Buying Your First Home in Ireland: Complete Conveyancing Process Explained

Buying your first home in Ireland is an exciting but complex milestone. This guide breaks down every stage of the home-buying and conveyancing process, from saving a deposit and getting mortgage pre-approval, through making an offer, to completing the sale and getting the keys. 

We explain key legal steps in plain language (with important legal terms defined), so first-time buyers can follow along confidently.

1. Financial Preparation and Mortgage Pre-Approval

Before you start house hunting, ensure your finances are in order. Most first-time buyers will need around 10% of the home’s price as a deposit (plus extra for fees, stamp duty, and moving costs). 

It’s wise to budget for all costs: stamp duty (generally 1% on properties up to €1 million in 2024-25), solicitor’s fees, search fees and surveys. Also, investigate first-time buyer schemes like the Help-to-Buy refund, which can boost your deposit fund.

• Save your deposit and budget carefully: Aim to save at least 10% of the purchase price and set aside funds for legal fees, surveys and other costs.
  
• Review your borrowing capacity: Under current Central Bank rules, first-time buyers can typically borrow up to ~4 times their gross income. Speak to mortgage specialists or your bank to estimate how much you can borrow.
  
• Get a mortgage approval-in-principle: Before making offers, obtain a mortgage offer “in principle” (AIP) from a lender or broker. This pre-approval confirms what you can afford and signals to sellers that you are a serious buyer. For this, gather documents: ID, proof of address, payslips, tax returns and bank statements.
  
• Check government supports: First-time buyers may qualify for schemes like Help-to-Buy (a tax refund up to 5% of purchase price) or the new First Home Scheme. These can significantly reduce your deposit requirement.
  

2. Searching for a Home and Making an Offer

Research the property market in your chosen area to find homes in your budget. Use popular sites (e.g. Daft.ie, MyHome.ie) and register with estate agents. When you find a suitable property, arrange viewings and then make a written offer through the estate agent.

• Offers are not binding until contracts are signed: In Ireland, an offer (even if it’s accepted) is not legally binding until formal contracts are signed and exchanged. This means you can withdraw without penalty before that point.
  
• Consider a booking deposit: Sometimes agents ask for a small refundable deposit to “take the house off the market” while contracts are drawn up. This money is held in the agent’s client account and is returned if the sale does not proceed. You can typically request it back at any time before contracts are signed.
  
• Negotiate on price or conditions: Base your offer on market value and any survey issues. You can include simple conditions (e.g. subject to survey or mortgage approval). Stay flexible but set a maximum price to avoid overbidding.
  
• Get confirmation of sale agreed (“sale agreed”): If your offer is accepted, the agent will mark the property as “sale agreed”. Remember, until contracts are signed, either side can withdraw.
  

3. Instructing a Conveyancing Solicitor

Once your offer is formally accepted, instruct a qualified conveyancing solicitor immediately. Your solicitor will handle the legal transfer of ownership (the “conveyancing” process). 

In Ireland, lenders require a solicitor for a mortgage transaction, and DIY conveyancing is strongly discouraged.

• Role of your solicitor: Your conveyancer protects your interests, reviews all legal documents and ensures the sale follows the law. They will communicate with the seller’s solicitor, your lender, and government bodies.
  
• Solicitor’s tasks: Typical duties include verifying the title (ownership) of the property, drafting and negotiating the sale contract, conducting searches (e.g. land registry, planning, environmental), and advising you on any issues (boundaries, easements, etc).
  
• Providing information: Give your solicitor the details of the property, the agreed price, any conditions of the sale and your mortgage offer. They will ask you to sign letters of engagement and anti-money-laundering forms.
  

4. Surveys and Valuations

Before fully committing, have the property inspected. Get a professional survey (structural inspection) to check for defects like damp, cracks or roof issues. Independently evaluate the property’s condition, as this can highlight problems to negotiate on or avoid.

• Lender’s valuation: Your bank or broker will also commission a valuation to ensure the property is worth the price. This is different from a survey; it’s for the lender’s protection.
  
• Renegotiation if issues arise: If the survey uncovers serious faults, you may renegotiate with the seller for repairs, a lower price, or, if necessary, walk away. Your solicitor can help adjust the contract or advise on consequences.
  
• Include survey conditions: It’s common to make your offer conditional on a satisfactory survey and mortgage approval to protect yourself.

