If you are selling a Dublin home in 2026, the headline is better than the mood suggests. Prices are still rising — Dublin was up 4.6% year on year in the 12 months to June 2026 and the region’s median sale price is €500,000 — but the growth is the slowest in years, asking prices have cooled, and there are 14% more second-hand homes competing with yours than there were last spring (CSO RPPI, June 2026; Daft.ie sales report data, Q1–Q2 2026). This is no longer the 2021–22 market where almost any house sold itself in a week. It is a market where timing, preparation, pricing and presentation decide the difference between a competitive bidding war and a listing that sits — and where the costs of selling (estate agent, solicitor, BER, mortgage redemption, and capital gains tax if your home is not your principal private residence) can quietly eat 3–8% of your sale price if you do not plan them.
This guide is the complete seller’s playbook for Dublin in 2026: when to sell and what the CSO and Daft data say about the market, the pre-sale preparation that actually moves the needle (BER first), how to choose an agent and what estate agent fees in Dublin really cost, the legal process and property solicitor fees, a full cost breakdown with a worked example, how capital gains tax and PPR relief work, auction versus private treaty, a realistic timeline from instruction to keys — and a 12-week pre-launch checklist you can run this weekend. All figures were verified against the CSO, Revenue, Citizens Information and current 2026 market sources on 5 September 2026.
The Dublin market in 2026: five numbers that frame every selling decision
Before you decide when to sell, know exactly what the official numbers say — because the “crash or boom?” headlines and the actual index disagree. Five figures, all current to 5 September 2026:
- Dublin prices rose 4.6% in the year to June 2026 — down from 5.0% in May, and the slowest annual rise in years. National prices rose 5.6%, the lowest national figure since January 2024 (CSO RPPI, June 2026). Prices are still going up; they are just going up more slowly. Cooling, not crashing.
- The median Dublin home sold for €500,000 in the 12 months to June 2026 (€480,000 in Dublin city itself, €682,334 in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, the state’s most expensive region) against €396,000 nationally (CSO). Within Dublin, houses rose 3.9% while apartments rose 7.0% — flats are outperforming houses for the first time in years.
- Asking prices are growing at about 2.5% a year in Dublin — the slowest since mid-2023 — and the typical gap between a Dublin asking price and the final agreed price (“market heat”) was 6.9% in Q1 2026 (5.8% nationally): buyers are still bidding over asking, but by less than they were (Daft.ie sales report analysis, Q1 2026).
- Supply is rising. On 1 March 2026 there were 3,071 second-hand homes for sale in Dublin — up 14% on the year — though still below the 2015–2019 average of over 4,000 (Daft.ie, Q1 2026). A typical Dublin three-bed semi was asking about €580,000 in Daft.ie’s Q2 2026 data (Daft.ie report). More choice for buyers means your home is being compared, not just viewed.
- The buyers are overwhelmingly owner-occupiers. Of 51,253 purchases nationally in the year to June 2026, first-time buyers made 40.4% and former owner-occupiers 50.1% — a combined 90.5% — while investors/non-occupiers bought just 9.5% (CSO). You are almost certainly selling to a family or a first-time buyer, which tells you exactly how to present the home.
The one-line read for sellers: 2026 is a normalising market with a strong floor. Prices are still rising and Dublin remains structurally short of supply, but buyers now have choices and patience, and asking-price growth has halved. The seller who prices realistically, prepares properly and launches at the right moment still gets competition; the seller who lists an unprepared home at last year’s price gets a slow death by price reduction — and each cut signals weakness to the next bidder.
When to sell in 2026: the Dublin calendar, spring vs autumn
Ireland has no official “selling season”, but the market has rhythms that are consistent enough to plan around — and 2026 has its own calendar wrinkles.
- Spring (mid-January to May) is the strongest window. Viewing demand builds through January as new-year resolutions, bonus season and the school-intake calendar converge, and it peaks in March–May when families want to move before the new school year and before the summer lull. Spring daylight also photographs best. Dublin’s spring of 2026 confirmed the pattern: the Q1 supply jump did not stop prices rising.
- Autumn (September to mid-November) is the reliable second wave. The post-summer return to routine produces a genuine second surge of buyers, and homes listed in early September typically sit in front of the strongest autumn footfall before the market winds down. The 2026 wrinkle: Budget 2027 lands on Tuesday 6 October, and property tax changes announced there can freeze buyer confidence for a week or two around it. If you can launch in September, launch early; if your home is not ready, waiting until late October (post-Budget certainty) beats launching into the Budget week itself.
