Ready to Build sites
A discount of up to €30,000 off the price of a serviced site (roads, water and services already in) in a town or village, to help you build your own home there.
Last checked July 2026
What it is
A discounted serviced site in a town or village to build your own home on, up to €30,000 off the price. The council puts in the roads, footpaths, water and drainage first. First-time buyers and Fresh Start applicants come first, but you do NOT have to be either: an older or disabled person selling their current home to move into a town or village qualifies, and so does anyone else selling up to move to one. It has to be your own home to live in, not a rental or a development. IT IS NOT A FREE DISCOUNT, and this is the bit to understand before you sign. You must live there at least five years, and if you sell or it stops being your main home within ten years you repay the State: 100% of the discount up to five years, 75% between five and ten, nothing after ten. A charge goes on the property to secure it. Two deadlines can cost you the lot: apply for planning within 3 months of approval or the site reverts to the council, and start building within 12 months of getting permission or the whole discount is repayable. One site per applicant, and if several people qualify for the same site it goes to a lottery. Ask your council for the Vacant Homes Officer.
Who can get it
- You want to build your own home in a town or village
- There is a Ready to Build serviced site available through the local authority in the area
- You meet the local authority's conditions for the scheme
- The council services the site (roads, footpaths, water, drainage) and sells it on at a discount of up to €30,000.
- It is part of the effort to bring people back to live in rural towns and villages under Our Rural Future.
- Availability depends entirely on your local authority, so contact them to see if a site is available near you. Ask for the Vacant Homes Officer, they are the named contact for this scheme.
- THE CLAWBACK IS THE THING PEOPLE MISS. Sell within five years and you repay 100% of the discount, so up to €30,000 you may not have budgeted for. Between five and ten years it is 75%. After ten years there is nothing to repay. The agreement puts a charge on the property, so it follows the house, and it is binding on you when you sell.
- You do not have to be a first-time buyer. There are three priority tiers: first-time buyers and Fresh Start applicants, then disabled or older people selling their current home to move to a town or village, then anyone else selling up to move to one. If more than one person qualifies for a site, it goes to a lottery.
- Two deadlines can cost you the whole thing. You must apply for planning permission within 3 months of being approved to buy, or the site reverts to the council, and building must start within 12 months of getting permission or the full discount is repayable. A council can extend the 12 months in exceptional circumstances.
- One site per applicant, and the house has to be your own home. It is not open to builders or developers.
How to apply
Applications go through Local authority. The official page has the full eligibility rules and the application itself.
Go to the official page →Checked against the official source on 25 July 2026. Always confirm the details on the official page before applying.
Questions people ask
How much can I save with the Ready to Build Scheme?
Up to €30,000 off the price of a serviced site in a town or village.
What is a serviced site?
A building plot that already has roads, footpaths, water and drainage connected, so you can build a home without putting in the services yourself.
Who runs it?
Your local authority services and sells the sites, so availability depends on the council.
How do I get one?
Contact the housing or community section of your local authority to ask about available Ready to Build sites in your area.
Related guides
- Vacant / Derelict Property Grant
- Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan
- Living City Initiative
- Pyrite Remediation Scheme
- Defective Concrete Blocks (Mica) Grant
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