Ronan Deasy, a Cork-based conveyancing solicitor, explains why understanding title issues and getting a proper pre-purchase survey is crucial when buying property in Ireland:

Always remember that what you buy you sell, or your loved ones will sell on your behalf. In that regard, pay close attention to the advice you receive from your solicitor. If they flag that the house has title issues, it may be worth asking if the property is really worth it. Also, it is important to know the difference between title and non-title issues. If there are title issues, your solicitor may be able to rectify them with the cooperation of the vendor’s solicitor. For non-title issues or cosmetic issues, these very often will not be fixed before completion, so make sure you get a very thorough pre-purchase survey carried out by an engineer.

5. Title Check: Land Registry vs. Registry of Deeds

Your solicitor will examine the title to the property, which can be registered in one of two systems in Ireland. This is a critical legal step to ensure you will become the rightful owner.

• Land Registry (Title Registration): Most modern homes are on the Land Registry. In this system, the title (ownership of the land) is registered and guaranteed by the State. The Land Registry entry shows current owners, boundaries, and any mortgages or liens.
  
• Registry of Deeds (Deeds Registration): Older properties (often rural ones) may still be under the Registry of Deeds. This records the documents (deeds) of past transactions, not the title itself. There is no state guarantee of ownership under this system, so your solicitor must trace the “chain of title” through past deeds and ensure there are no missing links or hidden interests.
  
• Surveyor confirmation: Even with the Land Registry, the state doesn’t guarantee exact boundary lines. Your solicitor may arrange a land survey to ensure physical boundaries match the map.

Understanding which system applies affects the checks and possibly the need for title insurance. Your solicitor will explain what is required.

6. Searches and Due Diligence

Conveyancing includes carrying out property searches and checks to uncover any legal, planning or environmental issues. These are usually ordered by your solicitor and submitted to the relevant authorities.

• Land Registry or Deeds search: Verify that the title deeds are in order, check for any registered mortgages or charges. If it’s on the Land Registry, get an official folio for the property. If it’s in the Registry of Deeds, your solicitor will gather copies of relevant deeds going back many years.
  
• Planning permissions and Local Authority searches: Check that any buildings or extensions have proper planning permission and building regulation compliance. A local authority search will reveal planning history, roads (e.g. proposed developments or schemes), and any notices affecting the property.
  
• Local Property Tax (LPT): Confirm that the seller has paid property taxes (LPT). Unpaid LPT can become your liability after purchase, so a certificate of compliance or a payment should be arranged.
  
• Utility searches: Ensure services like water, sewerage/drainage, and electricity are properly connected. The solicitor may do a drainage search and check connections.
  
• Environmental/flood checks: If relevant, check flood risk or any EPA licenses on the property. (For most buyers in built-up areas, this is minor, but it’s important for some rural or coastal properties.)
  
• Planning and legal compliance: The solicitor ensures there are no legal impediments (such as compulsory purchase orders, rights-of-way disputes, or pending legal actions) that could affect your title.
  

Thorough due diligence now helps avoid surprises later. Your solicitor will list any concerns and advise you on how to resolve them before proceeding.

7. Negotiating and Signing the Sale Contract

Once investigations are satisfactory, the sale moves toward the contractual stage. Your solicitor will review the draft Contract for Sale, make sure it accurately reflects the agreed terms and protect your interests.

• Review and negotiate contract terms: Common contract clauses include the completion date, inventory of included fixtures (e.g. appliances), and conditions (e.g. subject to finance). Your solicitor may negotiate amendments or ensure any verbal promises are written in.
  
• Contract deposit: It is customary to pay a contract deposit when signing. Often this is 5–10% of the purchase price (in Ireland, 10% is common). This deposit is typically held by the vendor’s solicitor, not refundable if you pull out after the contract.
  
• Signing and exchanging contracts: When both you and the seller have signed matching contracts and your solicitor has received the agreed deposit from you, the contracts are exchanged. At exchange, the sale becomes legally binding on both sides. After this point, you cannot back out without losing the deposit, and the seller cannot back out without legal consequences.
  
• Completion date set: The contract will specify a completion/closing date, often a few weeks after exchange, to allow all final preparations. Your solicitor will work towards that date.
  

8. Finalising the Mortgage and Financing

Parallel with contract preparation, you must complete the mortgage application. By now, you had approval in principle; now the bank finalises the loan details.