- Summer (June to August) is thinner but less crowded. Family buyers pause for holidays and school; viewings drop. The offset: many would-be sellers also wait, so the reduced competition can still produce a quick sale — and the homes that do sell in summer tend to be priced correctly rather than optimistically.
- December is the thinnest market of the year — serious buyers exist but volume is low, and a home that fails to sell in December carries its “for sale” signs into the slow January restart. Only list in December if you must.
The 2026 judgement call. If your home is a typical Dublin family house (three-bed semi, €500k–€700k, good condition), the data says list in the spring or autumn windows, price against 2026 sold comparables (not the price your neighbour’s identical house made in 2024), and launch with everything ready on day one. If your home is unusual — a probate sale, a tenanted investment, a fixer, a development site with planning — the seasonal rules matter less than the buyer type you are chasing, and auction may serve you better (see Section 8). And if you are asking “should I wait for prices to fall or rise?”, that is a market-forecast question, not a calendar one — our year-end Dublin property market review and 2027 outlook, which takes the crash-vs-cooling question head-on — read it before you time a sale on a guess.
Pre-sale preparation: the order that actually matters
The single biggest preparation mistake Dublin sellers make in 2026 is doing cosmetic work first and legal/energy work last. Buyers in a cooling market punish the opposite order. Prepare in this sequence:
1. BER certificate: the legal gateway (do this first)
You cannot lawfully sell or advertise a home in Ireland without a valid Building Energy Rating (BER). The certificate must exist before the property is marketed, the BER rating must appear in the property advertisement, and it must be shown to prospective buyers — an estate agent should not list your home without one (SEAI). This is the answer to most “BER certificate selling” searches: it is not optional, and it is not the buyer’s job to organise.
Practicalities every Dublin seller needs:
- Check the register before you pay anything. BER certificates are valid for 10 years and attach to the property, not the owner. If you bought your home in the last decade, search the SEAI National BER Register — your existing certificate may still be current and cost you nothing (An Post Money — BER guide).
- Cost and timing. A fresh assessment by an SEAI-registered assessor typically costs €150–€250 for a Dublin home (apartments at the bottom end, larger houses above) and takes 30–60 minutes on site, with the certificate and advisory report following in days. Budget the fee and book early — do not be the seller waiting on a BER while the launch date slips.
- Only SEAI-registered assessors can issue a valid certificate — anyone can quote you, but only a registered assessor’s cert is legal for a sale (SEAI).
- The rating affects buyer psychology and mortgage behaviour. In 2026 a C-rated or worse home invites negotiation on a buyer who knows retrofit costs; an A/B rating is a genuine marketing asset. The cheapest rating lifts are draught-proofing, attic insulation top-ups, lagging jackets and heating-control upgrades — worth doing before the assessment, not after, because the assessor records what exists on the day.
- Do not renovate for the rating alone. Major fabric upgrades (heat pumps, deep retrofit) rarely pay back at sale time unless you have years of energy savings ahead of you. Improve what lifts you a band cheaply; leave the €20,000 projects for the buyer or for your own long-term occupation.
2. Repairs: fix what a surveyor will find
The buyer will commission a structural survey, and the surveyor will find what you know about. In a market with 14% more choice, an obvious leak, a cracked window, or an untested heating system converts into a price reduction or a fallen-through sale at the worst moment. Fix in this priority order: water/damp issues, roof and gutters, heating system (service it and keep the cert), electrics (visible hazards only — do not rewire for sale), windows and doors, plaster cracks. You are not renovating; you are removing reasons to negotiate.
3. Declutter, depersonalise, stage
Your buyer is statistically a first-time buyer (40.4%) or a family moving home (50.1%) (CSO) — they are buying a life, not your life. Pack away personal photographs, clear kitchen counters and worktops, remove excess furniture to make rooms look bigger, and neutralise bold décor. Professional staging is a real line item in Dublin — roughly €1,000–€3,000 for a typical three-bed for the marketing period — and it pays for itself on homes in the upper half of the market; on sub-€500k homes, a ruthless declutter and a coat of neutral paint usually delivers 80% of the effect for 10% of the cost.
4. Professional photos, floor plans and video
This is the least negotiable spend in a digital-first market. Buyers shortlist from portals before they book a viewing, and the photography is the viewing. Quality estate agents include professional photography, a floor plan and often video/tour in their marketing package — if your agent quotes a fee that excludes photography, ask what the package actually contains and get the marketing spec in writing before you sign (see Section 4).
