How it works
The clear path from renting to owning
Homely secures the home you want and rents it to you, then helps you buy it in as little as three years, while you build value and get the support to become mortgage-ready.
What rent-to-own actually means
Buying a home in Ireland usually means saving for years while rent climbs and prices drift further out of reach. Rent-to-own closes that gap. You move in now, on a standard tenancy, and agree up front the terms to buy it later.
Homely secures the home and covers the upfront transaction costs. You make an initial payment, then pay market rent plus a monthly option fee that locks in your right to buy at the end of the term, usually three years. Along the way you build a purchase discount and get 1-to-1 mortgage coaching, so by the time you're ready, much of the work is done.
It's for people who can afford a home but aren't mortgage-ready yet: the self-employed, those still saving a deposit, or anyone who just needs a bit of time. It also works if you're approved, but not for enough to buy the home you need right now.
From renting to owning,
step by step
No guesswork and no surprises, just a clear path to your own front door.
- 01
Submit your interest
Tell us about you in a few minutes. By phone or email, we'll review your requirements and affordability, explain everything and answer your questions.
- 02
Choose your home
Pick from our available homes or propose a second-hand home you've found. Once it's assessed and approved, Homely secures it and covers all the legal and transaction costs. From there, we move to document review with your legal advisor.
- 03
Move in and settle
Once the paperwork's done and your home is ready, you move in on a secure, RTB-registered tenancy. You pay market rent plus a monthly fee for your legal right to buy later.
- 04
Get mortgage-ready
While you rent, you build a discount on everything you pay and on the home's growth, and our mortgage-coaching partners help get you loan-ready.
- 05
Buy your home
In your pre-agreed timeframe, buy based on the terms agreed in advance, with the value you've built going towards your deposit. Not ready? Where able, we can extend your term, move you to a more suitable home, or you can simply walk away without buying.
Your home, your way
It's your home from the day you move in
You're renting it today and buying it in a few years, but it's yours to live in from the start. Paint the walls, plant the garden, get the dog, start the family you've always wanted. No landlord waiting to evict you, just a stable home while you build towards owning it with a traditional mortgage.
- A secure, RTB-registered tenancy for your whole term
- Free 1-to-1 mortgage coaching to get you loan-ready
- Every payment building value towards your purchase
Your Homely account
From the day you apply, watch ownership get closer.
Every Homely customer gets a private account to follow their journey from renting to owning, in real time. No chasing for updates, just open it and see exactly where you are.
- Your path from applying to owning, tracked live at every step
- See the discount and value you're building with every payment
- Free mortgage coaching, payments and documents, all in one place
The costs, clearly
What you'll pay, and what you get back
No hidden fees. Here is exactly how the money works, split into what you pay and the value you build.
Initial payment
2.5% of the initial price
A one-time payment equivalent to 2.5% of the home's value, payable before you move in. It covers VAT (where it applies), conveyance fees, admin and application costs, and mortgage coaching service for the duration of the programme. In certain circumstances, if you're a key-worker or under-25, you can start with just 1% and pay the balance within 6 months.
Monthly rent
Market rate
Set at the market rent when your tenancy begins, RTB-registered and reviewed annually within rent-cap rules. You also pay a one-month, fully refundable rent deposit as part of your tenancy terms.
Purchase option payment
€300–€500 / mo
This depends on a few particulars, but it's usually €300 to €500 per month for the duration of your term. This confirms your legal right to buy the home later, at terms agreed up front. You have the choice of paying a flat fee monthly, or having it staged annually to help with your affordability.
The value you build
What you'll get off the price when you buy
20%
of everything you've paid us over the programme
+ 20%
of the home's growth in value, above a pre-agreed minimum
= 6-10%
target discount off the final purchase price
Real value that can count towards your mortgage deposit.
Ready to find your way home?
Apply in a few minutes, no obligation and no impact on your credit. We'll talk you through everything.