• Submit required documentation: Provide any additional documents the lender needs (often the signed contract, insurance, etc).
  
• Mortgage approval: The lender will issue a formal loan offer (once all conditions are met). Read this carefully, sometimes it contains legal conditions (like insuring the property).
  
• Drawdown arrangements: Before closing, the bank confirms how funds are to be transferred. Usually, the lender pays the sale balance directly to your solicitor on completion day.
  

Your solicitor coordinates with the bank so that mortgage funds will be ready on the completion date.

9. Pre-Completion Checks and Arrangements

In the days or weeks before closing, your solicitor completes all final steps to ensure a smooth handover.

• Final searches: The solicitor performs last-minute checks (e.g. bankruptcy searches on names, ensuring no new charges on the title).
  
• Prepare documents: Your solicitor prepares the Deed of Transfer (or Land Transfer) and, if a mortgage is involved, the Mortgage Deed. These are the formal documents you’ll sign on closing day.
  
• Arrange funds: You must lodge the remaining purchase money (minus the deposit already paid) with your solicitor in time for completion. The solicitor also calculates the exact stamp duty and any other fees payable, so you can provide those funds.
  
• Home insurance: Lenders require you to have home insurance effective from the day of closing. Make sure you have an insurance policy ready, and usually, your solicitor will need confirmation of insurance to finalise documents.
  

10. Completion Day (Getting the Keys)

Completion (or closing) is the day the ownership legally transfers, and you get the keys. It typically happens on the date agreed in the contract.

• Signing on the dotted line: On completion day, you (and sometimes the seller) will sign the transfer and mortgage deeds. These can be signed in advance at the solicitor’s office or in person on the day.
  
• Payment of funds: Your solicitor sends the balance of the purchase price to the seller’s solicitor, combining your funds and the mortgage loan from the bank. Once the seller’s solicitor confirms receipt, ownership transfers.
  
• Handing over keys: After funds are transferred and deeds signed, the seller (through their agent or solicitor) will release the keys to you. In many cases, you receive keys on the afternoon of completion. At that moment, the property is legally yours.
  
• Stamp duty and registration: Immediately after completion, your solicitor pays the stamp duty to Revenue and arranges registration of the new ownership. In practice, they lodge the signed deed with the Property Registration Authority (Land Registry or Registry of Deeds), which officially records you as the owner.
  

In summary, completion day means transfer of funds, signing final papers, and getting the keys.

11. Post-Completion Formalities and Move-In

After closing, you become the formal owner, but a few tasks remain:

• Registration: Your solicitor will finalise registration with the Land Registry or Registry of Deeds to update the title in your name. This can take weeks, but you shouldn’t have to worry about it.
  
• Pay stamp duty (via solicitor): The solicitor handles payment of stamp duty and any government levies. You’ll get a final bill (with receipts for stamp duty) as part of your closing statement.
  
• Set up your home: Now you can move in! Notify utility companies of the change of ownership, set up electricity, gas and internet accounts, and ensure you have all insurance in place (most mortgages require buildings insurance at least).
  
• Change of address: Update your address with banks, employers, and the postal service. Apply for Local Property Tax (LPT) if it hasn’t been paid yet, since it’s now your responsibility.
  

Costs, Fees and Taxes

Be aware of all the costs involved in buying, as they add up. Aside from the purchase price, typical expenses include:

• Stamp Duty: In 2024-25, residential property stamp duty is 1% on the first €1 million, 2% up to €1.5 million, and 6% above that. (First-time buyers do not get a lower rate; you pay the same stamp duty as anyone else.) This is paid to Revenue via your solicitor.
  
• Solicitor’s fees: Conveyancing fees vary by firm and property value. Solicitor and estate agent quotes usually include a breakdown of their fees and outlays (costs they pay on your behalf). Expect to pay legal fees plus money for land registry fees, search fees, etc.
  
• Search and registration fees: These can include land registry folio fees, local authority search fees, bankruptcy checks, etc. These are typically small (a few hundred euros in total) but mandatory.
  
• Surveyor and valuation fees: If you get a survey, that costs extra (hundreds of euros). Lenders charge a valuation fee as part of the mortgage process.
  
• Moving costs: Don’t forget practical moving expenses (moving van, minor repairs or renovations, furniture, etc.).
  

Your solicitor will provide a detailed cost breakdown in a letter of engagement before starting. Always check these early so you can budget properly.

