio
Membership is on homebuyerready.ie. Your eBook download is in your dashboard as soon as you join.
Choose your optionOne rushed decision can cost far more than €9.99
A survey, solicitor, valuation or bidding mistake can cost hundreds or thousands. This guide will not make decisions for you, but it will help you understand the process, ask better questions, and avoid walking into the expensive parts blind.
Get the guide nowGood to know
What do I actually get?
An instant download of the full 2026 guide in both PDF and EPUB, so you can read it on a phone, tablet, e-reader or computer.
Is the information current?
Yes. The key figures, rules and schemes were checked for the 2026 edition, including the Central Bank limits, Help to Buy, the First Home Scheme and stamp duty. Rules can change, so the guide also points you to the official sources to check before you act.
Is this only for first-time buyers?
No. It covers first-time buyers, single buyers, couples, new build buyers, self-builders, apartment buyers, returning emigrants, fresh-start buyers, second-time buyers and trading-up homeowners.
Is this financial or legal advice?
No. It is clear general information to help you understand the process and ask the right questions. It is not personalised advice, and you should always confirm your own position with your broker, solicitor or tax adviser.
How is payment handled?
Securely through Stripe. Your card details never touch this website.
Can I get a refund?
Because it is an instant digital download, sales are generally final. If something is wrong with your file, contact us and we will sort it out.
Buy or build your home with a plan, not a panic
Get the eBook for €9.99, or get it with full Homebuyer Ready membership from €15 per month.
Buy the eBook · €9.99 See membership options