Before choosing a Kildare price range, separate the mortgage you can obtain from the cash you must provide. The purchase contribution and the additional buying costs need different lines in your plan.
Start with the property and the lender’s figures
Write down a proposed price and the mortgage amount actually available, keeping unconfirmed estimates marked as estimates. The difference is the purchase contribution to fund; tax, professional work and moving costs sit outside that calculation.
For illustration only, a €350,000 purchase with a €300,000 mortgage leaves €50,000 of the price to fund before other expenses. These are invented planning figures, not Kildare averages, a lender quote or a statement that the loan will be approved.
Keep the three cash totals separate
| Total | What belongs in it |
|---|---|
| Purchase contribution | Price minus confirmed mortgage funding |
| Transaction and setup | Tax, legal work, survey, valuation and moving |
| Remaining reserve | Money you intend to keep after completion |
Test the gap against a realistic timetable
Compare available savings with all three totals, not only the contribution. If you expect family help or a scheme payment, show it separately until its conditions and availability are confirmed. Ask the lender what evidence it needs for the source of funds.
Use recorded local transactions as research, not as a guarantee that a similar home will sell for the same amount. Check the official register’s notes and compare the actual property details. Then use your monthly budget to decide whether the remaining saving target and mortgage repayment are manageable.
A smaller deposit target does not automatically mean a lower total cash requirement. Review the plan when the property price, mortgage offer or known work changes; avoid borrowing back the money needed for ordinary household bills.
A cash-gap worksheet for one shortlisted home
- Price — Use the proposed price of that home, not an invented county average.
- Available — Record confirmed loan and usable savings without counting the emergency reserve.
- Gap — Subtract available purchase funding and separately add identified transaction and setup costs before choosing a savings timeline.
Your next step
Budget separately for a new-build purchase in Kildare