The Best Month to Buy a House in Ireland (727,000+ Sales Analysed)
Here's something that might save you a few quid on the biggest purchase of your life. We pulled every single residential sale from the Property Price Register since 2010 — 727,126 transactions across all 26 counties — and asked a simple question: is there a cheaper month to buy a house in Ireland?
Turns out there is. And the difference isn't pocket change.
So What Did the Data Say?
When you look at the median sale price for each month across all years, March is the cheapest month to buy at a median of €235,000. The most expensive months? August through November, all sitting at €250,000. That's a €15,000 gap — or 6.4% more than the cheapest month.
Based on 727,126 full-market-price residential sales, 2010–2026. March highlighted in green.
Is It Just a Fluke?
Fair question. Averages can be misleading, right? So we broke it down year by year. In every single year from 2012 to 2025, the cheapest month fell between January and May. Not once did a month from June to December come out cheapest. March or April was the cheapest in 9 out of 14 years.
| Year | Cheapest | Avg Price | Priciest | Avg Price | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Apr | €186,553 | Jan | €215,963 | €29,410 |
| 2013 | Mar | €181,874 | Nov | €217,874 | €36,000 |
| 2014 | Mar | €181,710 | Aug | €233,023 | €51,313 |
| 2015 | Mar | €202,634 | Aug | €239,668 | €37,034 |
| 2016 | Feb | €223,320 | Aug | €255,394 | €32,074 |
| 2017 | May | €248,074 | Oct | €283,434 | €35,360 |
| 2018 | Jan | €266,082 | Sep | €296,176 | €30,094 |
| 2019 | Mar | €273,795 | Nov | €303,471 | €29,676 |
| 2020 | May | €270,696 | Nov | €314,401 | €43,705 |
| 2021 | Mar | €301,217 | Sep | €343,713 | €42,496 |
| 2022 | Apr | €330,633 | Jul | €378,135 | €47,502 |
| 2023 | Apr | €346,754 | Dec | €394,175 | €47,421 |
| 2024 | Apr | €367,558 | Nov | €427,489 | €59,931 |
| 2025 | Feb | €400,160 | Dec | €440,246 | €40,086 |
The cheapest month has never been June–December in any year since 2012.
Why Does This Happen?
It's not random — it's about competition. January is the quietest month for property sales in Ireland, with just 39,732 closings over the period. Activity ramps up through the year, peaking in December at 84,307 (driven by year-end completions). Fewer buyers in Q1 means less competition, which means less pressure to bid over asking. By summer, families want to move before the school year, and the market heats up accordingly.
January has the fewest sales; December the most (year-end completions). Lower volume = less competition = lower prices.
What About Your County?
The national pattern holds in most counties, but the best specific month varies. In Longford, buying in May instead of August could save you 22.9%. In Meath, the gap is a more modest 5.5%. Here's the full breakdown for all 26 counties.
| County | Best Month | Median | Worst Month | Median | Saving | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longford | May | €92,500 | Aug | €120,000 | €27,500 | 22.9% |
| Leitrim | Nov | €97,250 | Oct | €120,000 | €22,750 | 19.0% |
| Monaghan | May | €130,000 | Aug | €156,000 | €26,000 | 16.7% |
| Sligo | Jan | €125,000 | Jul | €148,000 | €23,000 | 15.5% |
| Kilkenny | May | €180,000 | Oct | €208,000 | €28,000 | 13.5% |
| Cavan | Jan | €122,250 | Nov | €140,000 | €17,750 | 12.7% |
| Roscommon | Feb | €105,000 | Jul | €120,000 | €15,000 | 12.5% |
| Westmeath | Jul | €163,000 | Sep | €185,000 | €22,000 | 11.9% |
| Offaly | Jan | €150,000 | Aug | €170,000 | €20,000 | 11.8% |
| Carlow | Feb | €159,495 | Oct | €180,000 | €20,505 | 11.4% |
| Mayo | Feb | €129,042 | Nov | €145,000 | €15,958 | 11.0% |
| Clare | Jul | €160,000 | Oct | €177,000 | €17,000 | 9.6% |
| Louth | Mar | €195,000 | Oct | €215,000 | €20,000 | 9.3% |
| Laois | May | €170,000 | Oct | €186,000 | €16,000 | 8.6% |
| Waterford | Dec | €165,514 | Sep | €180,500 | €14,986 | 8.3% |
| Tipperary | Feb | €141,000 | Nov | €153,650 | €12,650 | 8.2% |
| Wicklow | Feb | €320,000 | Nov | €348,018 | €28,018 | 8.1% |
| Limerick | Mar | €175,000 | Aug | €190,000 | €15,000 | 7.9% |
| Wexford | Apr | €175,000 | Nov | €190,000 | €15,000 | 7.9% |
| Kildare | Mar | €285,000 | Dec | €308,370 | €23,370 | 7.6% |
| Dublin | Dec | €341,675 | Sep | €368,000 | €26,325 | 7.2% |
| Galway | Apr | €209,000 | Oct | €225,093 | €16,093 | 7.1% |
| Kerry | Apr | €163,000 | Nov | €175,000 | €12,000 | 6.9% |
| Donegal | Dec | €119,079 | Nov | €127,000 | €7,921 | 6.2% |
| Meath | Jan | €260,000 | Oct | €275,000 | €15,000 | 5.5% |
| Cork | Jan | €232,000 | Sep | €245,000 | €13,000 | 5.3% |
Sorted by potential saving %. Based on median prices per month across all years (2010–2026), minimum 20 sales per month.
So Should You Wait Until March?
Look, we're not going to tell you to let a house you love slip through your fingers because it's October. Life doesn't work like that. But if you have flexibility on timing, here's what the data suggests:
- Start looking in January–February when competition is lowest. You're more likely to be the only serious bidder.
- Aim to close in March–April — that's when the cheapest prices land consistently.
- Avoid panic-buying in autumn. September through November is when prices peak and bidding wars are most common.
- The pattern is real but modest nationally — €15,000 on a €235,000 house is 6.4%. In individual counties, the spread can be much larger (up to 22.9% in Longford).
The right house at the right price matters more than the calendar. But all else being equal? The data says early spring is your best bet.
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