5. Assemble the paper file now
While the house is being prepared, gather: your BER certificate, planning permissions and completion certificate (if you extended or converted), the building’s management company details (apartments), your mortgage account number and lender contact, the title deeds location (your solicitor or your bank), and receipts for any capital improvements — you will need them for the sale, and the improvement receipts are worth thousands in capital gains tax relief if your sale is taxable (Section 7).
Choosing an estate agent: fees, contracts and the marketing plan
What estate agent fees in Dublin actually cost in 2026
Estate agent fees are a percentage of the sale price plus 23% VAT, and in Dublin the competitive range for a normal sole-agency sale is roughly 1%–1.5% + VAT — occasionally up to 2%+ for small apartments or premium central agencies, and lower (sub-1%) on very high-value homes where the euro amount makes the percentage negotiable. Nationally, quoted rates commonly run 1%–2.5% + VAT, so Dublin sits at the sharper end of the range (AgentCompare.ie — estate agent fees 2026). On a €600,000 sale, 1%–1.5% + VAT is €7,380–€11,070 all-in — the biggest single line in your cost table, and the most negotiable one.
Fee models to understand before you compare quotes:
- Percentage commission — the norm; the agent is paid only when the property sells (typically when the sale completes). Negotiable, and in 2026 negotiable downwards: with supply up and agents hungry for listings, a seller with a well-priced, well-prepared home has real leverage. Ask for a tiered structure — a base rate to the asking price and a lower rate (or bonus) above it — which aligns the agent’s incentive with yours.
- Fixed fee — a flat sum (often €2,000–€5,000 + VAT) regardless of price. Attractive on higher-value homes; check what service depth is included, because the cheapest headline fee is only the right answer if it maximises net proceeds.
- No-sale-no-fee and hybrid models exist, but in Ireland the norm remains “fee payable on completion of a sale to a buyer the agent introduced” — read exactly when the fee is triggered (see contract terms below).
Marketing costs (professional photography, floor plan, video, portal premium placement, signage) run €300–€900 as a separate package on top of commission with many agents, though premium agents often fold the basics into their percentage (AgentCompare.ie). Get the full all-in figure — commission + VAT + marketing — in writing from every agent before you compare.
Sole agency vs multi-agency
In Dublin, sole agency is the right default in 2026, and multi-agency is a narrow exception:
- Sole agency means one agent markets your home for an agreed period. Fees are lower (agents price sole agency more keenly), communication and the bidding process are cleaner, and the listing strategy is consistent. For 95% of Dublin sellers this is the correct choice (AgentCompare.ie — sole vs multi).
- Multi-agency (two or more agents, only the one that introduces the buyer earns the fee) raises the fee percentage, fragments the marketing message, and creates duplicate viewings and mixed buyer communications. Its only real advantage is wider raw exposure — relevant for unusual or slow-moving stock, where you should still compare the maths carefully before signing two contracts.
- The contract trap to avoid: “sole selling rights”. Under a sole-selling-rights clause you owe the fee even if you find the buyer yourself, and sometimes even if the sale falls through after the agent introduces a ready-and-willing buyer. A standard sole-agency agreement protects you if you introduce your own buyer; sole selling rights does not. Read which one you are signing (Propertymark — agency agreements).
The contract terms that matter
Before signing any letter of engagement, confirm in writing: the fee percentage or fixed sum plus VAT; exactly when the fee is earned (completion, or introduction?); the tie-in period (typically 8–12 weeks) and how to end it early; whether the fee applies if you sell privately after the tie-in expires; what the marketing package includes and what costs extra; and who handles the bidding process and the sales advice note to solicitors. And check the agent holds a current PSRA licence — estate agents and auctioneers in Ireland must be licensed by the Property Services Regulatory Authority, and you can verify any agent on the PSRA licence register before you commit.
How to choose: net proceeds, not headline rate
Get three written proposals, each stating all-in cost (fee + VAT + marketing), the agent’s own comparable-sales evidence for your home, their average days-to-sale-agreed in your area, and their marketing plan. Then compare net proceeds, not commission percentage: an agent who secures a €620,000 sale at 1.5% leaves you more than one who sells at €600,000 and charges 1%. Support the negotiation with your own reading of the Property Price Register — the sold prices in your street over the last six months are the only evidence that matters when an agent quotes you a valuation.
