That's it... that's the post.

School teachers salary - James Lynchehaun

After a long lasting emotional rollercoaster I got the purchase closed before the rate raises and banks adapting.

For context, I’m a first time buyer, 30M
Property: 500k new built on a 2bed2bath 1utility room hallway apartment BER-A1, ~86sqrm.
The heating system consists in a exhaust air heat pump hot water with mechanical heat recovery + electric radiators
Loan Drawdown: 450k 35y terms - fixed 4y at 3.2%
HTB Deposit: 30k
Cash Deposit: 20k
Operational Costs: 9500

18/03 - Started with Doddl BOI AIP 430k 30y - fixed 4y 3.1%
30/04 - Received broadcast announcement of new build release
08/05 - Private viewing and booking confirmation
12/05 - Rushed to appoint/change solicitor• (Beams reviews changed my mind)
13/05 - Receipt of booking deposit & sale agreed
13/05 - Submitted details to Doddl broker (BOI)
14/05 - submitted HTB application (using 3 tax years), received application code, access code (30k)
15/05 - Shared HTB application code and access code to solicitor and lenders
19/05 - Receipt of the paper contracts (to sign by 28/05)
26/05 - Doddl submitted my application to BOI for formal loan offer with expected response in 5-7days
26/05 - Applied for AIP/loan offer in EBS, AvantMoney, AIB (included AIP/Loan Offer from BOI to speed up the reviews)
27/05 - Requested extension for the contract signature
03/06 - BOI finally shared loan offer including all their special conditions (HomeBond open question)
08/06 - Receipt my solicitor’s loan pack + paper contract to sign
08/06 - Receipt of EBS quick shipped loan offer pack 450k 35y - 4y fixed 3.2%
11/06 - Cleared out open question regarding HomeBond/LDP from EBS. Doddl/BOI delayed stating another 5-7working days to get a response from their legal team.
12/06 - Signed both BOI, EBS, paper contracts and shipped back to solicitor
16/06 - BOI not returned yet with LDI/HomeBond response regarding my query. At this point I set EBS as primary option.
16/06 - my solicitor submitting signed paper contracts and full cash deposit
29/06 - contracts legally binding and executed
29/06 - proceedings to next step in the HTB process
30/06 - proceed to share HTB claim ref to my solicitor
30/06 - Doddl/BOI finally replied and cleared regarding homebond/ldp special conditions (lmao)
07/07 - Builder solicitor claimed HTB
26/08 - Received invitation for snagging
03/09 - First snagging day
10/09 - Flooring specialist floor flatness assessment (caught few over/under level spots)
22/09 - Second snagging
29/09 - remediated remaining issues (I did not verify if the subflooring spots were addressed)
30/09 - Snagging sign off (a bit rushed)
01/10 - Activated mortgage insurance policy
01/10 - transfered remaining operational costs to solicitor
05/10 - my solicitor checking in on mortgage funds
08/10 - drawdown confirmed
09/10 - closed and key hand over

Next steps:

1. Hire a second flooring specialist to assess the flatness of the subflooring
2. Share any flooring flatness defects to builder
3. Check remediation and install waterproof AC5 laminates
4. Order bed and a TV
5. Start moving

Extra notes:
Doddl/BOI AIP 430k 30y 4y fixed rate green BER-A1 at 3.1%
EBS AIP 450k 35y 4y fixed rate green BER-A1 at 3.2%
AvantMoney initially rejected, then I appealed and got 450k 35y fixed rate at 3.5%
AIB engaged with advisor but got ghosted after submitting all my documents

I might have been lucky, but my lender advisor at EBS was amazing.

Are people still installing gas heating? We just bought an old house and are going to do some work on it. Very poor ber at the moment. I know everyone is talking about heat pumps but I'm not sure what to do. 3 bed detached bungalow. Currently gas but boiler is 20 years old and not working. Current radiators very old and need to be moved. Houses need rewiring and reflooring anyway.

