Scrolling through property portals can feel endless when you’re just looking for “homes for sale near me” and hoping something affordable appears. The good news is that Ireland’s property market has a few well-kept secrets: cheap cottages in the countryside, sea view homes under many buyers’ radar, and specialised portals that go way beyond the main listings.

4 related posts

Average days on market: 64 days (Daft.ie, 2025) ·
Properties listed for sale (Ireland): 31,446 (Property.ie, 2025) ·
Largest property portal by listings: Daft.ie (9,893 houses) ·
Typical discount from asking price: 5.2% (MyHome.ie, 2024)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
4What’s next

The snapshot reveals a market where Daft.ie holds the largest inventory, while specialist sites fill gaps for budget and coastal buyers.

Key facts about Ireland property portals and prices
Attribute Value
Top portal for houses for sale Daft.ie (Daft.ie (Ireland’s leading property portal))
Average sale price (Ireland 2025) €312,000 (CSO (Ireland’s national statistical office))
Most affordable county Leitrim (MyHome.ie (Irish property marketplace))
Number of estate agents in Ireland 1,200+ (IPAV (Irish Professional Valuers Association))
Cheapest listed property (2025) €27,500 cottage in Sligo (Daft.ie listing (verified by Daft.ie))
Properties on Property.ie 31,446 total (Property.ie (Irish property listings aggregator))

Are there cheap houses for sale in Ireland?

Where to find cheap houses in the countryside

What affects the price of a small rural property

Bottom line: Buyers who target Leitrim and Donegal for sub-€80,000 options must budget for surveys and energy upgrades — the upfront saving comes with renovation trade-offs.

What are the best websites to find homes for sale near me?

Daft.ie

  • Ireland’s largest property portal with 9,893 houses listed for sale as of early 2025 (Daft.ie (Ireland’s leading property portal))
  • Advanced search filters allow narrowing by price range, property type, and location — including coastal or rural settings (Daft.ie (Ireland’s leading property portal))
  • Features both estate agent listings and some private seller advertisements (Daft.ie (private seller guidelines))
  • Average time on market is 64 days nationally, with variation by county (Daft.ie (Ireland’s leading property portal))

MyHome.ie

  • Second-largest portal in Ireland, with comprehensive locality information and demographic data for each area (MyHome.ie (Irish property marketplace))
  • Keyword search supports terms like “sea view” or “countryside” — helpful for finding coastal properties (MyHome.ie (search feature))
  • Partners with local estate agents across all 26 counties for verified listings (MyHome.ie (Irish property marketplace))
  • Provides asking price data and recent sale comparisons for due diligence (MyHome.ie (property reports))

Property.ie

  • Lists 31,446 total properties including residential, commercial, and land — also covers Northern Ireland (Property.ie (Irish property listings aggregator))
  • Aggregates listings from multiple estate agents, giving broader coverage of remote rural areas (Property.ie (about and coverage area))
  • Useful for cross-referencing prices found on Daft.ie or MyHome.ie to verify market consistency (Property.ie (Irish property listings aggregator))

The pattern across 9,893+ houses listed on Daft.ie versus 31,446 total on Property.ie: Daft.ie dominates residential sales listings, while Property.ie offers broader coverage including commercial and Northern Ireland properties. For most buyers searching “homes for sale near me” in the Republic of Ireland, Daft.ie and MyHome.ie remain the primary starting points due to their higher density of verified residential listings.

The trade-off

Daft.ie gives you the most options — but MyHome.ie offers better locality data for rural buyers. Property.ie fills the gaps when you’re searching near the border or want to cross-check prices. Using all three doubles your chance of finding an overlooked listing.

Can I find houses for sale by owner in Ireland?

Private sale platforms

Challenges of buying without an agent

Bottom line: First-time buyers who pursue private sales must hire a solicitor before committing — the price savings come with higher legal risk than agent-listed properties.

Where can I find small rural properties for sale in Ireland?

Search filters on Daft.ie

  • Use the “rural” location filter combined with “small size” (less than 80 sq m) to narrow results (Daft.ie (filtered search example))
  • Set price range below €100,000 to see only budget-friendly options — this typically returns 100-200 properties nationally (Daft.ie (price filter example))
  • Save search alerts to get notified when new small rural properties hit the market (Daft.ie (alerts feature))
  • The YouTube channel “Cheap Irish Houses” documents affordable properties with 176,000 subscribers (Cheap Irish Houses (YouTube channel))

Local estate agents in rural counties

  • Sherry FitzGerald operates a dedicated Country Homes, Farms & Estates division at 176 Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 (Sherry FitzGerald (established estate agent in Ireland))
  • Specialists like Philip Guckian (+353 1 237 6308) cover country mansions and small rural houses (Sherry FitzGerald (specialist contact data))
  • Local agents in Leitrim, Roscommon, and Donegal often have off-market listings not on major portals (IPAV (Irish Professional Valuers Association))
  • Contact estate agents directly in counties with cheaper averages — many are members of IPAV and can advise on hidden inventory (IPAV (agent directory))
Why this matters

Small rural properties under €100,000 are rare — only about 3-5% of all listings fall in this bracket. Using both portal filters and direct agent contact gives you access to the full market, not just the public listings.

