We went from no savings to buying first €375k new home 20 mins outside Dublin at 25 with little-known €100k scheme help

The Irish Sun

28-07-2025

BUYING a home in Ireland in the current climate can feel like an impossible task.
But Casey Harris and her fiancé Alex Nugent have lifted the lid on how they went from no savings to going sale agreed on a €375,000 house in just one year.
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Thrilled Casey and Alex went from having no savings to getting a foot on the property ladder
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The former Dublin Rose is looking forward to moving into her own home later this year
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Casey and Alex are very excited to see what the future holds
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Artist's impression..Casey and Alex's new-build will look similar to above
The thrilled couple will move into their new two-bedroom home in Trim, Co
Singer and music teacher Casey said the couple made use of every assistance scheme they could when it came to getting on the property ladder - and reckons they
Casey, 25, told the Irish Sun: 'We've been together for five years, we got engaged at the beginning of 2024 and in the midst of wedding planning we decided to knuckle down and look at buying a house.
'We didn't think it would happen as quickly as it did.
'We kind of went and made an appointment with the bank, spoke to a mortgage advisor in the bank to get an idea of what sort of figure we needed to be saving.
'We had it in our head that we needed a ten per cent deposit saved.'
Casey said the couple weren't fully sure what they were getting themselves in for, but once they heard of schemes to assist first-time buyers, they started to believe their dream might just come true.
She continued: 'At this point, we didn't even know where they were building houses; we hadn't even looked into that at all.
'Along the journey, we started to hear about all these schemes available to first-time buyers buying new-builds.
'The more we started looking into them, the more we were like, hang on, this is not as impossible as you might think looking at it from the outside.
I'm 25 and bought my own home - here's how I used every scheme to make my dream come true
'Suddenly you've got this figure in your head, like we need to save about €40,000 deposit, but then you've got Help to Buy, which brings that down to €10,000, which is so much more doable.'
But their first hopes of a home in
Casey explained: 'So along the way we found out about these schemes and then we were looking into the affordable purchase scheme which is overseen by the local county council.
'We had applied for a house out in Donabate but we didn't end up getting one.
'So we took a bit of a knock there.'
But it wasn't long before they were back on track.
Casey said: 'Pretty soon after that we found the house that we ended up buying and it was eligible for the First Home scheme and the Help to Buy scheme which we then ended up using as well.
'It was mad how it all came together really quickly.'
Casey, who represented Dublin at the Rose of Tralee, and fiancé Alex, who works in sales, first looked to the Help to Buy Scheme - an incentive helping first-time buyers get their first house.
It allows those who qualify to claim back income tax and deposit interest retention tax paid to the State over the four years before making a claim.
Casey and Alex were lucky enough to qualify for the full tax refund amounting to €30,000 - enough for a ten per cent deposit.
This meant that the couple had to come up with the remaining €7,500 themselves.
And they used the First Home Scheme - which is available to first-time buyers, self-builders, and fresh start applicants to get a foot in the door.
It involves the provider handing over 20 per cent of the cost of a new home and in return, the State owns an equity share in the property which can be bought back if and when the homeowner chooses.
Casey said the remaining difference of €50,000 that the couple needed to pay off represented about 13 per cent of the house, which was bought by the State under the equity scheme.
She reckons they've got almost €100,000 in relief from the various schemes to be left with a €287,000 mortgage which she said she realises is 'still a lot'.
Casey said the couple lived with their families while saving money for the house.
She explained: 'By the time we applied for the mortgage, we had about €15,000 in savings to put towards everything.
'Once we started the mortgage application process, we continued to save over the couple of months that the whole process took.
'Obviously, you've got your stamp duty, legal fees, and everything else to pay as well, and then you've got to furnish the house and put your floors in too.
'There's no set figure, but I just think it's important that people know when you're using the schemes, you're not having to pay €30,000 or €40,000 out of your own pocket.'
Casey told how the couple got advice from a mortgage broker who made the whole process a lot smoother.
And she said not everyone trying to buy their own home even realises that the rent they're paying will be taken into account when it comes to mortgage eligibility.
She added: 'It's hard to save money when you're renting, but a lot of people renting don't realise that the bank will take into account what you're paying every month.
