What is the Help to Buy Scheme?

If you’re a first-time buyer in Ireland thinking about buying or building a new home, the Help to Buy (HTB) scheme could give you a real financial boost. It’s essentially a tax refund that helps with your deposit—up to €30,000 or 10% of the property price, whichever is lower. However, it only applies to new-builds or self-builds, and the property must cost €500,000 or less.

✅ Who Can Apply?

To qualify, you’ll need to:

• Be a first-time buyer—you (and your partner, if buying together) must never have owned a home before.
• Be buying a new-build or building your own home—second-hand homes don’t count.
• Plan to live in the property as your main home for at least five years.
• Take out a mortgage worth at least 70% of the property’s value.
• Be tax compliant, having paid enough income tax and DIRT over the past four years.

💡 Final Thoughts

The Help to Buy scheme can be a big help if you’re eligible—think of it as a way to get some of your tax money back to put toward your deposit. But it won’t cover everything, and it’s important to check that the property and mortgage meet all the rules. The scheme has been extended to 2029,but with house prices rising, some new homes are now above the €500k cap, meaning many buyers may miss out on the benefit.

📞 Need Help Applying?

If you’d like help applying for the Help to Buy scheme—or just want to talk through your options—get in touch with us. We’d be happy to guide you through the process and make sure everything’s in place.