Dublin Property Radar

Buying Guide

Category: Buying Guide

Buying Guide

Step-by-step guides for buying property in Dublin. From first-time buyer schemes to mortgage applications, conveyancing, and area selection — everything you need to purchase with confidence.

  • New Build vs Second-Hand in Dublin 2026: The Honest Buyer’s Guide

    New Build vs Second-Hand in Dublin 2026: The Honest Buyer’s Guide

    The two routes onto the Dublin property ladder are not two versions of the same purchase — they are different products with different prices, different timelines, different subsidies and different risks. A new build in a west-Dublin scheme gets you Help to Buy, a 10-year structural warranty and an A-rated home you never have to…

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  • How to Win a Bidding War on a Dublin Home in 2026: Bidding Strategy, Tactics and When to Walk Away

    How to Win a Bidding War on a Dublin Home in 2026: Bidding Strategy, Tactics and When to Walk Away

    Dublin in 2026 is a market where the asking price is a starting point, not a price. Below €500,000 — the band first-time buyers dominate — bidding wars are the norm: homes sold roughly 10% above asking through 2025 (Owen Reilly Report), and in the first quarter of 2026 the same agency’s sales averaged 11.9%…

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  • The True Cost of Buying in Dublin in 2026: Stamp Duty, Solicitor Fees, Surveys and Every Closing Cost, Decoded

    The True Cost of Buying in Dublin in 2026: Stamp Duty, Solicitor Fees, Surveys and Every Closing Cost, Decoded

    The deposit is the number every buyer knows. The true cost of buying is the number most of them discover too late: stamp duty, solicitor fees, the survey, the lender’s valuation, Land Registry charges, mortgage protection, home insurance, the movers, and the first trip to a furniture shop. On Dublin’s median home price of €500,000,…

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  • Help to Buy vs First Home Scheme 2026: The Complete Guide for Irish First-Time Buyers

    Help to Buy vs First Home Scheme 2026: The Complete Guide for Irish First-Time Buyers

    Help to Buy and the First Home Scheme are the two biggest state supports an Irish first-time buyer can use in 2026 — and the two people mix up most. One is a tax refund that rebuilds your deposit (up to €30,000). The other is a shared-equity top-up that closes the gap between your mortgage…

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  • Deposit and Mortgage Guide for First-Time Buyers in Ireland 2026: Central Bank Limits, Schemes and Rates, Decoded

    Deposit and Mortgage Guide for First-Time Buyers in Ireland 2026: Central Bank Limits, Schemes and Rates, Decoded

    The most important numbers in the Irish housing market are not house prices. They are the four rules that decide what you can borrow, what deposit you need, and whether a lender will say yes: 10% of the price (on the first €500,000) is the minimum deposit for a first-time buyer, 20% above that, your…

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  • Best Areas to Buy in Dublin in 2026: The Full Guide by Buyer Type (FTB, Family, Investor, Commuter)

    Best Areas to Buy in Dublin in 2026: The Full Guide by Buyer Type (FTB, Family, Investor, Commuter)

    Home » Buying Guide » Best Areas to Buy in Dublin in 2026: The Full Guide by Buyer Type The best area to buy in Dublin depends entirely on who you are. A first-time buyer and a landlord should not be looking at the same postcode — and a family chasing schools has different priorities…

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