What is the Help to Buy first drawdown for a self-build?

How it works in Ireland

Help to Buy refunds income tax and DIRT you paid in the four tax years before your application. For a self-build the refund is not available at the start. You must first draw down the first part of your mortgage, then make the claim with proof of that drawdown, and a registered solicitor must verify it.

That makes the first drawdown date a planning point. Under the current relief both your application and your first drawdown must fall between 7 October 2026 and 31 December 2029. The refund is the lowest of the scheme cap, 10% of the approved valuation and the tax you paid, so check the figure before treating it as money for the build.

Your lender’s first release may only come once foundations are in, so Help to Buy cannot cover the earliest costs. Treat it as money that arrives after you have already funded the start, and plan cash accordingly.

Revenue can reclaim a refund in some cases, for example if you do not live in the house as your main home for five years or do not finish building. Check the current rules with Revenue.

What to ask

Before you arrange the mortgage, check the dates: your application and your first drawdown both need to fall inside the scheme window. Confirm with your lender when your first release is likely to happen, since that depends on the stage conditions in your offer. Line up a registered solicitor early, and check your tax record with Revenue so you know the realistic refund before it appears in your budget.

A common mistake

Counting the refund as available to pay for the site or foundations. It follows the first drawdown, so it cannot fund what comes before.