The legal process and property solicitor fees
In an Irish sale there is no chain of simultaneous exchange as in the UK — the process runs sale-agreed → contract signing → closing, and your solicitor is the quarterback throughout. The process, stage by stage:
- Instruction and sales advice note. When you accept an offer, the agent issues a sales advice note to both solicitors recording the parties, the agreed price and any special terms (fittings included, completion target). Your solicitor then prepares the contract for sale and the title — the proof you own the property free of undisclosed issues. This is where that paper file from Section 3 earns its keep.
- Buyer’s due diligence (the “sale agreed” period). The buyer’s solicitor raises pre-contract enquiries (title, planning history, boundaries, LPT compliance, management company status for apartments); the buyer commissions a survey and, if mortgaged, the bank’s valuation. “Sale agreed” is not legally binding in Ireland — either side can walk until contracts are signed — which is why 2026 sellers should keep the property presentable and not stop marketing momentum until the contract is signed (Auctioneera — auction vs private treaty).
- Contract signing and the 10% deposit. Once the buyer’s solicitor is satisfied, the buyer signs the contract and pays the deposit — 10% of the price in a standard Irish sale (a booking deposit of €5,000–€10,000 taken at sale-agreed stage is credited against it). From the moment contracts are signed, both parties are legally bound; a buyer who then fails to close can be sued for specific performance and forfeits the deposit.
- Closing (completion). On the closing date the balance of funds transfers, the deed transfers title to the buyer, and the keys are released. If you have a mortgage, your lender provides a redemption figure and your solicitor discharges the charge against the title after closing.
Property solicitor fees (seller side)
For selling, expect roughly €950–€2,500 + VAT in professional fees for a standard Dublin house — the range reflecting the firm, the property’s value and complexity — plus outlays (searches, Land Registry fees, registered post, sworn declarations) of about €200–€450. Nationwide fixed-fee firms quote from about €1,200–€1,550 + VAT for a standard sale, with apartments in managed blocks typically adding a few hundred euro because the management-company work is heavier (Roe Solicitors — sale fee example, 2026; Online Legal Services — 2026 ranges). On a typical Dublin transaction you should budget €1,800–€3,500 all-in (fees + VAT + outlays) — and get a fixed-fee quote in writing before you instruct, because conveyancing is where surprise bills breed.
Choose your solicitor the moment you decide to sell, not when the offer lands — a good firm will review your title, flag issues (an unregistered right of way, a missing planning permission, an old extension without a certificate) before you market, so the sale is not delayed by problems discovered mid-process.
The full cost of selling: the 2026 cost table
Here is the complete seller’s cost stack. The must-pay column applies to every seller; the conditional column depends on your situation. Worked example: a typical Dublin home selling for €600,000 (above the €500,000 Dublin median, in line with a typical three-bed semi asking around €580,000 with bidding above asking).
| Cost item | Typical 2026 range | Who/what | Worked example at €600,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estate agent fee | 1%–1.5% + 23% VAT (Dublin; national norm 1%–2.5% + VAT) | Commission on the agreed price | €7,380–€11,070 all-in |
| Solicitor (conveyancing) | €950–€2,500 + VAT fees, plus ~€200–€450 outlays | Fixed fee agreed in advance | €1,800–€3,500 all-in typical |
| BER assessment | €150–€250 (0 if a valid cert exists on the SEAI register) | SEAI-registered assessor; required before marketing | €150–€250 |
| Marketing / photos / floor plan | €0–€900 | Often folded into the agent fee; confirm in writing | €0–€900 |
| Mortgage redemption | Bank admin/deed-release ~€35–€75 + Land Registry discharge ~€40; break fee if fixed-rate — get a redemption statement early | Your lender + solicitor discharge | €75–€1,500+ (break fee can run to thousands) |
| LPT clearance | No fee if up to date | Revenue LPT clearance cert needed at closing | €0 (plus interest if in arrears) |
| Management company cert (apartments) | Modest fee from the management company/solicitor for the s.6D certificate | Only if selling an apartment in a managed block | n/a for a house |
| Pre-sale prep (optional) | Repairs €500–€5,000; staging €1,000–€3,000; neutral paint €200–€800 | Fix, declutter, stage, photograph | €500–€7,500 (your call) |
| Capital Gains Tax | 33% of the taxable gain — usually €0 if the home is your PPR (see Section 7) | Only on non-PPR sales, or where PPR relief is restricted | €0 for most owner-occupiers |
| Stamp duty (onward purchase) | 1% up to €1m of your next home (2% on the €1m–€1.5m slice, 6% above) | Paid by the buyer — but if you are selling to buy, you pay it on the home you purchase | Budget it as a buying cost, not a selling one |
| Total must-pay (PPR seller) | ~€9,500–€15,700 on a €600,000 sale | ||
| Total with prep spend | ~€10,000–€23,000 |
Two lines deserve emphasis. First, the agent and solicitor together are 85–95% of your unavoidable bill — which is why negotiating the agent fee and fixed-feeing the solicitor matter more than any other saving. Second, stamp duty is not a seller’s cost — it is paid by the buyer — but “stamp duty Ireland” is one of the most-searched property terms in the country, and if you are selling to buy, you will pay it on your next home: 1% up to €1 million, 2% on the portion from €1 million to €1.5 million, and 6% above €1.5 million, charged on the VAT-exclusive price for new builds, with no first-time-buyer stamp duty exemption in Ireland (Revenue — stamp duty; Switcher.ie — stamp duty 2026; Mullins Treacy — stamp duty on a house, 2026). A seller moving to a €700,000 next home should budget €7,000 of stamp duty on the purchase, on top of the sale costs above — and first-time buyers viewing your home are weighing their own 1% duty plus fees when they bid, which is part of why realistic pricing wins.
