How this calculator works
The scheme fills the gap between what you can fund and the price. The calculator adds your mortgage, your deposit, and any Help to Buy refund, subtracts that from the price, and the shortfall is the equity stake the First Home Scheme would take. It checks the stake against the 30% cap (20% if you use Help to Buy) and the minimum of the higher of 2.5% or €10,000, then shows the equity share and the service charge that would begin in year six.
A worked example
Say a new home costs €400,000, your mortgage is €280,000, and your deposit is €40,000. That leaves an €80,000 gap, which the scheme covers as a 20% equity stake, well inside the 30% cap. If you left it in place, the service charge from year six would begin at around €1,400 a year. Add Help to Buy to the mix and your deposit rises, so the gap the scheme has to cover, and the equity share it takes, both shrink.
What decides the stake
- Funding gap — the larger the gap between your funds and the price, the bigger the stake.
- Help to Buy — using it caps the stake at 20% but also shrinks the gap.
- Caps and floor — the stake cannot exceed the percentage cap or fall below the minimum.
- Redemption — buying the stake back early avoids the service charge from year six.
A note on accuracy
This models the equity stake and the first service-charge band only; it does not check the regional price ceiling, your eligibility, or the later charge bands, and the amount repaid ultimately tracks your home’s value. Confirm the current rules and ceilings at the First Home Scheme and Citizens Information, and see our methodology for the sources.