WHEN MINISTER FOR Finance Jack Chambers made yesterday’s Budget 2025 announcement, first time buyers in particular will have been listening closely for any anything that could help them get their feet on the property ladder. 

An important point for first-time buyers, are the significant expansions that have been made to the Help To Buy scheme. The scheme was scheduled to remain on the books until December 2025, but has been extended in until 2029.

“Ensuring people have access to home ownership is a key priority for this government,” Finance Minister Jack Chambers told the Dáil yesterday. He said the scheme has supported around 50,000 individuals and couples to buy their own home and that the extension would give future buyers “certainty”.

The nature of the Help to Buy Scheme – which offers a tax rebate to first time buyers up to a maximum value of €30,000 (or 10% of the property price, whichever is less) – will remain the same heading into 2025. Prospective homebuyers can apply for the scheme by sending all of the relevant material to Revenue online. 

Help to Buy applies to new builds only. New builds are energy efficient with many being A-rated. These homes have integrated sustainable solutions, such as solar panels and heat pumps, which can help keep energy costs low and save you more money in the long-run.

The nature of new build communities also means that you are more likely to be situated in a neighbourhood with people at the same stage of life as you. 

Greville Park, a new collection of A-rated, beautifully designed Glenveagh homes in the bustling town of Mullingar, just an hour from Dublin, is perfectly suited for first-time buyers and qualifies for the Help-To-Buy Scheme. 

Let’s take a two-bed property in Greville Park as an example of how you can avail of the Help To Buy scheme. The home purchase price is €310,000- and first-time buyers are required to have a deposit of 10% of the property value.

With the Help to Buy scheme, you can get a maximum of €30,000 towards your deposit, meaning the remaining deposit needed is €1,000. This means the mortgage needed to purchase the home would be €279,000 (less Help-to-Buy and deposit).

Glenveagh is one of Ireland’s leading community builders. For more information or to discover your next home, visit Glenveagh.ie.