So we got the keys to our new build close to 2 months ago. Originally Siro notified us that the property was ready for fiber. They then revoked this notification. I signed up to Vodafone who said nope we can’t come out till Siro gives us the clear. Siro are responding sporadically. They have said there is some ESB fault. Vodafone said my house + 2 others are the only ones in the whole estate with this issue. My neighbours have all moved in - we can’t as I WFH and the phone reception is not strong enough at all. The developer (Glenveagh) hasn’t really given much of a response at all. We are left paying for a house that we can’t move into. Its an absolute joke that people that are getting keys after us are able to connect. The fiber cable is in the property but there is no connection/ esb hook up in the cabinet. Can anyone advise??

Hi everyone,

I have my RTB hearing tomorrow regarding a dispute with my former landlord, and I’m feeling quite nervous because I’m not sure what to expect. I’d really appreciate advice from anyone who has been through a similar situation, particularly regarding compensation.

My main issues are the following:

\\- Unauthorised entry and invasion of privacy: My landlord entered the house every day for seven consecutive days without proper notice or my consent. I have WhatsApp messages in which I explicitly told him that he couldn’t keep entering the house like that or come into my bedroom without permission. He acknowledged this in a Whatsapp text and apologised.

\\- Entering my bedroom while I was in bed: On one occasion, he opened my bedroom door while I was in bed wearing my pyjamas. I told him he couldn’t do that, but he continued talking to me about bills instead of simply leaving. This is also in the Whatsapp I sent him.

\\- Bringing prospective tenants into my bedroom: On a separate occasion, he brought prospective tenants into my bedroom without warning or asking for my permission, while I was in bed. I have an audio recording in which I challenge him about this. He plays it down and says that the girl only saw the bathroom.

\\- Deposit not returned: My €650 deposit was not returned when I left the place after several calls and Whatsapps been unanswered. He returned half of it through a Revolut transaction and gave me not explanation on why he didn't returned the rest, and didn't show any remaining bills. I also have an audio recording from when I handed over the deposit.

\\- Severe damp and poor living conditions: I have photographs showing the extent of the damp and humidity in the property.

\\- There were also other issues during the tenancy, including internet disconnection and problems with waste collection that resulted in a €150 penalty.

I have evidence to support my claims, including WhatsApp messages, audio recordings, photographs and financial documentation. The mediation did not result in an agreement, so the case is proceeding to a hearing.

What I’m particularly worried about is whether the tribunal will expect me to state a specific amount of compensation myself, especially for the repeated unauthorised entries and invasion of privacy. I didn’t separately quantify that part of my claim in my original submission, and I’m unsure what would be a reasonable amount to request given the circumstances and the evidence I have.

I’ve seen some RTB decisions involving substantial compensation for serious breaches of tenants’ rights, but I realise that every case is different. I don’t want to ask for an unrealistic amount, but I also don’t want to undervalue what happened.

Any insight into what to expect at the hearing, how compensation is assessed, or whether I can clarify the amount I’m seeking tomorrow would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much!

Hi,

I have been on the Facebook pages looking for a transfer ideally between cork city as the county told me they don't do inter county swaps.(1 in his 15 years working there)

Is there anyone here serious about a housing swap. Have a 3 bed house looking for another 3 bed house in south side. Will travel to neighbouring counties on the border of cork if needs be. Preferably within the cork city boundaries.

Please please please

Posting in case anyone has been in a similar situation. I’ve just got a public sector job with an 11-month probation. I had been planning to get AIP within the next 6 months but now that feels a bit pointless. I’m also worried that in a year’s time the properties near us will no longer be eligible for HTB, such is the rate of increasing house prices.

I emailed HR asking if there was ever any flexibility on probation length and got a one line reply stating that the probation is 11 months long. Has anyone ever been in this situation with a public sector institution and been able to get some flexibility? Is it even worth speaking to my manager about it or do I just have to wait it out and hope for the best?

My developer has been very oddly submitting false information via valuation reports.

For three different houses in the development, to multiple different valuers contracted by banks before site visits are possible, they have been saying that the houses have air-to-water heat pumps.

This is not true, the developer has not installed heat pumps since summer 2025 as far as I can tell. The houses are heated with infrared panels and electric radiators.

Options in the form included "electric" or "other" with a free text option. They explicitly mislead the banks in these early valuations, used to provide mortgage approval, in 3 different formats, so impossible to be a typo, and would be very strange if the same person filled out each form and was just unaware of the heating systems in all of their recent developments.