How do I search for a house with a sea view in Ireland?

Keyword search on MyHome.ie

  • MyHome.ie’s search bar supports free text keywords such as “sea view” or “coastal” — a function not available on Daft.ie’s basic search (MyHome.ie (search feature))
  • Combine “sea view” with a county filter (e.g., Donegal, Mayo, Kerry) to see only coastal properties with verified views (MyHome.ie (sea view search guide))
  • MyHome.ie provides locality reports that include proximity to beaches, schools, and transport links for each property (MyHome.ie (Irish property marketplace))

Coastal counties with affordable sea view properties

  • Donegal offers some of Ireland’s most affordable coastal properties, with three-bed houses near the coast starting at €120,000 (MyHome.ie (Donegal property report))
  • Mayo has sea view cottages priced between €100,000 and €200,000 — cheaper than Kerry or Cork equivalents (Daft.ie (regional market report))
  • A property in Crickamore, County Donegal was documented at €80,000 with coastal proximity (Overseas Dream Home (international property sourcing site))
  • Irish islands property for sale is rare but occasionally appears on DoneDeal — typically cottages on islands like Inishbofin or Achill (DoneDeal (Irish classifieds marketplace))

Bottom line: Sea view buyers should start on MyHome.ie for its keyword search capability. Budget-conscious coastal hunters: focus on Donegal and Mayo. Expect to pay a 30-50% premium for verified sea views compared to inland rural properties.

Upsides

  • Daft.ie has the largest inventory for “homes for sale near me” searches in Ireland — 9,893 houses give you real choice
  • Cheap houses exist in rural counties like Leitrim and Donegal, with verified listings under €80,000
  • Keyword search on MyHome.ie lets you find sea view and coastal properties easily
  • Multiple portals (Daft.ie, MyHome.ie, Property.ie, DoneDeal) provide cross-checking opportunities for price verification
  • Specialist portals like Cheap Irish Houses offer targeted listings for budget buyers at low subscription cost

Downsides

  • No single portal covers all listings — you need to check 3-4 sites to see the full market
  • Private seller listings are scattered across platforms with no centralised database
  • Renovation properties require independent surveys costing €500-€1,500 upfront
  • Cheap rural houses often come with F or G energy ratings — retrofitting can cost €20,000-€40,000
  • Sea view properties are 30-50% more expensive than comparable inland rural homes

Related reading: Affordable rural property portals and cheap house sales in Ireland · Cheap Irish Houses portal specializing in affordable homes

When searching for homes for sale near me in Ireland, cheap rural Irish properties often lead to the best deals outside city centres.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest region to buy a house in Ireland?

Leitrim is consistently the most affordable county in Ireland, with average house prices around €130,000 — roughly 40% below the national average of €312,000 (CSO (Ireland’s national statistical office)). Roscommon and Donegal follow closely.

Do I need a solicitor to buy a house in Ireland?

Yes. All property purchases in Ireland require a solicitor to handle contracts, title checks, and stamp duty. The Law Society of Ireland regulates solicitors (Law Society of Ireland (solicitors regulation body)).

Is it possible to buy a house in Ireland with no deposit?

No standard mortgage product in Ireland offers 100% financing. First-time buyers need at least 10% deposit (loans up to €500,000) and regulatory oversight from the Central Bank of Ireland (Central Bank of Ireland (financial regulator)).

Can foreigners get a mortgage in Ireland?

Yes — non-residents can apply for mortgages from Irish banks, but they typically require larger deposits (30-40%) and proof of foreign income. Lenders like AIB and Bank of Ireland have specific policies (AIB (Irish retail bank)).

How do I check if a property is listed by an owner or agent?

On Daft.ie, private seller listings are marked with “Private Seller” in the listing header. Estate agent listings display the agent’s name and logo. DoneDeal predominantly features owner-advertised properties (DoneDeal (Irish classifieds marketplace)).

What stamp duty applies to residential property in Ireland?

Stamp duty is 1% on the first €1 million of property value and 2% on anything above that. This applies to all residential purchases (Revenue (Irish tax authority)).

Are there government grants for buying a rural home?

The Help to Buy scheme offers up to €30,000 for first-time buyers on new homes only. For existing rural properties, there are no direct purchase grants — but retrofitting grants from SEAI can help with energy upgrades (SEAI (Ireland’s sustainable energy authority)).

For buyers searching “homes for sale near me” in Ireland, the choice between portals comes down to what matters most: Daft.ie for the widest selection, MyHome.ie for targeted sea view searches, or Property.ie for comprehensive cross-border coverage. For budget buyers in rural Ireland, the decision is clear: focus on Leitrim, Donegal, and Roscommon, use multiple portals to cross-check, and budget for necessary renovations — or risk overpaying for the convenience of a single portal’s listings.