Before you go on the market
- Get a valuation. A local agent's valuation reflects your home's condition and your road, which online estimates can't.
- Get a BER certificate. By law a home can't be advertised for sale without a Building Energy Rating, and the rating must be shown in every advert. A registered BER assessor visits and the certificate is valid for 10 years unless you make major changes.
- Talk to your solicitor early. Ask them to get your title deeds from your lender and to check planning for any extensions. Gaps in paperwork are the most common cause of delay.
- Check your Local Property Tax is up to date. The buyer's solicitor will ask for proof.
- Sign a letter of engagement. Every licensed agent must give you one, setting out the fee and the services before any work starts.
Presenting your home
Small things matter in photos and viewings: clear the surfaces, fix dripping taps and sticking doors, cut the grass, and let in as much light as you can. You don't need to redecorate. Buyers in Dublin 9 often plan their own renovations and mainly want to see the space and the condition.
Offers and bidding
Buyers make offers through the agent. Agency Dublin records every offer in writing, tells all bidders when a new offer is made, and checks each bidder's mortgage approval. Only you decide which offer to accept, and it does not have to be the highest: a buyer with approval in place and nothing to sell can be the safer choice.
From sale agreed to closing
Booking deposit
The buyer pays a booking deposit to the agent. Until contracts are signed, either side can still withdraw.
Contracts
Your solicitor draws up the contract and sends it to the buyer's solicitor with the title documents.
Survey and mortgage
The buyer arranges a survey, and their lender values the property before issuing the mortgage offer.
Signing
The buyer signs and pays a deposit, usually 10% of the price, less the booking deposit. Then you sign, and the sale is legally binding.
Closing
The balance is paid, your mortgage is cleared, and the keys are handed over. Typically 8 to 12 weeks after sale agreed.
What it costs to sell
- The agent's fee, as agreed in your letter of engagement, plus VAT.
- Your solicitor's fees and outlays.
- The BER certificate.
- Capital Gains Tax if the home was not your main residence for the whole time you owned it. An accountant can confirm whether it applies.
Last reviewed September 2026. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your solicitor and accountant can advise on your own situation.