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Buying in Ireland?Avoid the mistakes other buyers made.

Irish and foreign buyers share what went wrong when they bought property in Ireland. Most of these problems were easy to avoid. Read them before you visit, make an offer or sign anything.

Avoid all the traps

RedditThe Irish TimesIrish ExaminerRTÉ NewsTheJournal.ieMeath ChronicleIrish Independent267 mistakes you won’t make

Real experiences, by real people

Sale agreed isn't sold. In Ireland, buyers find out too late.

Until contracts are signed, the seller can still take a higher bid, and all you hold is a refundable booking deposit. And that's only the start. A survey that turns up mica blocks in Donegal or Mayo, an extension that was never authorised and a bank that won't lend on it, a 10% deposit lost because you pulled out after contracts. One bad call in an Irish purchase can easily cost €20,000 to €60,000, often a lifetime of savings, and years of lying awake over it.

Ask Claude what can go wrong and you'll get the usual list, the one everyone already knows. You'll find these problems online, just rarely in the order you need them. Scroll an Irish property thread and you land on someone waiting over a year for first registration with Tailte Éireann, while you're still trying to get mortgage approval. That's not your problem yet. So we sorted every mistake by step of the purchase, and you read the step you're at.

We also update the page every week. When national rent control came in from March 2026, it went straight in.

Before years of savings go into an Irish home, it's worth one evening with the mistakes other buyers made first.

More about us

Your buying journey in IrelandLoanSolicitorBiddingSale agreedSurveyTitleOMCContractsClosingKeys

Step 1

Getting mortgage approval

Central Bank limits, the 10% deposit and few lenders for non-residents

  • “It looked perfectly fine on paper, then the bills came in.”

    A very common trap. The person who posted explains every step, with the names.

     Source

  • “The agent knew about it, and the contract said nothing.”

    He shares the documents, the dates and what it finally cost him.

     Source

  • “Three other owners in the building had the same problem.”

    Owners in the thread compare what happened to them, and what they would check first next time.

     Source
21 more traps to avoid in this step
Step 2

Hiring a solicitor early

Title documents, the 6–12 week timeline and who does the checks

  • “The agent knew about it, and the contract said nothing.”

    A very common trap. The person who posted explains every step, with the names.

     Source

  • “Three other owners in the building had the same problem.”

    He shares the documents, the dates and what it finally cost him.

     Source

  • “We only found out when it was already too late to walk away.”

    Owners in the thread compare what happened to them, and what they would check first next time.

     Source
14 more traps to avoid in this step
Step 3

Bidding on the property

Online bidding, low asking prices, ghost bids and no proof of funds

  • “Three other owners in the building had the same problem.”

    A very common trap. The person who posted explains every step, with the names.

     Source

  • “We only found out when it was already too late to walk away.”

    He shares the documents, the dates and what it finally cost him.

     Source

  • “The paperwork took far longer than anyone promised us.”

    Owners in the thread compare what happened to them, and what they would check first next time.

     Source
25 more traps to avoid in this step
Step 4

Going sale agreed

The refundable booking deposit, and gazumping until contracts

  • “We only found out when it was already too late to walk away.”

    A very common trap. The person who posted explains every step, with the names.

     Source

  • “The paperwork took far longer than anyone promised us.”

    He shares the documents, the dates and what it finally cost him.

     Source

  • “Nobody mentioned this part before the signature. Nobody.”

    Owners in the thread compare what happened to them, and what they would check first next time.

     Source
17 more traps to avoid in this step
Step 5

Getting the survey and BER

Structural survey, pyrite, mica blocks and the energy rating

  • “The paperwork took far longer than anyone promised us.”

    A very common trap. The person who posted explains every step, with the names.

     Source

  • “Nobody mentioned this part before the signature. Nobody.”

    He shares the documents, the dates and what it finally cost him.

     Source

  • “It looked perfectly fine on paper, then the bills came in.”

    Owners in the thread compare what happened to them, and what they would check first next time.

     Source
22 more traps to avoid in this step
Step 6

Checking title and planning

The solicitor's checks, unauthorised extensions and LPT receipts

  • “Nobody mentioned this part before the signature. Nobody.”

    A very common trap. The person who posted explains every step, with the names.

     Source

  • “It looked perfectly fine on paper, then the bills came in.”

    He shares the documents, the dates and what it finally cost him.

     Source

  • “The agent knew about it, and the contract said nothing.”

    Owners in the thread compare what happened to them, and what they would check first next time.

     Source
17 more traps to avoid in this step
Step 7

Checking the apartment block

The management company, service charges and fire safety defects

  • “It looked perfectly fine on paper, then the bills came in.”

