If you’re house-hunting, you’re crunching numbers. You can borrow four times your income as a first-time buyer, or three times otherwise. You’ll need a 10 per cent deposit too. What you might not know about is the €10,000 or more extra you’ll likely need to cover “hidden” costs.

Solicitors fees; valuation, survey and snagging costs; insurance; property tax; stamp duty; property management fees; moving costs – they add up. So how much will you need, can you get money off and when do you have to pay? Unless you’re careful, things can spiral.

For buyers laser-focused on house prices, the extra costs of buying can be a shock, says mortgage broker Michael Dowling of Irish Mortgage Brokers.

Someone borrowing €300,000 will need a €30,000 deposit. But there are other non-negotiables they will need to fund too – things like a bank valuation, legal fees and stamp duty can quickly add another €6,000 to your costs, says Dowling.

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“I can’t go to the bank and say, ‘ah well, in three months time when the sale completes, my client will have saved that amount’. You need to show you have the money up front,” he says.

For some costs, like a house valuation and structural survey, you’ll definitely need the money early on. Others like stamp duty and your solicitor’s bill will fall due later. It’s a good idea to plot them out so know what’s due when.

Legal fees

Legal fees can be the single biggest cost of buying a home. While you may not pay them until your purchase is about to complete, an estate agent will require the name of your solicitor early on in the process. This means agreeing a fee early.