Am I covered?

Up Down to move Enter to openEsc to close

Am I covered?Six quick questions show the cover your build needs.

House prices up 4.9% in the year to August 2026, CSO says

The CSO says house prices were 4.9% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier, the slowest annual rise in a year. What it means for your site and build.

By Published 1 min read

Line chart: annual change in national house prices falls from 7.5% in August 2025 to 6.3% in February 2026, 5.2% in June, 5.0% in July and 4.9% in August 2026.

In brief

  • The CSO's Residential Property Price Index shows national house prices 4.9% higher in August 2026 than in August 2025.
  • The annual rate has slowed from 7.5% a year earlier, but prices are still rising month to month (0.8% in August).
  • Apartments rose 6.6% over the year and all residential properties 5.1%.
  • The index covers sales of existing and new homes. It does not measure the value of a site or what your own build will be worth.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) updated its Residential Property Price Index in October 2026 with figures to August. It tracks prices paid for homes bought with a mortgage or cash across the country.

What did house prices do?

National house prices were 4.9% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier. The index for houses stood at 210.5 (2015 = 100). Prices rose 0.8% in the month and 2.0% over the three months to August.

Month Annual change in house prices
August 2025 7.5%
February 2026 6.3%
June 2026 5.2%
July 2026 5.0%
August 2026 4.9%

For all residential properties together the annual rise was 5.1%. Apartments rose 6.6%.

What the figures do and don’t tell you

  • The annual rate is slowing, but prices are still rising. Slower growth is not a fall.
  • The index is a national average of sales. Prices in your county, or for a site in your parish, can differ a lot.
  • It measures houses that have been built and sold. It does not value a site or tell you what a house you build will be worth on completion.

What does this mean for you?

Rising house prices make a finished self-build worth more, but they also push up what sellers ask for sites, and a lender values your site and your build at each stage. Check your budget against current costs, not last year’s, using the cost to build a house guide.

This article reports published statistics. It is not a forecast or financial advice.

Getting a self-build mortgage in Ireland

What an Irish self-build mortgage needs: planning permission first, a 10% deposit, borrowing limits, application documents and the interest-only option.

18 min read

Sources

Last reviewed 13 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so confirm anything important with the source before you rely on it.

  1. HPM09: Residential Property Price IndexCentral Statistics Office

News articles describe what was announced or published on the date shown. They are general information, not financial, tax or legal advice, and measures announced in a Budget may change before they become law.