FHS Help Centre Reviewed 26 January 2026

First Home Scheme Help Centre Ireland

A plain-English First Home Scheme help centre for Irish buyers, linking the calculator, price ceiling lookup, application topics, product routes and future FHS deep-dive guides.

Quick answer

  • Use the FHS calculator for numbers, the ceiling lookup for local authority limits and the guides for the rules behind the estimate.
  • Do not treat FHS as a simple grant; it is shared equity and can affect future decisions such as redemption, sale, rental or mortgage changes.
  • Future FHS content should be deeper practical articles, not copied official FAQ pages.

Start with the FHS question you actually have

The First Home Scheme has a lot of small rules: product type, local authority ceilings, lender requirements, equity share, service charges, redemption, switching and what happens after you buy. Reading every official FAQ in one sitting is not the best user journey.

This help centre is a navigation page for Irish buyers. It does not replace the official First Home Scheme application process. It points you to the most useful Irish Calculators tool or guide first, then reminds you where the official scheme page must be checked before decisions are made.


First Home Scheme CalculatorEstimate the possible funding gap, equity support and HTB interaction before applying.



FHS Price Ceiling LookupSearch your local authority, property route and property type before relying on FHS support.



FHS Service Charge CalculatorEstimate possible year-6 and long-term service charges if the FHS equity share remains in place.



First Home Scheme ExplainedUnderstand shared equity, funding gaps, buyer rules and long-term trade-offs.



Using HTB and FHS TogetherSee how the Revenue refund and shared-equity support can sit in the same funding stack.

Before you apply

Use these pages before you go too far with a property, because this is where many failed applications start: the wrong product route, the wrong local authority area, a property above the ceiling, or a mortgage approval that does not match the scheme rules.


Eligibility and basic rulesStart here if you are not sure whether FHS is suitable for your situation.



Eligibility checklistWork through buyer status, lender approval, deposit, property route and ceiling checks before relying on FHS.



Property price ceiling checkUse the local authority lookup before making an offer or building your funding plan.



Help to Buy plus FHSUseful if you expect to use a Revenue HTB refund and shared equity together.



Application steps checklistFollow the practical order from ceiling check to lender approval, FHS application, solicitor documents and funding release.

Choose the right FHS product route

The same scheme can feel different depending on whether you are buying a new-build, building on your own site, or trying to buy the rental home you already live in. Keep these journeys separate when reading the rules.

Route Best current guide Why it matters
New-build purchase First Home Scheme Explained Most buyers use this route, so start with the main shared-equity guide and the price ceiling lookup.
Self-build on your own site Self-Build First Home Scheme Ireland Build cost, site value, staged drawdown and valuation logic make this route different from buying from a developer.
Tenant Home Purchase Tenant Home Purchase First Home Scheme Ireland This route is for tenants buying the home they rent after a valid landlord sale situation; it should not be mixed up with ordinary second-hand buying.
Fresh Start applicant Fresh Start Applicant First Home Scheme Ireland Useful if you previously owned a home but may qualify because of separation, divorce, insolvency or similar fresh-start rules.

After you buy: equity, charges and changes

The First Home Scheme is not finished on the day you get the keys. It creates an equity facility. That means you should understand what happens if you keep the equity share long term, redeem it, switch mortgage, sell, rent out, or try to top up your mortgage later.


Service Charges ExplainedUnderstand why the year-six point matters and how long-term cost planning works.



Service Charge CalculatorEstimate annual and total service charges based on your FHS equity amount and years held.



Equity Share ExplainedUnderstand what the FHS percentage means, how it moves with property value and why it is not a normal loan.



Redeeming / Buying Back EquityPlan partial or full redemption, understand valuations and avoid leaving the buy-back decision too late.



Property Valuation ExplainedKnow when a valuation is needed, who orders it and why market value affects the buy-back amount.



Selling or Renting Out After FHSUnderstand the sale, rental and principal-private-residence issues before changing how you use the home.



Switching Mortgage with FHSCheck participating lender and redemption risks before starting a switch.



Mortgage Top-Ups with FHSSee why top-up purpose, equity remaining and FHS no-objection steps matter.



Managing Your Equity FacilityAfter-purchase checklist for statements, insurance, service charges, records and change requests.

Future FHS topic roadmap

This version creates the help centre first, without publishing twelve thin FAQ pages. The next content upgrades should be proper Irish help articles, not copied official FAQs.

Future guide Search intent it should answer Recommended priority
FHS Service Charge Calculator How much could service charges cost if I keep the equity share? Published
Equity Share Explained What does it mean that FHS owns a percentage of my home? Published
Redeeming the FHS Equity Share How do I buy back the FHS share and what valuation is used? Published
Selling or Renting Out After FHS What happens if I sell, rent out, rent a room, or stop living in the property? Published
Switching Mortgage with FHS Can I switch lender without redeeming the FHS share? Published
Mortgage Top-Ups with FHS Can I borrow more later while FHS still has an equity stake? Published
Tenant Home Purchase Route How does FHS work if my landlord is selling the home I rent? Published
Self-Build FHS Route How does FHS work when I am building on my own site? Published
Fresh Start Applicant Route Can I use FHS if I owned a home before but qualify under Fresh Start? Published
Role of Your Solicitor What does the solicitor need to do during an FHS purchase? Published
FHS Application Steps Checklist What order should I follow from mortgage approval to funding release? Published
FHS Eligibility Checklist Do I pass the main buyer, lender, deposit, route and property checks before applying? Published
FHS Property Valuation Explained When do I need a valuation and how does it affect redemption? Published
Managing Your FHS Equity Facility What should I track after drawdown while the FHS share remains? Published

Official source reminder

Use Irish Calculators for planning, explanation and comparison. Use the official First Home Scheme website for application decisions, official eligibility checks, final documents and current scheme terms.

  • Check the official price ceiling before making an offer or signing contracts.
  • Confirm lender participation and mortgage approval requirements before applying.
  • Confirm service charge, redemption and post-purchase obligations directly with the scheme documentation.
  • Get legal and financial advice before signing any FHS customer contract.

Frequently asked questions

Is this First Home Scheme Help Centre an official FHS page?

No. This is an independent Irish Calculators help centre. It explains and organises FHS topics in plain English, but the official First Home Scheme website and your lender/solicitor remain the final sources for application decisions.

Should I start with the calculator or the guides?

Start with the First Home Scheme Calculator if you already have rough property and mortgage numbers. Start with the guide pages if you are still learning how FHS works or comparing it with Help to Buy.

Should I use county or local authority for FHS ceilings?

Use the local authority area for the property address. Some counties have more than one local authority area, and the ceiling can depend on that exact area.

Will this help centre replace future FHS guides?

No. This page is the navigation hub. Future versions should add deeper guides for service charges, redemption, equity share, switching, top-ups and tenant home purchase without copying official FAQ wording.

Sources & references

First Home Scheme Application Steps Checklist Ireland A practical step-by-step checklist for Irish buyers applying for the First Home Scheme, from price ceiling check to funding release. First Home Scheme Eligibility Checklist Ireland A practical First Home Scheme eligibility checklist for Irish buyers covering buyer status, mortgage approval, deposit, property route, price ceilings and common blockers. First Home Scheme Ireland Explained: Shared Equity for Buyers A detailed First Home Scheme guide explaining shared equity, funding gaps, eligibility, redemption, service charges and Irish buyer scenarios.

Related calculators

Use these tools for the numbers behind this guide.

First Home Scheme estimate
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