Stage 3 of 7
Arrange finance and budget checklist
Set a budget with a contingency, then arrange a self-build mortgage that pays out in stages.
Need the full explanation? Read about this stage in the self-build stages guide.
Your checklist
Stage complete
What happens
- You compare lenders and apply for a staged mortgage, with an approval based on your plans and costs.
- The lender releases money in stage payments (called drawdowns) as a valuer confirms each stage is complete.
- You work out how to cover costs between stage payments.
Typical time: Mortgage approval and tender commonly take 2 to 4 months, alongside detailed design.
Put this stage into practice
- Self-build cost calculator
Budget for build and VAT, site, fees, connections, kitchen and finishes outside your contract, and contingency. Open calculator →
- Mortgage affordability calculator
Compare your project cost with the Central Bank mortgage lending limits (the most you can borrow against your income) and see how much you must cover from your own funds. Open calculator →
- Stage payment planner
See whether your own funds cover the gaps between mortgage stage payments. Open calculator →
- Help to Buy calculator
Estimate your Help to Buy tax refund for a first home, from its value and the income tax you’ve paid. Open calculator →
Guides for this stage
Start with the first guide, or choose the part you need help with.
Budget and mortgage
- Cost to build a house in Ireland: how to budget for your self-build
Budget for your Irish self-build, from site and construction to fees, VAT and contingency. Understand cost averages and compare quotes for your design. Costs and grants · 23 min read
- 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. Finance · 18 min read
- Self-build mortgage stage payments explained
Plan self-build mortgage stage payments around your bills, certification and deadlines, with a four-stage example and a worked cash-flow budget. Finance · 9 min read
- How to compare self-build mortgages in Ireland
Compare self-build mortgage offers on stage payments, available cash, repayments and total cost, with a worked example and questions for your lender. Finance · 7 min read
Managing payments
- Mortgage interest during a self-build
Budget for interest while building in Ireland, understand interest-only repayments, and test the payment jump and cost of delays with worked examples. Finance · 7 min read
- Funding a gap in your self-build budget
Separate a drawdown delay from a cost overrun, calculate the money needed to finish, and compare options before taking on extra debt. Finance · 8 min read
- Building a house without a mortgage in Ireland: cash first, mortgage after
Self-building with savings and no lender in Ireland? What changes: insurance, certification, Help to Buy, and borrowing against the finished home afterwards. Finance · 10 min read
Grants and tax
- Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant: refurbishing a vacant or derelict house
Who qualifies for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, how much it pays (up to €70,000), when you get the money, and the insurance gap during works. Costs and grants · 11 min read
- VAT on a self-build in Ireland: rates and what to budget
Irish self-build VAT: house construction, separately bought materials, the two-thirds rule, heat pumps, qualifying solar contracts and VAT recovery. Finance · 10 min read