How it works

If you are trying to pull together a deposit for a new-build apartment in Dublin, this is the best place to start. Instead of a standard grant or a loan you have to pay back, the Help to Buy scheme is essentially a tax refund. The state tops up your personal savings by handing you back up to 10% of the property's value, up to a maximum of €30,000. Because this money is paid directly over to the developer at closing, it gives your buying power an instant lift right when you need to prove your deposit to a mortgage lender.

Whether you’re looking to buy a home on the open market or exploring unique paths to homeownership like Mirra, this scheme is a massive tool to speed up your timeline.

The rules

The cash you claim comes from the income tax and DIRT you’ve already paid in Ireland over the past four tax years. To qualify, the property must be a brand-new build costing €500,000 or less, you need to take out a standard mortgage of at least 70% of the property value, and you have to plan on living there as your main home for at least five years.

The maths

Let’s say you’ve found a Dublin apartment you love priced at €500,000. A standard 10% deposit means you need €50,000 upfront. While 10% of the property value is €50,000, the scheme has a hard ceiling of €30,000.

Revenue will transfer that €30,000 directly to form the bulk of your deposit. If you have €20,000 of your own cash saved to top it up, your full €50,000 deposit is instantly sorted. You've just unlocked a half-million-euro home with only €20k of your own personal savings out of pocket.