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Help to Buy Calculator (Ireland) with the First Home Scheme
See your Help to Buy refund, the First Home Scheme equity you could add, and how much of the deposit you still have to save. Budget 2027 raised the Help to Buy maximum from €30,000 to €35,000 for contracts signed from 7 October 2026. Both schemes are for new builds and self-builds only.
Help to Buy refund
How the calculator works
- Help to Buy = the lowest of €35,000, 10% of the price, and the income tax plus DIRT you paid in the 4 tax years before you apply. Nothing if the price is over €500,000 or the mortgage is under 70% of it.
- The gap = price − mortgage − Help to Buy. Your savings and the First Home Scheme fill it.
- Deposit: you need 10% of the price. Help to Buy counts toward it, so with a large refund you may only need a little cash.
- First Home Scheme covers what is left after that deposit: up to 30% of the price, 20% if you use Help to Buy, and at least 2.5% or €10,000. The price must be under your area’s ceiling.
- Still to save is what you need on top of your savings. Stamp duty, legal and valuation fees come on top. See the home-buying cost calculator.
First Home Scheme price ceilings
House, apartment and self-build ceilings are the same in every area except Waterford, where apartments go up to €450,000.
- €500,000: Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, South Dublin, Cork City, Wicklow
- €475,000: Galway City, Kildare, Meath
- €450,000: Cork County, Galway County, Limerick
- €425,000: Kerry, Louth, Mayo
- €400,000: Clare, Donegal, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Roscommon, Sligo, Westmeath, Wexford, Waterford (houses and self-builds)
- €375,000: Carlow, Cavan, Longford, Monaghan, Offaly, Tipperary
Frequently asked questions
How much is Help to Buy in 2026?
Revenue: the lesser of €35,000, 10% of the purchase price (or the approved valuation for a self-build) and the income tax plus DIRT you paid in the 4 tax years before you apply. The €35,000 cap is from Budget 2027 and applies to contracts signed, or self-build mortgages first drawn down, from 7 October 2026 to 31 December 2029.
I signed before 7 October 2026. Do I get €35,000?
No. Contracts signed from 23 July 2020 to 6 October 2026 get the €30,000 maximum. Citizens Information says approved applications that had not reached the claim stage at the €30,000 maximum are re-assessed automatically.
What is the price limit for Help to Buy?
The purchase value (or approved valuation, site included, for a self-build) must be €500,000 or less. Your mortgage must be at least 70% of it, and First Home Scheme equity does not count toward that 70%.
Can two buyers get €35,000 each?
No. The maximum is per property, however many people buy it. Joint buyers add their income tax and DIRT together to reach it, and every buyer must be a first-time buyer.
How much can the First Home Scheme give me?
Up to 30% of the price or build cost, or up to 20% if you also use Help to Buy. The smallest share is 2.5% or €10,000, whichever is higher. You need a 10% deposit (Help to Buy counts), the price must be under the ceiling for your local authority area, and you must borrow the most a participating lender will give you.
What does the First Home Scheme cost?
No charge for the first 5 years. From year 6 a service charge applies on the original price × the equity share: 1.75% a year for years 6 to 15, 2.15% for years 16 to 29 and 2.85% from year 30. Buying the share back costs the same percentage of the home’s value at the time, so it rises if prices rise.
Related
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