Irish Calculators Updated for 2026 Estimate only

First Home Scheme Calculator

Free Ireland calculator with quick estimates, clear breakdowns, and helpful planning guidance.

First Home Scheme Calculator Ireland FHS · Shared Equity

Applicant & Income

Plan

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€

Property

€

Funds

€
€
Leave blank if you want the calculator to estimate this from income.
€
Enter 0 if not using Help to Buy. HTB reduces max FHS from 30% to 20%.

Advanced assumptions

Quick estimate assumes all applicants are first-time buyers, over 18, buying the home as their main residence, borrowing the maximum available standard mortgage, and using a participating FHS lender. Open advanced assumptions only if you need to change these details.

How this First Home Scheme estimate is calculated

The calculator estimates First Home Scheme support using property price, deposit, mortgage capacity, HTB interaction, and local price ceiling assumptions.

Published by Irish Calculators. Rates, rules and assumptions are maintained against the official sources linked below.

  1. The selected property details are checked against local authority price ceiling assumptions.
  2. Deposit, mortgage, and Help to Buy inputs are used to estimate the funding gap.
  3. The equity share is estimated against scheme limits and user inputs.
  4. Service charge and affordability notes are shown for planning only.

Source note: First Home Scheme and Revenue.ie guidance where applicable. This is an estimate only and not financial advice.

About This First Home Scheme Calculator

This First Home Scheme Calculator Ireland estimates your eligibility for the FHS shared equity scheme, calculates the likely funding gap, and shows the estimated FHS support amount and equity share percentage. It covers New Build, Self-Build, and Tenant Home Purchase routes, checks local authority price ceilings, and factors in Help to Buy interactions. It combines eligibility screening, funding gap estimation, and FHS amount calculation to give you a practical estimate before applying.

This calculator combines eligibility screening, funding gap estimation, and FHS amount calculation for New Build, Self-Build, and Tenant Home Purchase routes in Ireland. It uses the official scheme rules and local authority price ceilings to give you a practical estimate before applying.

What the scheme provides. The First Home Scheme is a shared equity support for eligible first-time buyers and qualifying fresh-start applicants. It can fund up to 30% of the property or build cost (or 20% where Help to Buy is also used). The minimum FHS support is the higher of 2.5% of property cost or €10,000.

How the calculator works. Enter your purchase route, property details, income, deposit sources, and eligibility information. The calculator estimates the funding gap between your property cost and the total of your mortgage plus deposit. It then checks whether that gap falls within the scheme limits and whether all eligibility gates are met.

What this tool now adds. In addition to initial eligibility and funding-gap checks, the result area also includes a buy-out-later estimator showing how redemption amounts can change if property values change over time, including the official self-build site-value treatment and indicative service charge build-up.

What this tool does not include. This is an estimate only. It does not confirm FHS approval, lender decisions, or final legal eligibility. Official redemptions require a valid valuation and may also be affected by material alterations, valuation timing rules, and any prior redemptions already made on your account.

FHS Service Charges (Indicative)

Service charges on the FHS equity share begin from Year 6 and increase over time. For planning, they are best thought of as annual charges tied to your original FHS amount and your current equity share percentage.

PeriodAnnual Rate
Years 0 – 50% (no service charge)
Years 6 – 151.75%
Years 16 – 292.15%
Year 30+2.85%

Help to Buy vs First Home Scheme

Help to Buy (HTB) is a tax refund of up to €30,000 based on Income Tax and DIRT paid over the previous 4 years. It applies only to new builds and self-builds, and requires a 70% mortgage-to-value ratio. HTB reduces the cash deposit you need.

First Home Scheme (FHS) is a shared equity scheme where the State and participating lenders take an equity share in your property. It can fund up to 30% of the purchase price (or 20% if HTB is also used). FHS bridges the gap between your mortgage, deposit, and the property cost.

Can they be used together? Yes, for New Build and Self-Build routes. However, using HTB reduces the maximum FHS percentage from 30% to 20%. For Tenant Home Purchase, HTB is not available.

Property Price Ceilings by Local Authority

The First Home Scheme sets maximum property price ceilings by local authority area. Your property cost or build cost must not exceed the ceiling for your area and property type.

€500,000: Cork City, Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, South Dublin, Wicklow.

€475,000: Galway City, Kildare, Meath.

