Your Mortgage Guide
Steps to Secure Your New Mortgage

Key borrowing limits (Central Bank of Ireland)

• Loan-to-Income (LTI): First-time buyers can generally borrow up to 4 times gross annual income (or combined income for joint applicants). For example, with €100,000 combined income, you could borrow up to €400,000 under this rule.
• Other buyers: The limit is typically 3.5 times income.
• Loan-to-Value (LTV): You are usually required to provide a deposit of at least 10% of the property’s purchase price, so you can borrow a maximum of 90% of the property’s value.

Exemptions

Lenders have limited discretion to offer exemptions to these rules for a certain number of applicants each year, which may allow borrowing above the standard 4× income limit. Your lender or broker can advise if this might apply to you.

What else affects your approval

Beyond these limits, lenders assess your overall financial position:

• Existing debt (e.g. car loans, personal loans) reduces how much you can borrow.
• Affordability: Lenders check that monthly repayments stay within a sustainable share of your disposable income.
• Financial habits: Consistent savings, a good credit history, and stable employment all support your application.

Useful resources

• Most Irish banks (e.g. Bank of Ireland, AIB, PTSB) and broker websites offer free mortgage calculators to estimate borrowing power.
• Help to Buy and the First Home Scheme can help with your deposit or bridge funding gaps—check if you qualify.
• For official rules and updates, see the Central Bank of Ireland website.