How much can you borrow?
The Central Bank sets two limits for every first-time buyer mortgage. You can borrow up to 4 times your gross income, and you need a deposit of at least 10% of the price. A couple earning €100,000 between them can borrow up to €400,000. Lenders can go above these limits for 15% of first-time buyer loans, so an exception is possible but not something to count on.
On top of the price, budget for stamp duty of 1% on homes up to €1 million (€4,000 on a €400,000 home), plus legal, valuation and survey fees.
The schemes, one by one
Help to Buy (HTB)
A refund of the income tax and DIRT you paid in the last four years, towards your deposit. Budget 2027 raised the maximum from €30,000 to €35,000, with immediate effect. You get the lowest of €35,000, 10% of the price, and the tax you actually paid.
Who: First-time buyers of a new-build home or a self-build, priced at €500,000 or less, with a mortgage of at least 70% of the price. It runs to the end of 2029.
Watch out: Only new homes count. You must live there as your home for five years or Revenue can claw the refund back. To get the full €35,000 the home must cost at least €350,000 and you need to have paid that much tax.
First Home Scheme (FHS)
The State and the participating banks pay up to 30% of the price (20% if you also use Help to Buy) to bridge the gap between your deposit plus mortgage and the price. In return they own that share of your home. It is not a loan.
Who: First-time buyers of a new home in a private development, self-builders, and tenants buying the home they rent after a notice to sell. You must borrow the most a participating lender will give you, have a 10% deposit, and stay under the price ceiling for your area: €500,000 in Dublin, Cork City and Wicklow, down to €375,000 in some counties.
Watch out: No charge for five years, then a service charge on the original amount: 1.75% a year from year 6, 2.15% from year 16 and 2.85% from year 30. The share follows the value of the home, so if prices rise, buying it back costs more. Buy back early if you can.
Starter Home Purchase Scheme
New homes sold below market value by local authorities and the Land Development Agency. The council keeps a share equal to the discount, between 5% and 40%. Until 2026 this was called the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme.
Who: First-time buyers and "fresh start" applicants on moderate incomes: four times your income must be less than 85.5% of the home's market value. Homes are advertised on NewStarterHomes.ie, council websites and Daft.
Watch out: You must buy the council's share back within 40 years or when you sell. Savings above your deposit plus €30,000 count against you. There is no central list: you apply development by development.
Local Authority Home Loan
A government-backed mortgage at a rate fixed for the whole term: 4.00% up to 25 years and 4.05% up to 30 years. You can borrow up to 90% of the value, for new or second-hand homes, or to build.
Who: First-time buyers and fresh-start applicants with income under €80,000 (single) or €85,000 (joint), who can show insufficient mortgage offers from two lenders and, for the main applicant, two years of continuous employment. Maximum property value from €310,000 to €415,000 depending on the area (Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow €415,000).
Watch out: Repayments must be under one third of household income, and you must take the council's mortgage protection insurance. It cannot be combined with the First Home Scheme.
Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant
Up to €50,000 to renovate a home that has been empty for two years or more, or €70,000 if it is derelict (€60,000 and €84,000 on offshore islands). Built before 2008.
Who: Owners and buyers who will live in the home or rent it out. Second-hand homes, so it works where Help to Buy does not. The Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan can fund the purchase.
Watch out: You must have tax clearance, and the grant only pays for approved work: costs above it are yours.
What combines: Help to Buy works with the First Home Scheme and with Starter Homes. The First Home Scheme does not combine with Starter Homes or the Local Authority Home Loan.
Example 1: a couple on €45,000 each, new house at €400,000
- Most they can borrow (4 × €90,000)
- €360,000
- Mortgage needed
- €360,000
- Deposit (10%)
- €40,000
- Help to Buy towards the deposit
- −€35,000
- Their own savings for the deposit
- €5,000
- Plus stamp duty (1%)
- €4,000
- Monthly repayment (4% over 30 years)
- €1,719
- Their take-home pay a month in 2027
- €6,238
- Share of take-home on the mortgage
- 28%
Help to Buy does the heavy lifting here: of the €40,000 deposit they find €5,000 themselves. They need no First Home Scheme, because four times their income covers the mortgage. This assumes they each paid enough income tax in the last four years, which on €45,000 they will have.
Example 2: single on €55,000, new apartment at €330,000
- Most they can borrow (4 × €55,000)
- €220,000
- Deposit (10%), all from Help to Buy
- €33,000
- Gap between deposit plus mortgage and the price
- €77,000
- First Home Scheme (up to 20% with Help to Buy)
- €66,000
- Still to find from savings
- €11,000
- Plus stamp duty (1%)
- €3,300
- Monthly repayment (4% over 30 years)
- €1,050
- Take-home pay a month in 2027
- €3,583
- Share of take-home on the mortgage
- 29%
On one income the mortgage alone is not enough. Help to Buy covers the deposit and the First Home Scheme closes most of the gap, but €11,000 is still left, so this buyer needs some savings or a slightly cheaper home. From year 6 the First Home Scheme share of €66,000 costs €1,155 a year in service charges until it is bought back.
When each scheme makes sense
- Buying new, with a decent tax history: claim Help to Buy first. It is your own tax back and costs nothing later.
- Short of the price after the maximum mortgage: the First Home Scheme fills the gap, but treat it as something to buy back within five years, before the service charge starts.
- Moderate income and flexible on location: watch for Starter Homes in your county; the discount can be worth more than any other scheme.
- Turned down by the banks, or buying second-hand: the Local Authority Home Loan, and for an empty or derelict house the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant.
- Still renting while you save: claim the Rent Tax Credit, up to €1,000 a year now and €1,150 from 2027, and back to 2022.
Where this comes from
Help to Buy: Revenue, with the €35,000 maximum from Budget 2027. First Home Scheme: firsthomescheme.ie (eligibility, price ceilings, fees and charges). Mortgage limits: Central Bank of Ireland. Local Authority Home Loan, Starter Home Purchase Scheme and Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant: Citizens Information. Stamp duty: Revenue. Repayments are illustrations at 4% over 30 years; your lender's rate will differ. Take-home pay: our salary calculator with 2027 rates. This is information, not financial advice: the First Home Scheme itself recommends independent financial and legal advice. Checked on 6 October 2026.
First-time buyers: common questions
How much is Help to Buy in 2027?
Up to €35,000, raised from €30,000 in Budget 2027 with immediate effect. You get the lowest of €35,000, 10% of the price of the new home, and the income tax and DIRT you paid in the last four years.
Can I use Help to Buy and the First Home Scheme together?
Yes. Help to Buy goes towards your deposit, and the First Home Scheme can then cover up to 20% of the price instead of 30%.
Can I use Help to Buy on a second-hand house?
No. Help to Buy is only for new-build homes and self-builds. For second-hand homes, look at the Local Authority Home Loan and, if the house is vacant or derelict, the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant.
How much mortgage can I get as a first-time buyer in Ireland?
Up to four times your gross income, with a deposit of at least 10% of the price. Lenders can make exceptions for a limited share of loans.
What happened to the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme?
It was renamed the Starter Home Purchase Scheme in 2026. It still sells new homes below market value, with the local authority keeping a share equal to the discount.
Does the First Home Scheme cost anything?
Nothing for the first five years. From year 6 a service charge applies to the original amount: 1.75% a year, rising to 2.15% from year 16 and 2.85% from year 30, until you buy the share back.