First-Time Buyer Schemes and Reliefs

As a first-time buyer in Ireland, you may benefit from certain government supports:

• Help-to-Buy (HTB) Incentive: A tax refund scheme for first-time buyers of new homes. It refunds income tax and DIRT paid in the previous 4 years (up to 5% of the purchase price), which can help with your deposit. Check Revenue’s criteria and limits.
  
• First Home Scheme: A new equity support scheme (as of 2025) that can assist with downpayment and mortgage. The details are evolving, so consult current guidelines.
  
• Reduced LPT: For some lower-value homes, first-time buyers qualify for reduced Local Property Tax bands in the first few years.
  
• Local Authority Purchase Schemes: If you are/have been a local authority tenant, there may be special schemes (e.g., tenant purchase at below-market rates).
  

Research and apply for any grants or reliefs early, as they usually require pre-approval or application before final purchase.

Common Pitfalls and Tips

Being aware of common issues can help you avoid setbacks:

• Title and Title Insurance: If buying from the Registry of Deeds system, ensure there are no missing or suspect deeds in the chain. Consider title insurance if advised by your solicitor.
  
• Planning/Building Issues: Never assume all works are legal. Unapproved extensions or missing certificates (fire, septic tank) can cause future problems. Your searches and survey should catch these.
  
• Budgets and Delays: Conveyancing can take 6–12 weeks or more, depending on mortgage and sales progression. Keep some extra cash aside for delays or unexpected invoices (e.g. extra searches).
  
• Communication: Stay in touch with your solicitor and estate agent regularly. Respond promptly to requests for information or funds.
  
• Insurance: Don’t leave obtaining home insurance to the last minute. Lenders usually need proof of insurance before releasing funds.
  
• Mortgage Conditions: Read all conditions in your mortgage offer. Common ones include life insurance or no-arrears on payments. Failing to meet conditions can delay closing.
  

Being proactive, asking questions and reading documents carefully make the process smoother. Your solicitor and broker are there to guide you; use them as a resource.

Timeline of the Conveyancing Process

While timings vary, a typical timeline for a first-time purchase might look like this:

1. Preparation: Save deposit and get mortgage AIP (months).
   
2. House Hunting: Find property and negotiate an offer (weeks).
   
3. Instruction of Solicitor: Within days of offer acceptance.
   
4. Surveys & Searches: 2–4 weeks (depending on scheduling and local authority response).
   
5. Contract Negotiation: 1–2 weeks.
   
6. Exchange of Contracts: Once satisfied with searches and approvals.
   
7. Mortgage Completion: 4–8 weeks (bank final approval and loan paperwork).
   
8. Completion (Closing): On the agreed date (often a few weeks after exchange).
   

This sequence can overlap (e.g. applying for a mortgage while conducting searches), but always allow at least 8–12 weeks from sale-agreed to moving in.

Glossary of Key Terms

• Deposit: Initial sum (usually 5–10%) paid on exchanging contracts. You lose this if you pull out late.
  
• Contract for Sale (or Contract): The legal document setting out the terms of sale. Signed by buyer and seller, it becomes binding when exchanged.
  
• Conveyancing: The legal process of transferring property ownership from seller to buyer (handled by your solicitor).
  
• Exchange of Contracts: The moment when signed contracts are swapped between solicitors and the buyer’s deposit is lodged, the sale is then legally binding on both sides.
  
• Completion (Closing): The final step where remaining funds are paid, deeds signed, and the buyer takes ownership (and keys).
  
• Deed of Transfer: The official document that transfers ownership from seller to buyer, signed at or before completion.
  
• Stamp Duty: A tax on property transactions, paid by the buyer to Revenue on completion, calculated on the purchase price.
  
• Title: Legal evidence of ownership. In Ireland, the title is either registered at the Land Registry (state-guaranteed) or established by deeds at the Registry of Deeds.
  
• Searches: Official checks (e.g., land registry, planning, bankruptcy) carried out by solicitors to ensure there are no hidden problems.
  

Each of these terms becomes clearer as you go through the process with your solicitor.

By following these steps and working with experienced professionals (solicitor, mortgage broker, surveyor), you can navigate the conveyancing process smoothly. 

The legal aspects may seem daunting at first, but they exist to protect you. With proper preparation and guidance, buying your first home in Ireland can be a rewarding and straightforward experience