Are you looking to buy a cheap first house in Ireland today?
Well you are in the right place. Given the overall high prices of houses in Ireland today, most small families and potential first-time buyers are finding it difficult to afford a home.
This problem has forced people to look at other types of non-conventional houses to buy. This is what we will look at today.
Buying a House in Ireland: A Step by Step Guide by a Builder/Solicitor
But before we begin, there are some things to consider.
- The below types of houses are only viable if you already own a piece of land.
- The below types of houses will require planning permission from your local council. See more HERE.
- It may be difficult to get a mortgage from a traditional bank for these houses. So it better to apply for a regular bank loan, or have the cash ready if possible.
If the above considerations are not a problem for you, then you can definitely start to look at the options below.
Cheapest Houses to Buy in Ireland in 2024.
1. Pre-Fabricated Modular Homes
| Category | Description |
| Price Range | Approx 10% less than the average traditional home for similar sizes |
| Ease of Getting Finance | Medium |
| Delivery time | Up to 12 weeks |
| Lifespan | Up to 80 years |
What is a Modular Home?
A modular home is a house, made of sections or modules, that is mainly built off-site in a factory, and then delivered and finished on-site. A modular home is NOT a mobile home.
Also, once a modular home is set down in concrete, it can no longer be moved – unlike a manufactured home.
Benefits of Modular Homes Include:
- Up to 30% cheaper than standard homes
- Very Quick build & delivery from time of order (2-12 weeks)
- Construction is not affected by weather disruptions since it’s built in a factory
- They can be customised however you want
- Due to the adaptability of the design and building process, it is easy for manufacturers to source eco-friendly and sustainable materials.
See Our list of best Modular Home Builders in Ireland to learn more – HERE.
2. Log Cabins/Log Houses or Log Homes
| Category | Description |
| Price Range | €12,000 for a 1-bed cabin up to €100,000 for a 4 bed cabin |
| Ease of Finance | Easy |
| Delivery time | 1 – 4 weeks approx by pros. |
| Lifespan | 25-60 years |
Log cabins are very popular in winter regions like Far North America and the Northern parts of Europe.
Log cabins are generally far cheaper than regular homes and bring you a lot closer to nature with its design.
Other benefits of log cabins include:
- Very environmentally friendly
- Can be made to withstand all sorts of weather with proper insualtion
- Are very easily customised
- New construction tech makes them very energy efficient.
- Very easy to access finance through log cabin home builders in Ireland and their partners – especially HUMM
See our list of best log cabin builders in Ireland HERE.
3. Converted Shipping Container Homes
| Category | Description |
| Price Range | A luxury 1-bedroom 40ft (2.5M x 12M) container home can cost €65,000 at least. |
| Ease of Finance | Easy with HUMM |
| Delivery time | 2 – 8 weeks |
| Lifespan | 25-50 years |
Shipping container homes are repurposed from shipping containers, and offer an affordable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional housing.
It is not unusual to see many converted containers that are used as coffee shops, offices or small, rustic restaurants around Ireland.
Though there are container homes starting to pop up around the country, they are nowhere near as popular as modular homes, mobile homes, log houses and other non-standard housing types just yet.
This is probably because unlike the above two, container homes can be difficult to resell in the future.
However, if you are interested in its advantages such as low costs, quick construction, versatility and off-grid potential, then a container home may just be the right thing for you.
To learn more, click HERE.
4. Mobile Homes
| Category | Description |
| Price Range | 10,000 euros up to 100,000 euros |
| Ease of Finance | Easy up to €30,000 |
| Delivery time | 2 days for a small trailer to 5 weeks for a manufactured home |
| Lifespan | 30-50 years |
Simply put, a mobile home is simply a home that can easily be moved from place to place. They are usually built to a permanently attached chassis to enable them to be moved if need be.
They are commonly referred to as Park homes in the UK & Ireland, and there are a few permanent and semi-permanent caravan home parks across Ireland
Types of mobile homes include:
- Static Caravans
- Trailers
- RVs (Recreational Vehicles)
- Manufactured Homes
Mobile homes are perfect for people who are looking for very affordable and semi-permanent home, unlike log cabins and modular homes.
5. Tiny Houses
| Category | Description |
| Price Range | €40,000 for 1-bed turnkey with lounge, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom |
| Ease of Finance | – |
| Delivery time | 6-14weeks |
| Lifespan | 30 years |
Some of the houses above can be considered tiny homes – since the phrase ‘tiny homes‘ is an umbrella term that includes smaller, non-conventional houses.
However, we simply added a tiny homes section to this post to refer to any other type of small house we could not fit in the last 4 categories above.
So we are talking about any type of small, detached 1-bed builds or studios.
Tiny homes are suitable only for one person, or at most a couple. Tiny homes are not a great option for people looking to start a family so this is something to consider.
If this is something worth your style, then go to TinyHomes.ie to learn more.
Conclusion.
In conclusion, the above homes offer a cheaper alternative to traditional houses in Ireland today. And in case you had not previously considered any of the above, I do hope that you learned something new from this post.
Each option presents unique advantages and disadvantages, catering to different lifestyle preferences and budgets.
And as the demand for affordable housing continues to rise, these cheaper housing solutions can provide options for individuals and families seeking affordable and sustainable housing.
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