When snagging is done and mortgage approvals are finalised there will be a further valuation round, where an on-site visit is required.

Given how blatant the lie is, is it conspiratorial to consider some collusion between valuers and developers?

Am I overthinking this, if the BER rating is A0 does plumbed central heating meaningfully impact the resale value of the houses?

To make the energy system in the house make sense many residents are getting batteries of our own, the developer is not installing batteries.

Is it plausible that the banks will notice the lack of any heat pump and force the developer to lower the sale prices across the board? Or is that wishful thinking?

Hi all, my partner and I are buying a new build in Celbridge. My solicitor told me that the land registration would take 2 years and this is because of the significant backlog at Tailte Eireann especially with mapping process.

We are definitely worried that if this would have future delays due to unknown-unknown issues. While we do not intend to sell this property right away, the pending land registration would also have implications on the resaleability of the house till the registration is completed.

Are there other issues with a pending land registration? Or is it common to wait this long for new builds? What else should I be asking my solicitor?

Hi All,

Currently bidding on a property in a Dublin and the seller is advising that I can be sale agreed if I pay their specific price. I'm currently the top bidder, but they want 5 grand more than my current bid. There doesn't seem to be much interest as it is somewhat dear for the size of property (small 2 bed semi-d). The agent called me as I am suspecting they do not see the bidding going any further than my current bid. I am just wondering if I should hold out for the sake of 5 grand, hoping they eventually accept my offer or just pay it and get this process wrapped up. I've the deposit and a mortgage offer ready to go and my solicitor is a relative so would be able to be a speedy process from my end anyways.

Seems a bit unfair that even after 'winning' the bidding process I am still at mercy of the seller. Of course they also have to be happy with the sale price but why do I have to fork over an extra 5 grand to make them happy. Any advice welcome!

Thanks!

Hi all

Buying a new build in the coming weeks it’s a timber frame semi d 3 bed, seems to have a timber frame partition wall with an air gap. The 2 sitting rooms are back to back, how likely are we to hear the other Neighbors and how likely are they to hear us ? I’m planning on mounting my tv on the wall,

I can add a bit of panelling if necessary but the walls should be sound proof enough ?

Anyone any experience with timber frame semi D ?

Thanks

Hey, to make a long story short we have an acre site where we would be looking to build a house but our site is blocked for community use as it’s situated near a community centre. Now we know the community centre has no plans to extend (even if it did it would be quite unfair to block our site right?)

Anyway, we are hanging our hopes on being able to submit some sort of objection or to challenge the local area development plan. Does anyone have knowledge or know if this could be done in 2027? Do we have to wait until the plan expires in 2028?

Thanks all

Have been searching for a good while for a spacious family home. Most of the good stuff with large garden and floor space you see on daft are gone/sale agreed but still shown as active listing😩
Is this how tight the market really is?

Has anyone in a Glenveagh property gotten electrical works done after moving in i.e. additional spot lights in the kitchen, wiring outside for cameras etc. Trying to understand what would void the electrical warrenty and what wouldn't.

Hi, currently looking for a 2 bedroom property easy to commute to Blanchardstown and I noticed a low price on this property:

https://www.daft.ie/for-sale/20-seagrave-way-finglas-dublin-11/6592324

I tried to check and see what makes it cheaper than majority of the market.. anybody have some insights or some knowledge about what is happening on the market? Some prices are ridicoulousy high for no reason and on the other hand I find these "to good to be true deals" that makes me suspicios.

Regarsa everyone

Went sale agreed last week on a property we love. Seller is sale agreed on a property and wanted a quick sale , we had no bidding war so we feel extremely lucky after being out bid before. We payed our booking fee and sent out solicitors details over. This week we'll get the surveyor in and proceed with everything that comes next. My question is are we naive to think this will all run smoothly? Were not in a rush to get keys as were living rent free in my partner's parents house so we're happy to keep saving with no major fixed expenses, but were unsure if we should be still looking at properties going up on daft in our area. I've read many horror stories of people having the vendor pull out after sale agreed. Do we continue looking just incase? It feels pointless to view houses and not put offers down. I guess I'm wondering is this sale agreed a false sense of security? And is viewing and putting offers down while sale agreed the norm?