Capital Gains Tax: PPR relief, the “7-year rule” myth, and development land
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is the tax most Dublin sellers misunderstand — usually in their own favour. The rules (Revenue guidance, current September 2026; (Revenue — PPR relief)):
The 33% rate and who pays it
CGT is charged at 33% on the gain — sale price minus purchase price, minus buying and selling costs (agent, solicitor), minus enhancement expenditure — less your annual €1,270 personal exemption per person. A married couple selling jointly gets two exemptions. Payment deadlines are unforgiving: for disposals between 1 January and 30 November, pay by 15 December of the same year; for December disposals, by 31 January; and file the return by 31 October of the following year — even if no tax is due (PwC — Irish individual tax summary).
PPR relief: why most home sellers pay nothing
If the property has been your Principal Private Residence (PPR) — your only or main home — for your entire period of ownership, the sale is completely exempt from CGT, and so is the land around the house up to one acre. The relief survives three common complications:
- The last 12 months always count. If you moved out but take up to a year to sell, the final 12 months of ownership are statutorily treated as occupation — the “moved out, not yet sold” cushion. Selling within a year of moving out keeps a former home fully exempt (Revenue).
- Letting a former home restricts relief proportionally. If you lived in the house for part of the ownership and let it for the rest, relief is time-apportioned. Revenue’s own example: a home lived in for 10 years, let for the final 4 of a 14-year ownership, then sold — the owner claims relief for the 10 occupied years plus the final 12 months (11 of 14 years = 79% of the gain exempt) and pays CGT on the remaining 21% (Revenue). The pattern to internalise: every year a former home is let adds a taxable slice, so if you let your old home, decide early whether to sell inside the protected window or hold it long-term and accept the tax as the cost of the rental income.
- Partial business use restricts relief in proportion (use a fifth of the house for a business and only four-fifths of the gain is exempt), while Rent-a-Room relief does not affect full PPR exemption (Revenue). Work-related absences — chiefly time working abroad where all duties are outside the State, and limited in-State work absences — can also count as deemed occupation with the right conditions; check Revenue’s guidance against your own timeline before assuming the worst.
The “7-year rule” that isn’t one
You will read — usually in UK-sourced content that has bled across the Irish Sea — that you can let your former home for up to seven years and keep full PPR relief. There is no seven-year letting grace period in Irish CGT. The exemption is time-apportioned from the moment the property stops being your home, with the 12-month final-period rule as the only automatic cushion (plus the specific absence rules above). If someone is advising you to “let it for six years and sell tax-free”, they are quoting UK legislation — get Irish tax advice before you rely on it. Our buy-to-let reality check walks through the same rules from the landlord’s side.
Development land and the edge cases
PPR relief is restricted where the sale price reflects development value — if your home and garden are sold for more than their value as a home because of zoning or development potential, relief applies only to the current-use (home) value, and the development premium is taxable (Revenue). The garden rule matters here: land beyond one acre is outside PPR relief entirely, and gains attributable to the rezoning of land attract a special 80% CGT rate (not the standard 33%) (Chartered Accountants Ireland — s.649B note). Selling a Dublin home with a large site, planning potential, or rezoning history is a genuinely specialist transaction — take professional tax advice before you price it, because the difference between 33% and 80% on a development gain is life-changing money. And remember: Budget 2027 (6 October 2026) could adjust any of these figures — re-verify before you rely on them after Budget day.
