Stage 1 of 7

Find and check a site checklist

Find land, and check it can get planning, services and a sensible foundation before you pay for it.

Your checklist

Find the county development plan on your council’s website, under Planning. Ask your architect, planning consultant or engineer whether it allows a house on this site and whether local need rules require a connection to the area.
Hire a qualified site assessor for a wastewater site suitability assessment if there is no mains sewer
Ask an architect, planning consultant or engineer experienced in local planning applications to check access, sight lines (how far drivers can see to enter and leave safely), and who owns the land along the road
Ask water, electricity and broadband providers whether they can connect the site, what it would cost and how long it would take
Have your solicitor check title (legal ownership), rights of way and burdens (legal restrictions or obligations on the land)
Decide how you will pay for the site

You search for a site and check whether the planning authority is likely to grant permission there.
You check access, water, wastewater, electricity and ground conditions before committing. Ask your engineer what ground investigation is needed and whether the results could mean expensive foundations before buying.
Your solicitor checks title (legal ownership), rights of way (legal access across land, for you or others) and any conditions on the land.

Typical time: Weeks to many months, depending on the market.

Build timeline planner
Enter how long each phase will take. We show your earliest move-in date, or the latest start date if you have a move-in deadline. Open calculator →
Stage payment planner
See whether your own funds cover the gaps between mortgage stage payments. Open calculator →

Start with the first guide, or choose the part you need help with.

Where to start a self-build in Ireland: what to do first, second and third
No land, no mortgage and no plans yet? The order to work in: affordability, then site and planning prospects, then mortgage approval in principle. The build · 6 min read
Rural housing and local need: do you qualify?
How rural housing policy and the local need test work for a one-off house in Ireland: the evidence councils ask for and occupancy conditions. Planning permission · 10 min read
Buying a site for a self-build in Ireland: checks before you sign
What to check before you sign for a site: title, planning history, access, services, flood risk, wastewater. How conditional contracts and deposits work. Planning permission · 7 min read

Will your site pass a wastewater assessment?
Test whether your site can treat wastewater before you buy. Check soil depth, percolation results and distances to wells under Ireland's 2021 Code. Planning permission · 20 min read
Septic tank or treatment system for a new house in Ireland
How a septic tank differs from a packaged treatment system, what the 2021 wastewater code requires for a new house, and who registers and maintains it. The build · 15 min read

Financing a site for a self-build in Ireland
Plan a site purchase alongside your build mortgage, upfront tax and fees, with a worked cash budget and questions to settle before committing. Finance · 9 min read
Insuring a site you own before you build
Find out what cover you can arrange for a site you own, who you owe a duty to, and how insurance changes when building starts and when you move in. Insurance · 10 min read
Help to Buy for self-builders in Ireland
Check your Help to Buy eligibility, refund limits and first-drawdown dates before counting the money in your Irish self-build budget. Finance · 11 min read

Buying an unfinished house in Ireland
Check funding, planning, certification and insurance before buying a part-built house in Ireland, with a worked cost-to-finish comparison. Finance · 9 min read
Ready to Build: up to €30,000 off a serviced site
Get up to €30,000 off a serviced council site. Check who qualifies, planning and build deadlines, local conditions and when you must repay the discount. Costs and grants · 7 min read
Building a house on your parents' or family land
How to build on a site from your parents or family: the tax on the gift, getting the site into your name, what a lender asks for and the planning conditions. Planning permission · 7 min read
Living on site while you build: mobile home, caravan or cabin
Can you live in a mobile home, caravan or cabin on your site while you build in Ireland? Planning, wastewater, insurance and the risk of building first. Planning permission · 6 min read
Renovate, extend or knock down and rebuild an old house in Ireland
Inherited an old farmhouse or bungalow? Compare renovating, extending or rebuilding in Ireland: planning, VAT, grants, finance and insurance. Planning permission · 6 min read