Selling a House in Ireland? 10 Things to Do Before You Go to Market
Most house sales in Ireland don’t fall apart over price. They stall over paperwork — a missing certificate, an unregistered extension, deeds nobody can find.
Nearly all of it can be sorted before a buyer is ever involved. Here is what to get in order first.
The 10 things to do before you go to market
Decide when you actually want to sell
Do you need to sell before you can buy? Is there a deadline — a school term, a job move, probate, a separation agreement?
Get a realistic valuation
Invite a local estate agent to value the house, then look past the number:
- How many similar houses have they actually sold nearby?
- What's the marketing plan — photos, floor plans, Daft and MyHome?
- What's the fee, and is it a percentage plus VAT? Get it in writing.
- Are they licensed by the PSRA? Every agent must be.
Instruct your solicitor before you go to market
Instructed early, we request your deeds, read the title, and tell you what's missing while there's still time to fix it. Instructed after you go sale agreed, the same problems surface with a buyer, a lender and an agent all waiting.
Track down your title deeds
Your solicitor can't prepare contracts without title.
- Mortgaged: your lender holds them. They need a signed authority from you, can take weeks, and some banks charge a release fee of up to €63.
- No mortgage: usually with the solicitor who acted when you bought, or at home.
- Inherited: the deeds may still be in the name of the person who died. Probate or a Deed of Assent may be needed first.
- Lost: Land Registry title can often be reconstructed.
You'll also need photo ID, proof of address, and — for a family home — your marriage certificate, or separation, divorce or death papers, under the Family Home Protection Act 1976.
Gather your planning and building paperwork
Changed the house since you bought it? A buyer's solicitor will want proof it was done lawfully — extensions, attic and garage conversions, dormers, garden rooms, large decking, changes of use.
You'll usually need a Certificate of Compliance with Planning Permission and Building Regulations from an architect, engineer or surveyor. Some works are exempted development — but the exemption still has to be certified.
- Rural houses: septic tank registration, water supply and wayleaves.
- Apartments: service charges clear, and a certificate from the management company.
Get a valid BER before you advertise
A valid Building Energy Rating must be in place before the property is advertised, and the rating must appear in the listing. Check the SEAI National BER Register first — you may already have one, and a BER lasts 10 years.
Ask your lender for a redemption figure
The exact amount needed to clear the loan. While you're on the phone, ask whether a break funding fee applies on a fixed rate, and whether the mortgage is portable if you're buying again.
Check what else is registered against the property: a Help to Buy or affordable housing clawback, a local authority charge, a judgment mortgage, or a second loan.
Bring your LPT up to date and check your CGT position
A sale cannot complete without LPT clearance from Revenue, and unpaid LPT is a charge on the property itself. Print your Property History Summary from LPT online — your solicitor will need it. Figures are in the next section.
Prepare the house for viewings
You don't need a renovation. You need the house to look cared for: declutter, deep clean, fix the dripping taps and blown bulbs, neutral paint where walls are marked, cut the grass and tidy the front — the first photo is the front of the house.
Know the costs and the timeline
Agreeing a price is the start of the legal process, not the end of the sale. Allow roughly two to three months from sale agreed to closing where the paperwork is in order.
The numbers you’ll be asked about
BER — and the 2026 change to the scale
A BER is valid for 10 years unless you carry out works that change the energy performance. Only an SEAI-registered assessor can produce one, and you’ll need the MPRN from your electricity bill. Protected structures, national monuments, places of worship and stand-alone buildings under 50 square metres are exempt.
From 24 May 2026 the rating scale was simplified to A0, A, B, C, D, E, F and G. The sub-categories — B1, B2, B3 and the rest — are gone, cutting fifteen rating levels to eight. A0 is a new top band for buildings using no fossil fuels, and the new certificate shows lifecycle carbon emissions and carries a QR code linking to upgrade guidance.
Your existing certificate is unaffected: every BER issued before the change stays valid for its full 10 years and still satisfies the requirement when you sell. Order a new one now and you’ll get the shorter scale — a house that would once have been a “B2” is simply a “B”.
Local Property Tax
- Whoever owns the property on 1 November is liable for the following year’s charge.
- The current valuation period runs 2026 to 2030, based on values at 1 November 2025.
- General clearance usually applies where the sale price is €400,000 or less outside Dublin, or €500,000 or less in Dublin, and certain conditions are met — no application needed.
- Above those figures, or where your declared band looks low against the sale price, your solicitor applies for specific clearance. Revenue processes these in around 12 working days.
- All returns must be filed and payments up to date, including old Household Charge arrears.
Don’t forget the NPPR. The Non-Principal Private Residence charge applied from 2009 to 2013 on a property that wasn’t your main residence, and it is still raised on every sale. If you lived there throughout those years the charge doesn’t apply — but you’ll need to show it, usually with a bank statement or utility bill for each year. If it did apply, you’ll need the receipts or a certificate of discharge from the local authority.
Capital Gains Tax
If the house was your only or main home for the whole time you owned it, Principal Private Residence Relief usually means no CGT. It gets more complicated if the property was rented out for a period, was a second or holiday home, was inherited or held for years before you moved in, or is sold with development land.
- CGT is 33% on the taxable gain, with an annual personal exemption of €1,270.
- The relief covers the house and up to one acre of land around it.
- The last 12 months of ownership always count as occupation, so a normal gap between moving out and closing doesn’t cost you the relief.
- Buying and selling costs, and capital improvements, can usually be deducted.
- For residential sales above €1 million (€500,000 for non-residential), you must give the buyer a CG50A clearance certificate. Without it, the buyer must withhold 15% of the full sale price and pay it to Revenue.
