About the Self-build Product

The Self-build product is designed to help eligible self-builders to build a home on a site which they own or are in the process of purchasing anywhere in the Republic of Ireland by bridging the gap between their deposit, mortgage, and the build cost of their home. The self-builder must satisfy a number of eligibility criteria in order to receive funding from the Scheme.

A self-build home is one that is built on a site by the owner(s) of the site either through direct labour (self-managed) or a fixed contractor (construction contract). The home will be used as the principal private residence of the owner(s).

• Use our eligibility calculator to see the minimum and maximum support you could potentially qualify for through the Scheme.
• You can then register and submit your application online by clicking apply now.
• To submit an application online for the Self-build product, you will need a copy of your Mortgage Application in Principle (AIP) and your estimated build cost.
• Before you sign your FHS Customer Contract, you will be required to submit a certified copy of your build cost and your lender valuation.

• You can build a detached or semi-detached house that can be either single or multi-storey.
• The house must be on a site which you own or are in the process of purchasing, within the Republic of Ireland.
• The build cost must be within the property price ceiling for the local authority area in which you are building.

The price ceiling relates to all costs associated with the completion of the project to include connection fees, Local Authority fees and professional fees.

No, you cannot avail of FHS funding to purchase a site.

No. Funding for any demolition work must be secured from an alternative source e.g. mortgage.

In order to draw down the FHS Equity Facility:
• Your solicitor must confirm your Participating Lender has released the first stage payment
• You must provide a Certified Property Report (at least 50% of the works for which FHS funding is required must be certified as complete in order to draw down the FHS Equity Facility)
• Your solicitor must submit a payment requisition form to the FHS

From the date you sign your FHS Customer Contract, you have 12 months in which to draw down the FHS Equity Facility, and the total amount of your FHS Equity Facility must be drawn down as a single transaction.

The FHS Equity Facility cannot be extended to cover any self-build cost overruns. You will need to secure funding for an overrun from your Participating Lender or from another source.

The FHS will discount the value of the site from the current valuation and will calculate the redemption payment amount based on the result.

At the time of redemption, a current valuation for your home (house plus site) will be required. As the FHS calculated your equity share based on build cost only, we will discount the value of the site from the current valuation and will calculate the redemption payment amount based on the result.

Property built in September 2023

Same property valued January 2026

From the date you draw down the FHS Equity Facility, you have 2 years to complete your self-build.

Both a cost overrun and a cost underrun have an impact on the equity percentage held by the FHS in your home and also on the site value percentage calculated when you applied to the FHS.
If you draw down more or less funding from your mortgage provider, you need to notify us so that we can make the relevant adjustments to the equity percentage and the site value percentage.
See detailed examples in the questions below of how a cost overrun or underrun can impact your FHS Equity Share.

The example below sets out how an overrun impacts the equity and site value percentages.

*While the customer contribution remains the same the amount is a smaller percentage of the overall funding at 9%.
**The mortgage provider has provided the additional €50k required to complete the build. The total funding being provided is now €260k (€210k+€50k) or 74% of the overall funding required.
***While the FHS funding remains the same at €60k, the equity share percentage and site value percentage will change as a result of the increased build cost. The equity amount when recalculated as a percentage of the updated build cost is reduced to 17% and the site value percentage when recalculated is reduced to 22%. The change to the equity and site percentages will impact the amount to be repaid by the customer at the time of redemption.

In the event of an underrun involving the drawdown of less funding from your mortgage provider, the equity percentage held by the FHS in your home and also the site value percentage calculated at the time of application can be adjusted. We request that the customer contacts us to make us aware of the underrun and to allow us to calculate the impact.

The example below sets out how an underrun impacts the equity and site value percentages.

*While the customer contribution remains the same the amount is a larger percentage of the overall funding at 12%.
**The final €50k of the mortgage has not been drawn down to complete the build. The total mortgage funding being provided is now €160k (€210k-€50k) or 64% of the overall funding required.
***While the FHS funding remains the same at €60k, the equity share percentage and site value percentage will change as a result of the decreased build cost. The equity amount when recalculated as a percentage of the updated build cost is increased to 24% and the site value percentage when recalculated is increased to 29%. The change to the equity and site value percentages will impact the amount to be repaid by the customer at the time of redemption.

Provided you meet all other eligibility criteria, you may qualify for the FHS Self-build product and the equity in your site can contribute to your 10% deposit.