Items in this issue include:
- Biggest turnoffs for buyers on a viewing
- Water charges in rented property
Arising from Budget 2013 home owners are liable to an annual tax on Irish residential properties from 1 July 2013. A residential property means any building or structure which is in use as, or is suitable for use as, a dwelling. It includes any shed, outhouse, garage or other building or structure and any yard, garden or other land, appurtenant to or usually enjoyed with that building. However, any yard, garden or other land that exceeds one acre shall not be taken into account for the purposes of this definition.
Mortgage Approval in Principle
Talk to your Mortgage Broker or the bank/Building society as early as possible. You are looking for Mortgage Approval in principle at this stage. There is no point in viewing properties before you know what a lender is prepared to loan you and how much the repayments will be.
Factor in Costs of Purchasing
Factor in 1% of the purchase price of the property for Stamp Duty (2% for properties over €1 million). A structural survey, carried out by an engineer, will be anywhere between €300-€500 plus vat. You will also have to pay for the mortgage valuation which will be approx €110 plus vat. Finally your solicitor costs will vary but expect approx 1% of the sale price plus vat. To sum up a good rule of thumb for costs associated with purchasing is 2.5-3% of the house price.
The Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) scheme provides tax relief for you by way of an income tax credit at 13.5% of qualifying expenditure on:
- repair
- renovation
- improvement works
These works must be carried out on your main home by qualifying Contractors. The amount of your HRI tax credit depends on the amount you spend on qualifying works. You must spend over €4,405 (before VAT) to qualify for the tax credit. You can spend as much as you like but you can only claim the tax credit up to €30,000 (before VAT).
Items in this issue include:
- Growth in land values and transactions
- Motion passed by Cork County Council to reduce Local Property Tax by 15%
- The Irish Cottage
Items in this issue include:
- West Cork property transactions at a 3 year high
- 3 months left for the NPPR penalty grace period
- Interest Rate Cut is Imminent
- Water Rates facts - Undiluted
- Cheapest county to buy a 3 bed semi in Ireland
Items in this issue include:
- When a receiver is appointed to residential rented accommodation.
- Not enough new builds
- Current mortgage repayment rates – Example of repayment costs
- New Building Control Regulations 2014
Items in this issue include:
- Lack of choice for home buyers
- Bidding for a larger slice of the first time buyers’ market
- New Building Control Regulations 2014
- The lighter side