Buying a home in Dublin: prices, credit and costs in 2026

Median prices by area, Central Bank of Ireland lending rules, stamp duty and steps: the essentials before buying in Dublin.

The Remoters editorial team

Published on

19 July 2023

Updated on

6 October 2026

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Buying a home in Dublin takes a high budget and a solid down payment. According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the median price of a home bought by a household in County Dublin was €500,000 over the twelve months to July 2026, compared with €399,999 for Ireland as a whole. Prices there rose another 4.4% in one year, a slower pace than outside Dublin (6.4%).

The market is cooling without falling. The Daft.ie sales report for the third quarter of 2026, relayed by RTÉ, shows asking prices up 2.7% over one year in Dublin, and the gap between asking price and sale price down to 2.6% nationally, compared with 6.8% a year earlier. In other words, bidding wars are less frequent than in 2025, but prices remain above their pre-2008 crisis level: in Dublin, they are 11.3% above the February 2007 peak.

Before you start, four questions matter: which area to buy in, how much the bank can lend, which costs to add to the price, and how the purchase works. Here are the answers, backed by official figures.

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Prices by area in Dublin

County Dublin brings together very different markets. The medians published by the CSO for the twelve months to July 2026 give a good idea of the gaps:

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, in the south of the county: the most expensive area, with a median of €684,411. This is also where house prices rose the most over one year (6.0%).
Dublin City: median of €475,000, and house price growth limited to 2.3%.
The most expensive postcodes: A94 (Blackrock), with a median of €850,500, then A41 (Ballyboughal) at €850,000 and D14 (Dublin 14) at €755,000.
The cheapest code in the county: D17 (Dublin 17), with a median of €335,000.

The type of property matters as much as the address. Over one year, house prices rose 3.7% in Dublin, and apartment prices 6.8%. The CSO points out that a median depends on the mix of properties sold over the period: it helps place a budget, not measure the evolution of a specific neighbourhood.

Supply that remains short

According to Daft.ie, 13,800 second-hand homes were for sale on the portal across Ireland in early September 2026, 12.5% more than a year earlier, but about half the pre-pandemic norm (over 26,000). The report's author, economist Ronan Lyons, notes that in Dublin sales of both new and second-hand homes have fallen, a sign of less pressing demand. For a buyer, this can mean a little more time to view and negotiate, not falling prices.

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Credit: the Central Bank's rules

In Ireland, the amount a bank can lend is regulated by the Central Bank (Central Bank of Ireland), with two limits:

A cap relative to income (loan-to-income): at most 4 times gross annual income for a first-time buyer, 3.5 times for a buyer who has already owned a home. A couple of first-time buyers earning €100,000 a year can therefore borrow up to €400,000.
A minimum down payment (loan-to-value): 10% of the price for a first-time buyer or a buyer moving home, 30% for a purchase intended for renting out.

Banks can exceed these limits for part of their lending: 15% of loans to first-time buyers, 15% of those to other main-residence buyers and 10% of buy-to-let loans. The income cap does not apply to loans for renting out. Since April 2026, it also no longer applies to certain short-term bridging loans (up to 18 months), which let you buy before selling your current home: they remain subject to the down payment limit.

In practice, with a median of €500,000 in the county, a 10% down payment is €50,000, on top of which come the purchase costs. Have your borrowing capacity confirmed by a bank before you view properties: you will know exactly how far to go when it comes to making an offer.

Costs to add to the price

Stamp duty

The buyer pays stamp duty calculated on the value of the property, on a progressive scale set out by Citizens Information:

1% up to 1 million euros;
2% between 1 and 1.5 million euros;
6% above 1.5 million euros.

For a home costing €500,000, stamp duty therefore comes to €5,000. For a new home subject to VAT (13.5%), stamp duty is calculated on the price excluding VAT. A higher scale applies to anyone buying ten or more houses in a year.

Other costs

Also allow for the fees of your solicitor, the lawyer who checks the title and conducts the sale, a technical survey of the building before you commit, and the bank's arrangement fees. Ask for quotes from the start so you can include them in your financing plan.

The steps of buying in Dublin

Get approval in principle from the bank, which sets your real budget.
Target an area by weighing budget, travel time and transport network: Luas, DART and buses serve the outlying neighbourhoods.
View and check the condition of the property and its BER (Building Energy Rating): a poorly rated home means high energy bills.
Make an offer and confirm it in writing with the seller's agent.
Hand the file to a solicitor, who checks the title, prepares the contract and arranges payment of stamp duty.
Sign and collect the keys once the loan is released.

Basic precautions

Never send money to a seller you have not identified: funds go through the solicitors.
Have the building surveyed: damp, roof, electrics.
For an apartment, ask for the amount of the management fees and the state of the building's accounts.

Buying from abroad with support on the ground

Preparing a purchase in Dublin from France means viewing quickly, comparing areas you know little about and coordinating the bank, solicitor and surveyor. A Remoters home finder based in Dublin can search for properties that match your budget, view them for you, prepare your file and support you through to signing. The first conversation and the quote are free.