Auction vs private treaty: AMV, reserve, cooling-off and fees
Roughly 95% of Irish homes sell by private treaty — the open market route where an agent lists the home with a guide price, invites offers, and the highest acceptable offer becomes “sale agreed”. The other route is auction, and 2026’s supply-rich market has made it more relevant for sellers with a reason to move fast.
Private treaty (the default)
- Pricing language: listings carry a guide price, asking price or AMV (Advised Market Value) — terms agents use interchangeably to set buyer expectations. Offers below about 90% of the guide are usually not entertained; strong demand can push the price above the guide in a bidding process the agent runs across interested parties (Auctioneera).
- The binding moment is contract signing, not “sale agreed”. Both parties can walk until contracts are signed and the 10% deposit is paid — sale agreed is a good-faith status with no legal force (Auctioneera). This is the closest thing Ireland has to a cooling-off period: the buyer can withdraw without penalty before signing (though they lose any non-refundable booking deposit if one was taken), and you as seller can keep marketing until the contract is signed.
- Best for: sellers who want maximum value and can tolerate a 3–6 month process.
Auction
- Mechanics: the property is marketed with an AMV and a confidential reserve (the minimum you will accept). The full legal pack is prepared before the auction so buyers can do their due diligence in advance. Bidders register and typically lodge a deposit before bidding; when the hammer falls at or above the reserve, the winning bidder has made a legally binding contract immediately — there is no cooling-off period and no subject-to-survey-or-finance condition (Truehome — buying at auction; Auctioneera). The buyer pays a 10% deposit on the fall of the hammer and completes within roughly 21–28 days (W7 buy-to-let guide). If bidding fails to reach the reserve, the property is usually withdrawn and can be negotiated privately afterwards.
- What the seller gains: certainty and speed — a binding buyer, no long conveyancing limbo, a fixed completion date. Auctions suit probate sales, timed sales (emigration, divorce, deceased estates), tenanted investment properties, unique or hard-to-value homes, and anything where a long private-treaty process is a liability (Auctioneera).
- What the seller gives up: price control — the market sets the number on the day, and auction prices can lag a well-run private-treaty campaign; plus auctioneer’s fees, which can be structured differently from private-treaty commission and may be payable even if the property fails to sell. Online auction platforms (including Dublin’s major online houses) have widened the market, but the binding-bid mechanics are the same.
- The honest rule: certainty and speed → auction; maximum value with time to wait → private treaty (Auctioneera).
The realistic 2026 timeline: instruction to keys
How long does selling a house in Dublin actually take in 2026? The honest planning number is 3–5 months from launch to keys for a well-priced, well-prepared home — and up to 6 months or more from the day you decide to sell once pre-launch preparation is included (industry estimates put the typical listing-to-close process at about 6 months, with conveyancing the slowest phase; (Auctioneera)). A prime spring-launched Dublin family home can compress that to 10–12 weeks; a tricky title, a chain, or a slow buyer’s mortgage can stretch it to 7+ months. Plan for the realistic case, not the best case:
| Stage | Typical duration | What happens | Seller’s job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-launch | 4–8 weeks before launch (see the 12-week checklist, Section 10) | BER, repairs, declutter, agent selection, solicitor instruction, paper file | Everything in the checklist — launch only when ready |
| Marketing / offer window | 4–6 weeks typical (2–3 weeks in hot corridors; 8+ weeks for overpriced or unusual stock) | Listing live, viewings, offers, bidding; Dublin market heat ~7% above asking in Q1 2026 (Daft.ie Q1 2026) | Keep the home viewing-ready; respond to offers through the agent |
| Sale agreed | Day 0 of the legal phase | Offer accepted; booking deposit; sales advice note to solicitors | Not binding — do not stop the marketing machine until contracts are signed |
| Contracts signed | 2–4 weeks after sale agreed (up to 6 if surveys or the chain drag) | Buyer’s due diligence, survey, bank valuation; contract signed and 10% deposit paid | Answer queries fast; provide every document your solicitor requests promptly |
| Closing | 3–6 weeks after contracts signed | Deed, mortgage discharge, LPT clearance, balance transfer, keys | Complete redemption paperwork early; plan the move for the agreed closing date |
| Total, launch to keys | ~3–5 months (typical Dublin 2026) | Keep both timelines — yours and the buyer’s — moving |
The 12-week pre-launch checklist
Work backwards from your launch date. Twelve weeks is enough to do this properly without living in a building site; eight is the realistic minimum for a straightforward sale.
