Buyers Guide

Buying Property in North Tipperary, Laois & South Offaly

Are you thinking of buying a property?

Check out our buyers guide to get all the information you require. If you are looking to buy, check out our property listing to find your dream home.

View residential sales

Save for a deposit

  • Talk to your bank and confirm the limit you are allowed for your mortgage.

The Central Bank rules are:

  • If you are a first-time buyer you will need a deposit of 10 percent of the value of the house.
  • If you have bought a property before you will require a 20 percent deposit (e.g. a maximum LTV of 80 percent).

Set your budget:

  • When setting your budget ensure you can afford the mortgage repayments each month and ensure that you have enough to cover the extra costs of buying a house, including survey costs, stamp duty, moving costs, and legal fees.

If you are selling, get your property valued:

  • Get your home appraised by a qualified real estate agent and find out how much is still owed on your current mortgage to determine how much equity you have to put toward your next home.

Shop around for your mortgage:

  • Check price comparison sites for overviews on the mortgage products available from the main lenders.
  • Ask around with friends and family about their experience with their lenders.
  • Book a mortgage meeting with a local mortgage advisor.

Get loan / mortgage approval in principle

  • Ensure you have all your paperwork ready.

For employees, it's usually:

  • P60 and recent payslips
  • A salary certificate
  • Bank statements

If you're self-employed, check lender websites for the documents required.

Write down must-haves for your dream home.

  • Start with the obvious, how many bedrooms do you need or what size of garden.
  • Then consider do you want a larger kitchen? A home office or any other essentials for your dream home.

Do a little research:

Research the area you're interested in and take time to explore further. Check out:

  • New roadways
  • Public transport
  • Schools
  • Amenities
  • Other major developments

For information on any of the areas of our properties, please contact our office.

Appoint a solicitor to arrange the legal documents:

  • Check out as many as you can and ask about conveyancing fees.
  • Ask what their fee does and does not include.
  • Make sure they're a member of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.
  • We can supply a list of local solicitors should you need it.

Once you have found your dream home, make an offer

  • Contact our office to make an offer.
  • Let us know that the offer is 'subject to contract and survey' - so you'll only pay the amount in principle, subject to legal or structural issues.
  • Your solicitor will check for legal issues and you will need to pay a booking deposit to your estate agent once your offer has been accepted.

Get your property checked by experts

  • Hire a surveyor or architect to carry out a structural survey. This will highlight any structural issues that may need to be fixed. Look out for things like:
    • Cracks in the wall
    • Uneven flooring / foundation
    • Broken items around the house
    • Mold
    • Loose wiring etc.
  • If the structural survey returns issues, you will be able to reconsider purchasing the property, or you can negotiate on the price.
  • Get a valuation once the property is 'sale agreed'. You or your lender will hire a professional valuer to send the valuation to your lender before offering the formal loan.
  • We can also supply a list of local architects and surveyors for you.

Get your insurance in check

  • Shop around for mortgage protection assurance and home insurance and sign on for the best offer for you. By law, your lender must make sure that you have mortgage protection cover before taking out a mortgage.

Finalise the mortgage

  • Contact your lender and inform them of the details of the property. Once they are happy with all details they will send you a formal "letter of offer".
  • Meet with your solicitor and make sure you double-check all details before you sign on the dotted line.

Lastly, Closing details

  • Sign the contract.
  • Your solicitor will set the date for closing the sale.
  • You'll pay your deposit on the property.
  • You'll need to pay stamp duty as well.
  • Deliver the balance of funds to your solicitor.
  • Confirm home insurance details.

Get in touch

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