How much can I borrow, and what will it buy?
Put in what you earn and what you’ve saved. Cara applies the Central Bank’s mortgage rules, takes stamp duty and fees out of your savings, and shows the homes for sale that are likely to sell within your budget, not just ask it.
Buying a home?
Your personal agent for buying a home: it emails estate agents for you, chases their replies, books viewings and tracks your bids.
What should Cara do for you?
Cara’s to-do list
- Email the agents about the houses you like, and chase them until they reply
Free while it’s in beta. We’ll email you when your spot opens. Nothing goes to an agent without your OK. Privacy
The rules it uses
- How much you can borrow: first-time buyers up to 4× their gross income, second and later buyers up to 3.5×, joint incomes added together. These are the Central Bank’s mortgage measures since January 2023.
- The deposit: both first-time and second-time buyers need at least 10% of the price. Movers selling a home use the equity from it.
- Costs out of savings first: stamp duty (1% up to €1m; see the stamp duty calculator) and about €4,000 for the solicitor, survey and valuation. See the full costs of buying.
- Exceptions exist: lenders can go over the limits for a share of their loans each year, and each lender has its own tests (your spending, other loans, repayment at a stress rate). Help to Buy can add up to €30,000 on a new build (the schemes). Treat this as a guide and get approval in principle (how).
Value any home in Ireland, free
- ✓ A map of every sale and listing around it
- ✓ The comparable sales behind the figure, against their asking prices
- ✓ Price history and how the area is moving