| Weeks out | Action |
|---|---|
| 12 | Decide on the sale (and the reason: moving up, downsizing, relocating, landlord exit). Check the SEAI BER register — do you have a valid cert? If not, book a BER assessment now. |
| 12 | Run your own comparable-sales research on the Property Price Register — every sale in your street and estate in the last 6–12 months, noted by condition and BER. |
| 11 | Get three estate agent valuations in person, each with comparable evidence and a written all-in fee quote (commission + VAT + marketing). Verify each agent’s PSRA licence. |
| 10 | Shortlist and instruct your agent; agree the marketing plan (photos, floor plan, video, portal strategy) and the launch date in writing. Instruct your solicitor and get a fixed fee in writing. |
| 10 | Ask your lender for a redemption statement and check for a fixed-rate break fee — know the number before you commit to a date. |
| 9–8 | Structural prep: roof, gutters, damp, heating service, minor repairs. Order any certificates you lack (planning, completion, management company docs). |
| 8–7 | The declutter pass: pack away personal items, excess furniture and out-of-season belongings (you are packing for the move anyway — start early). Neutral paint on the rooms that need it. |
| 6 | BER assessment happens (if not already done); check the certificate and the advisory report — fix any cheap rating lifts before photos. |
| 5–4 | Final fix-up week: deep clean, gardens/tidy the exterior (the first photo buyers see), test every light and lock. Stage if you are staging. |
| 3 | Professional photography, floor plan and video. Review the listing copy and price with your agent — against 2026 comparables, not your neighbour’s 2024 price. |
| 2 | Launch preparation: confirm the listing is live, viewings scheduled, and your “viewing-ready” routine (15-minute tidy) agreed with the household. |
| 1–0 | Launch. First two weeks are critical: a Dublin home that gets real footfall early builds the bidding that sets the price. Keep responding to every viewing promptly. |
| During the sale | Turn every document request around within 24–48 hours; keep the home viewing-ready until contracts are signed; plan your move to the closing date. |
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to sell a house in Dublin in 2026?
Plan on 3–5 months from launch to keys for a well-priced, well-prepared home: 4–6 weeks of marketing to sale agreed, 2–4 weeks to contracts, 3–6 weeks to closing — and add 4–8 weeks of pre-launch preparation. Industry estimates put the typical full process around 6 months, with conveyancing the slowest phase (Auctioneera). A well-priced family home launched in the spring window can sell agreed within 2–3 weeks; overpriced or unprepared homes are what stretch the timeline.
How much does it cost to sell a house in Dublin?
The unavoidable bill is roughly €9,500–€15,700 on a €600,000 sale: estate agent at 1%–1.5% + VAT (€7,380–€11,070), solicitor fees plus VAT and outlays (€1,800–€3,500 typical), a BER assessment (€150–€250 if you lack a valid one) and small redemption/LPT fees. Add optional prep — repairs, staging, painting — of €500–€7,500. The agent and solicitor are 85–95% of the fixed bill, so negotiate the fee and fixed-fee the solicitor.
What do estate agent fees in Dublin cost in 2026?
Typically 1%–1.5% of the sale price + 23% VAT for a sole-agency sale — nationally the range is 1%–2.5% + VAT (AgentCompare.ie). Marketing packages (photos, floor plan, video) run €300–€900 extra unless included. Fees are negotiable: get three written all-in quotes and compare net proceeds, not percentages. Avoid “sole selling rights” contracts, which charge you even if you find your own buyer.
Do I need a BER certificate to sell my house?
Yes — a valid BER is legally required to sell or advertise a home in Ireland, the rating must appear in the advertisement, and it must be shown to prospective buyers (SEAI). Certificates last 10 years and attach to the property, so check the SEAI National BER Register before paying — you may already have a valid one. A fresh assessment costs about €150–€250 (An Post Money).
When is the best time to sell a house in Ireland?
Spring (mid-January to May) is the strongest window and autumn (September to mid-November) the reliable second wave; summer is thinner but less crowded, and December is the weakest month. In 2026, launch in early September or after Budget 2027 (6 October) rather than into Budget week, or wait for the January restart if you miss autumn. The bigger variable is preparation: a launch-ready home in a quiet month usually beats a half-ready home in the peak.
Who pays stamp duty when selling a house in Ireland?