If you live abroad, extra clearance steps apply before your solicitor can release the proceeds to you. Take tax advice before you sign contracts, not after.
What it costs, and what happens next
What it costs to sell: the estate agent’s fee (usually a percentage plus VAT), solicitor’s fees plus outlay and VAT, the BER assessment, an architect’s or engineer’s certificate of compliance if needed, management company fees and certificate for an apartment, a mortgage break fee if you’re on a fixed rate, and CGT if it applies.
After you go sale agreed, nothing binds either side until step 4.
- 1not committed
Booking deposit
Paid to the estate agent. Refundable — nobody is committed yet.
- 2
Contracts issued
Your solicitor sends contracts and title documents to the buyer's solicitor.
- 3
Queries and survey
Queries on title, planning and services. The buyer surveys and finalises the loan.
- 4binding from here
Contracts signed
The contract deposit is paid. The sale is now binding on both sides.
- 5
Closing day
Funds transfer, keys change hands and your mortgage is redeemed.
Sort the paperwork before the buyer arrives
The best time to find a problem with your house is before you have a buyer waiting on you.
Almost every delay we see in a sale — unregistered extensions, missing certificates, deeds still in a deceased owner’s name, an LPT band that doesn’t match the sale price — could have been dealt with quietly, weeks earlier, for less money and far less stress.
How Jacob Law LLP can help
We act for property sellers and buyers across Ireland. Choose what fits where you are right now.
Pre-Sale Legal Pack — get sale-ready before you list
A fixed-fee review before your house goes on the market. We take up your deeds, read the title, check your planning and tax position, and give you a short written report on anything that needs fixing — with a plan for fixing it.
- Title and deeds reviewed and, where needed, requested from your lender
- Planning, building regulations and exempted development checked
- BER, LPT and CGT position flagged
- A clear list of documents to gather, and who to get them from
→ Find out more about the Jacob Law Pre-Sale Legal Pack
Property sale conveyancing
Full legal work on the sale of your house, apartment or investment property — contracts, replies to queries, mortgage redemption and closing. Fixed-fee quote in writing before you commit.
Sale and purchase together
Selling and buying at once is where most things go wrong. We run both sides as a single transaction, line up the closing dates, and keep the bridging gap as small as possible.
→ Get a quote for your sale & purchase combined
Our Step-by-Step Guides
We have put together a plain-English booklet for each route — the process step by step, a full costs breakdown, the outlays involved, who to contact and when, and answers to the questions we are asked most. Read one here or download the PDF to keep.
Property Sale Guide
Property Sale & Property Purchase Guide
Sources and further reading
- Revenue — Local Property Tax
- Revenue — Selling a house
- Revenue — Capital Gains Tax
- Revenue — Capital Gains clearance certificate (CG50A)
- SEAI — National BER Register
- Tailte Éireann — Land Registry and Registry of Deeds
- Property Services Regulatory Authority
- Citizens Information — Property deeds
- Family Home Protection Act 1976
This article is general information about selling property in Ireland and is not legal or tax advice for your situation. Please take advice on your own circumstances. Jacob Law LLP acts for sellers and buyers throughout Ireland.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a solicitor to sell a house in Ireland?
Yes. Only a solicitor can prepare and sign off the contracts and transfer legal ownership of the property. A buyer's lender will not release funds without solicitors acting on both sides.
When should I contact a solicitor about selling?
Before you go on the market. Instructing a solicitor early means your deeds can be taken up from your lender and your title, planning and tax position checked while there's still time to fix anything — instead of after a buyer is waiting.
How long does it take to sell a house in Ireland?
Once you go sale agreed, allow roughly two to three months to closing where the paperwork is in order. Missing certificates, probate, retention permission or a chain of connected sales can push it out further.
What documents do I need to sell my house?
Your title deeds, photo ID and proof of address, your BER certificate, planning permissions and certificates of compliance for any works, your LPT Property History Summary, your mortgage account details, and marital status documents for a family home. Apartments also need management company details and a clear service charge account.
Do I need a BER certificate to sell my house?
Yes. A valid BER must be in place before the property is advertised, and the rating must appear in the advertisement. A BER lasts 10 years. Check the SEAI National BER Register before paying for a new assessment — you may already have a valid one.
Will I pay Capital Gains Tax on selling my home?
If the house was your only or main residence for the whole period you owned it, Principal Private Residence Relief usually means no CGT. If it was rented out, was a second home, or was held for years before you lived in it, part of the gain may be taxable at 33%. Get advice before signing contracts.
Who pays the Local Property Tax in the year the house is sold?
The person who owns the property on 1 November is liable for the following year's LPT. In practice, contracts normally provide for the LPT to be discharged by the seller and apportioned between seller and buyer at closing. The sale cannot complete without Revenue LPT clearance.
Can I sell if I can't find my title deeds?
Usually, yes. If the property is mortgaged, the lender holds the deeds and will release them to your solicitor. If they're genuinely lost, registered title can often be reconstructed from Land Registry records. It takes time, which is why it's worth checking early.
Can I sell my house before I've found one to buy?
Yes, and many people do to become a cash-ready buyer. The trade-off is arranging somewhere to live in between. If you'd rather close both on the same day, that can be co-ordinated — but it needs both transactions managed together from the start.
What does a solicitor charge to sell a house in Ireland?
Fees vary with the property and the complexity of the title. Ask any solicitor for a written quote showing the professional fee, outlay and VAT before you instruct them. We provide fixed-fee quotes in writing.
