Good news for first time buyers in the 2020 Budget as the Help to Buy Scheme has been extended until December 2021.

These grants launched in January 2017 in hopes to boost the building sector and make it easier for first time buyers to get on the property ladder. The grants available through this initiative can help buyers with the deposit they need to buy or build their first home. 15,000 new homes have been bought or built under this scheme since it launched. The extension of the scheme with no changes to the capped amounts or grant amounts was welcomed in this budget.

The scheme is available to first time buyers purchasing a new build to be their primary home for the next five years. The home can be built by the buyers or purchased from an approved developer. If you qualify you can receive a refund of €20,000 or 5% of the purchase price, whichever is the lesser amount.

You can apply for this grant online through your Revenue.ie account and get approval before you buy the property. You claim the refund online as well once you have signed contracts on your new home.

Helen Gallery Auctioneers and Valuers are the sole agents for the new developments Fort View and Ballymacaula View which both qualify for the Help to Buy Scheme. For more information on these developments, contact us.

You can get more information on the scheme on Revenue’s website.