The buyer pays stamp duty; sellers pay none. Rates are 1% up to €1 million, 2% on the €1m–€1.5m slice and 6% above €1.5m, charged on the VAT-exclusive price for new builds, with no first-time-buyer stamp duty exemption (Revenue; Switcher.ie). But if you are selling to buy, you pay the buyer’s stamp duty on your next home — budget 1% of its price (plus fees) when you plan the move.
Do I pay capital gains tax when I sell my home?
Not if it has been your Principal Private Residence for your whole ownership — the gain is fully exempt, including land up to one acre, and the last 12 months of ownership always count as occupation. If you let the home for part of the ownership, relief is time-apportioned (Revenue’s example: 10 years lived in, 4 let of a 14-year ownership → 79% of the gain exempt). Taxable gains are charged at 33%, less your €1,270 annual exemption, payable by 15 December (31 January for December sales) (Revenue — PPR relief).
Is the “7-year rule” real for Irish homeowners?
No — that is UK tax law, not Irish. Ireland has no seven-year letting grace period that preserves full PPR relief. Once a former home stops being your residence, relief is time-apportioned year by year, with only the final 12 months of ownership and specific work-absence rules counting automatically. Take Irish tax advice before relying on any “let it for seven years” planning.
Auction or private treaty — which should a Dublin seller choose?
Private treaty for maximum value when you can wait 3–6 months; auction for certainty and speed — probate, timed moves, tenanted or unique properties. At auction the winning bid is binding immediately with a 10% deposit and no cooling-off, and completion runs about 21–28 days; private treaty is non-binding until contracts are signed, which is your (and the buyer’s) escape hatch (Auctioneera; Truehome).
Can I sell a Dublin home with tenants in situ?
Yes, but you are selling a tenanted investment, not an empty home, and the tenancy — with its rights, deposit and rent-review cycle — transfers with the keys. Since 1 March 2026 a national cap limits in-tenancy rent increases to the lower of CPI or 2% a year, which any buyer will underwrite (our rent-cap explainer). Investors are only 9.5% of purchases (CSO), so tenant-in-situ stock sells into a thinner pool — often via auction — and you should get specialist advice on notices, vacant-possession timing and your CGT position (landlord exit guide).
Bottom line
Selling a Dublin home in 2026 is a different game from 2021–22 — and a more forgiving one than the headlines suggest. Prices are still rising (Dublin +4.6% year on year to June 2026), the median is €500,000, and 90% of buyers are owner-occupiers competing for genuinely limited stock; but asking-price growth has cooled to about 2.5%, supply is up 14%, and buyers now have the luxury of choice (CSO; Daft.ie 2026). That combination rewards the prepared seller and punishes the complacent one. Do the order right: BER first (it is the legal gateway and costs €150–€250), fix what a surveyor will find, declutter and photograph professionally, price against 2026 sold comparables — not your neighbour’s 2024 number — launch in the spring or autumn window, negotiate the agent fee down from the quoted percentage, fixed-fee the solicitor, and know your tax position before you sign anything: full PPR relief means most owner-occupiers pay zero CGT, while a let former home, an acre-plus garden or development potential each shrink the exemption in specific, calculable ways. Budget €10,000–€16,000 of must-pay costs on a €600,000 sale, add your prep spend, and treat the 12-week checklist as the plan, not the aspiration. Do that, and 2026’s cooling market still sells your home — at the price the data says it is worth, in the timeframe the process allows.
Get the free Dublin by the Numbers 2026 PDF — every district’s median, growth and buyer mix in one expandable table, built from the same CSO and Daft data used here.
Grab the Seller’s 12-Week Pre-Launch Checklist — the printable version of the timeline above, with a per-week task list and a fee-comparison table for your three agent quotes.
Book a free 15-minute seller consultation — tell us your home, your target price and your deadline, and we will tell you which window to launch in, what to fix first, and what your realistic net proceeds are after every cost in this guide.
Before you time a sale on a market guess, read next: our best-areas-to-buy hub (the pricing evidence behind every Dublin district), the buy-to-let reality check (if you are a landlord selling or holding), and the year-end Dublin property market review (the right read before you wait for a better moment that may not come).
Figures verified 5 September 2026 against the CSO Residential Property Price Index (June 2026, released 19 August 2026), Revenue (stamp duty, PPR relief), SEAI, Daft.ie sales report data (Q1–Q2 2026) and current 2026 market guides. Budget 2027 (6 October 2026) may change tax items in Sections 6–7 — re-verify before relying on them after Budget day. This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice; confirm your exact position with your solicitor and tax adviser.
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