    A very common trap. The person who posted explains every step, with the names.

     Source

  • “The agent knew about it, and the contract said nothing.”

    He shares the documents, the dates and what it finally cost him.

     Source

  • “Three other owners in the building had the same problem.”

    Owners in the thread compare what happened to them, and what they would check first next time.

     Source
25 more traps to avoid in this step
Step 8

Signing contracts and the 10%

The loan offer, the binding contract and the 10% deposit

  • “The agent knew about it, and the contract said nothing.”

    A very common trap. The person who posted explains every step, with the names.

     Source

  • “Three other owners in the building had the same problem.”

    He shares the documents, the dates and what it finally cost him.

     Source

  • “We only found out when it was already too late to walk away.”

    Owners in the thread compare what happened to them, and what they would check first next time.

     Source
21 more traps to avoid in this step
Step 9

Closing and paying stamp duty

Requisitions, the loan drawdown and stamp duty of 1%, 2% or 6%

  • “Three other owners in the building had the same problem.”

    A very common trap. The person who posted explains every step, with the names.

     Source

  • “We only found out when it was already too late to walk away.”

    He shares the documents, the dates and what it finally cost him.

     Source

  • “The paperwork took far longer than anyone promised us.”

    Owners in the thread compare what happened to them, and what they would check first next time.

     Source
18 more traps to avoid in this step
Step 10

Registering with Tailte Éireann

Land Registry or Registry of Deeds, and first registration delays

  • “We only found out when it was already too late to walk away.”

    A very common trap. The person who posted explains every step, with the names.

     Source

  • “The paperwork took far longer than anyone promised us.”

    He shares the documents, the dates and what it finally cost him.

     Source

  • “Nobody mentioned this part before the signature. Nobody.”

    Owners in the thread compare what happened to them, and what they would check first next time.

     Source
16 more traps to avoid in this step

Optional steps

Only if they apply to you.

Optional

If you plan to rent it out

National rent control since March 2026 and tenants' new rights

  • “We only found out when it was already too late to walk away.”

    A very common trap. The person who posted explains every step, with the names.

     Source

  • “The paperwork took far longer than anyone promised us.”

    He shares the documents, the dates and what it finally cost him.

     Source

  • “Nobody mentioned this part before the signature. Nobody.”

    Owners in the thread compare what happened to them, and what they would check first next time.

     Source
16 more traps to avoid in this step
Optional

If you plan short-term lets

The Fáilte Ireland register from December 2026 and planning rules

  • “We only found out when it was already too late to walk away.”

    A very common trap. The person who posted explains every step, with the names.

     Source

  • “The paperwork took far longer than anyone promised us.”

    He shares the documents, the dates and what it finally cost him.

     Source

  • “Nobody mentioned this part before the signature. Nobody.”

    Owners in the thread compare what happened to them, and what they would check first next time.

     Source
3 more traps to avoid in this step
Optional

If you leave it empty

The Vacant Homes Tax and the Residential Zoned Land Tax

  • “We only found out when it was already too late to walk away.”

    A very common trap. The person who posted explains every step, with the names.

     Source

  • “The paperwork took far longer than anyone promised us.”

    He shares the documents, the dates and what it finally cost him.

     Source

  • “Nobody mentioned this part before the signature. Nobody.”

    Owners in the thread compare what happened to them, and what they would check first next time.

     Source
13 more traps to avoid in this step

How we work

  • We findWhat ChatGPT won't tell you: Reddit and Askaboutmoney threads, Boards.ie, and Irish newspaper reports on real buyers.
  • We link backEvery trap links to the post it came from. Open it, read the replies and judge for yourself. Nothing here is made up or rewritten.
  • We go localDublin and Cork of course, but also Meath, Donegal and Clare.
  • We read both sidesIrish owners and expats rarely post in the same places or talk about the same things. We read both, and show you both.
  • We keep it updatedWe're on these forums every week, reading what buyers post. As soon as a post is worth knowing, we add it here.
  • We stay independentNo developer, agent or lawyer pays to be on this page or to be left out of it. Nobody has paid us anything, and nobody will.
  • We helpFound a problem you didn't know about, and not sure how to fix it? We work with local real estate experts. Contact us
  • You read it in one eveningGrab a coffee, take an evening, read the ones that could happen to you. You’ll walk into every meeting knowing what to look for.

One evening of reading.Years of expensive mistakes avoided.

Every day, plenty of foreigners and locals make mistakes when buying in Ireland. Why repeat them when you can learn from them?

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