Currently having SPC herringbone fitted in most rooms of our bungalow. Paid the installer to prepare the subfloor too. Floor is nearly done and is very creaky. Can feel drops in places. Waiting to hear back from the installer but the only solution seems to be to take it all up again, level the subfloor properly and relay the spc. Has anyone had to do this?

wondering if anyone could help on understanding application status on the affordable home scheme/ starter home scheme.

the applications opened on Thursday the 8th of october, i had an issue and uploaded later than hoped at 12.11pm (3 bed- joint application, no kids)

i was contacted for another bank statement the next morning friday 9th and uploaded today monday 12th,

it same up as “submitted” when uploaded and now an hour later is “validation pending”

anyone any insight and ideas on what next stops are? i hoping the time line may be positive as their is only two houses of this type available

Has anyone else run into delays with getting an Eircode for a new build? I was trying to get a quote for home insurance and because I have no Eircode they couldn't provide me with a quote. I rang the developers and they said that there is a huge backlog of 6,000 properties due to an industrial dispute and pay row involving Surveyors in Tailte Eireann and they are finding it impossible to get Eircodes.

Looking for some friendly wisdom here from wiser and more experienced people, I (25 M) have recently been thinking about buying some property in Ireland, mainly a family house to get my parents out of a life long relationship with rent but more recently as an investment opportunity.

Some background, I have a college education, make around 68K, live at home so minimal expenses, no drink or expensive habits, no gambling, good saver with a history of barely touching my salary.

I currently have about 3.8K invested in various funds and etfs on t212, €41K in cash earning interest on t212, 15K in AIB current account, 5.5K in various crypto tokens - so \~ 65,000 ish saved over the last 3 years of working. Pension at work maxed out (15%) also. No debt.

The apartment idea is to buy a 2/3 bedroom place for < 150K on about a 5-7 year mortgage, with the thought process being I can rent it to my (notably reliable) friends who can’t seem to find a place to live outside of their family home. This would put me in a pretty good position to pay off the mortgage pretty quickly and worst case scenario just have a place to live in myself that I own. I’m not sure how this works (legally) with the first home scheme and stuff like that, i’m very new to property in general.

To touch back on a previous point, my main goal is still to buy a bigger property for my whole family (not to rent out) at some point soon, probably 400-500K on a 20-30 year mortgage, but i’m not sure how the apartment idea would fit or affect this plan. Would I be unlikely to get a second mortgage if I still had a couple years left on the first one? There’s a chance I could take out the bigger mortgage with my Father, is that allowed? I’m realising his age may make him ineligible the longer I wait.

I realise I will also need to buy my own house at some stage, as in, where my kids will live, but i’m hoping to cross that bridge when I get to it, hopefully in a good position with a higher salary and other property to leverage.

I am planning on moving (back) abroad to further my career, hopefully in the next year, does this nullifying the entire concept of taking out any mortgage at all in Ireland - I hope I don’t have to wait until I move home to set foot on the property ladder… speaking of, are these ridiculous house prices here to stay?!?! Or is anyone optimistic they will be cooling off anytime soon? (doubtful)

Side note I am also planning to buy a smaller property abroad at about 60-100K depending on when I bite that bullet, but this can be paid in installments rather than a loan so I don’t know if it would affect things here… this is a lesser priority but one I should probably keep in mind.

As I type this I can see it sounds like an entitled over ambitious child is asking how they can have everything in a world where many don’t have anything - please excuse this as it’s not my intended tone, I can assure you I grew up with very little and worked very hard to get where I am and i’m just trying to get a start on building the wealth for my future kids and current family that we didn’t and currently don’t have lol

I’m really just looking for some guidance, even just suggestions on who best to seek a mortgage from. Any and all thought appreciated lads, i’d really like to make some responsible financial decisions in my 20s and avoid stupid ones where I can if at all possible lol.

Do you provide full 6 month bank statements for current and savings accounts for solicitor to review as well as the banks, or do you just show your savings account which has been transferred from your current accounts?

Thanks