'So if you're paying €1,200 a month in rent, they take that into account and say you'll be able to afford a €1,200 mortgage.
'Initially we went to the bank because I know nothing about the process from the off, I've no financial background whatsoever, I knew very little about the process.
'So we went to the bank and it was suggested to us that we could look at getting a mortgage broker, and it was the best decision we could have made.
'Our broker was unbelievable, he made the whole process such smooth sailing for us.
'So the house price was €375,000 - that's paid with the mortgage which was €287,000 and the schemes, we got €30,000 from Help to Buy off the deposit, and we used the First Home scheme that gave us the remaining money.
'That scheme is then that they own an equity share in your house and you can buy them out if you want to.'
SHOP AROUND
But the journey wasn't without setbacks, as the couple were refused a mortgage on one of their earliest attempts.
But Casey said the trick to finding the right mortgage is to shop around as different banks have different rules.
She said: 'We were refused a mortgage from one bank, and then two banks were giving us about €40,000 less than what we were looking for after they assessed our situation.
'We ended up getting what we were looking for from two other banks, so different banks look at things different ways, they all have their own systems, obviously when we got refused from the first bank we panicked.
'We had everything in order so for them to say no it was kind of a panic button.
'So it's important to know that there are several banks you can look at, your options are out there.
'That's what I'd be saying to anyone applying: apply to as many banks as possible and then you've got your pick of the bunch.
'We went from having no mortgage on a Monday to having two mortgages on a Friday.'
WHAT IS THE HELP TO BUY SCHEME?
IRELAND'S Help to Buy (HTB) Scheme assists first-time buyers in either:
Purchasing a newly-built house or apartment
Constructing a new home themselves
This scheme is only applicable to properties priced at €500,000 or less, and you are required to reside in the property as your primary home.
Under the Help to Buy Scheme, you can claim a refund of the income tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid in Ireland during the four years preceding the year of your application.
In July 2020, the HTB Scheme was expanded, introducing what is referred to as the Enhanced Help to Buy Scheme.
To be eligible, you must be a first-time buyer purchasing or self-building a new residential property between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2029.
(The scheme was previously available for homes bought or built between July 19, 2016 and December 31, 2016, but claims had to be made by December 31, 2019).
If you are purchasing or building the property with another person, they must also be a first-time buyer.
You will not be eligible if:
You have previously bought or built a house or apartment, either alone or jointly with someone else. This applies even if you are now separated or divorced and have relinquished your interest in the property.
You have owned a property abroad.
You do not intend to use the property as your main residence for at least five years after purchasing or building it (the HTB Scheme is not available for investment properties).
You have not taken out a mortgage for the property.
If you have inherited or been gifted a property but wish to buy or build a new home, you may still qualify for the HTB Scheme, provided you meet all the other eligibility criteria.
And Casey's advice to young people who fear never owning their own home in Ireland is to keep your eye on the prize and make use of the schemes available.
And she said that while it's easy to get stuck in the narrative that buying a house is near impossible, she urged young people not to lose hope.
The future homeowner said: 'Don't get bogged down in all the narratives that you hear, it's not an easy thing to do by any means but if you set your sights on it and make yourself aware of the schemes that are out there to help you, keep your options open.
'We were dead set on living in Dublin because we work in Dublin and we wanted to buy a three-bedroom house, but we ended up going for a two-bedroom house in Meath.
'So you need to manage your expectations a little bit and be a little bit flexible about what you're looking for, how realistic it is for you once you have a rough idea of your mortgage and what you can afford and how the scheme will help you.
'Keep an open mind and don't get bogged down in the negativity, it is possible, and it's not as treacherous as it might be made out to be.'
And the couple, who are set to be married in 2027, are beyond excited about their big move.
Casey added: 'It's really exciting, it's a really, really exciting time, we're looking at being in the house before Christmas so that will be really special.
'We're getting married in 2027 and knowing that once we're in we can get into planning the wedding properly and even just having your own space, it's really exciting.'
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Casey believes it's not impossible to buy a house in Ireland and shared her tips
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The kitchen and dining area will look similar to this