€450,000: Cork County, Galway County. Limerick and Waterford apartments also qualify at €450,000.

€425,000: Limerick (house/self-build), Louth.

€400,000: Kerry, Kilkenny, Laois, Mayo, Waterford (house/self-build), Westmeath, Wexford.

€375,000: Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Donegal, Leitrim, Longford, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary.

Use the FHS price ceiling lookup to check a specific local authority, route and property type before entering the full calculator. For a wider topic map, open the First Home Scheme Help Centre, or read the FHS price ceilings guide for detailed examples.

How This Calculator Works

1
Select your purchase route (New Build, Self-Build, or Tenant Home Purchase) and choose your local authority area to apply the correct price ceiling.
2
Enter your property or build cost, applicant details, and answer the eligibility screening questions including first-time buyer status and fresh start pathways.
3
Provide your gross annual income, mortgage approval amount (or use the 4x income estimate), and deposit breakdown including cash savings, gifts, and Help to Buy if applicable.
4
The calculator checks all eligibility gates, computes the funding gap between your property cost and your mortgage plus deposit, and estimates the FHS amount and equity share percentage.

Who This Calculator Is For

First-time buyers who need shared equity support to bridge the gap between their mortgage, deposit, and property cost.
Self-builders checking how FHS applies to build costs and how site equity contributes toward the deposit.
Tenants buying their rented home under the Tenant Home Purchase route.
Buyers already using or considering Help to Buy who want to understand how HTB and FHS interact.
Anyone checking local authority price ceilings and minimum or maximum FHS amounts before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the First Home Scheme in Ireland?
The First Home Scheme is a shared equity support for eligible buyers in Ireland. The State and participating lenders take an equity share in the property to bridge the gap between the buyer's mortgage, deposit, and the purchase or build cost.
Who can apply for the First Home Scheme?
You must be over 18, either a first-time buyer or a qualifying fresh start applicant, buying a principal private residence, with mortgage approval from a participating lender, and borrowing the maximum available standard mortgage without using a Macro Prudential Exception.
How much can I get from the First Home Scheme?
FHS can fund up to 30% of the property or build cost. If Help to Buy is also used, the maximum drops to 20%. The minimum FHS support is the higher of 2.5% of the property cost or €10,000.
What are the local authority price ceilings?
Each local authority area has a maximum property price ceiling. Your property cost must not exceed the ceiling for your area and property type, so the calculator checks the selected local authority before estimating support.
Does the property have to be my principal private residence?
Yes. The property must be your principal private residence. It cannot be an investment property or second home.
Does using Help to Buy reduce the amount I can get from FHS?
Yes. If you use Help to Buy alongside FHS, the maximum FHS equity share drops from 30% to 20% of the property or build cost.

Related Guides

First Home Scheme Help Centre Browse the FHS calculator, ceiling lookup, eligibility topics, equity share, service charges and future deep-dive guides. FHS Price Ceiling Lookup Search local authority, property type and route before relying on FHS support. First Home Scheme Explained Shared equity, funding gaps, lender rules, price ceilings and long-term considerations. Using HTB and FHS Together The key differences between Revenue refund support and shared-equity support. FHS Price Ceilings Ireland How local authority price ceilings work and why the official table should be checked before applying. FHS Service Charges Explained Year 6 service charges, long-term cost bands and why redemption planning matters. FHS Service Charge Calculator Estimate possible annual and total service charges from year 6 if the FHS share remains. FHS Application Steps Checklist The safe order from mortgage approval and ceiling check to solicitor documents and funding release. FHS Eligibility Checklist Check buyer status, lender approval, deposit, property route and local authority ceiling before applying. FHS Valuation + Equity Management Understand valuations, annual statements, service charges, insurance and after-purchase FHS obligations. Selling, Switching and Top-Ups with FHS Post-purchase guides covering sale, rental, mortgage switching and extra borrowing decisions. Tenant Home Purchase FHS How FHS can work if you are a tenant buying the home you rent when the landlord is selling. Self-Build First Home Scheme Own-site self-build route, build cost, staged funding, price ceilings and valuation issues. Fresh Start Applicant Rules How fresh start pathways can work for FHS and how they differ from Help to Buy rules. First-Time Buyer Scheme Guides Help to Buy, FHS, eligibility and equity-share guides.
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