Extend or move house: what each really costs
Moving costs money that buys no extra room. On a €380,000 house, the median price people moving home paid in 2025, stamp duty on the next house is €3,800, the agent's fee on the sale €4,700 to €11,700 with VAT and the solicitor €2,000 to €5,000: €10,500 to €20,500 before removals, a survey and the higher price of a bigger house. A 20 m² ground-floor room costs €42,000 to €54,000 to build with fees, and every euro of it stays in the house.
The money a move spends on the deal itself, county by county, against what the same money builds.
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- €380,000median price paid by movers in 2025 (CSO)
- 1%stamp duty on a home up to €1 million
- 1–2.5%agent's fee on the sale, plus VAT
- €2,000–€5,000solicitor on the purchase
What moving costs before you get any extra room
Selling one house and buying a bigger one carries costs that an extension doesn't:
- 1%stamp duty on a home up to €1 million, 2% on the part from €1 million to €1.5 million, 6% above
- 1–2.5%agent's fee on the sale, plus VAT at 23%
- €2,000–€5,000solicitor's fees on the purchase
- €600–€900a building survey, including VAT
Stamp duty is Revenue's rate for homes (revenue.ie), paid before you get the keys. Add a mortgage valuation (€150 to €180 plus VAT), removals, and the difference in price between your house and a bigger one, which is the largest cost of all.
County by county
The median price people moving home paid for an existing house in 2025 (CSO), the costs of selling at that price and buying another, and a 20 m² single-storey room built in the same county, mid-range with fees. All including VAT.
| County | Median paid by movers, 2025 | Stamp duty | Agent's fee with VAT | Moving costs | 20 m² room, built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlow | €265,000 | €2,650 | €3,300 to €8,100 | €8,000 to €16,000 | €43,000 to €54,000 |
| Cavan | €260,000 | €2,600 | €3,200 to €8,000 | €8,000 to €15,500 | €39,000 to €50,000 |
| Clare | €312,000 | €3,120 | €3,800 to €9,600 | €9,000 to €17,500 | €41,000 to €52,000 |
| Cork | €370,000 | €3,700 | €4,600 to €11,400 | €10,500 to €20,000 | €41,000 to €52,000 |
| Donegal | €199,000 | €1,990 | €2,400 to €6,100 | €6,500 to €13,000 | €39,000 to €50,000 |
| Dublin | €546,000 | €5,460 | €6,700 to €16,800 | €14,000 to €27,500 | €48,000 to €60,000 |
| Galway | €375,000 | €3,750 | €4,600 to €11,500 | €10,500 to €20,500 | €39,000 to €50,000 |
| Kerry | €303,000 | €3,030 | €3,700 to €9,300 | €8,500 to €17,500 | €41,000 to €52,000 |
| Kildare | €435,000 | €4,350 | €5,400 to €13,400 | €12,000 to €23,000 | €48,000 to €60,000 |
| Kilkenny | €315,000 | €3,150 | €3,900 to €9,700 | €9,000 to €18,000 | €43,000 to €54,000 |
| Laois | €265,000 | €2,650 | €3,300 to €8,100 | €8,000 to €16,000 | €43,000 to €54,000 |
| Leitrim | €203,500 | €2,035 | €2,500 to €6,300 | €6,500 to €13,500 | €39,000 to €50,000 |
| Limerick | €330,000 | €3,300 | €4,100 to €10,100 | €9,500 to €18,500 | €41,000 to €52,000 |
| Longford | €235,000 | €2,350 | €2,900 to €7,200 | €7,500 to €14,500 | €43,000 to €54,000 |
| Louth | €306,000 | €3,060 | €3,800 to €9,400 | €9,000 to €17,500 | €43,000 to €54,000 |
| Mayo | €235,000 | €2,350 | €2,900 to €7,200 | €7,500 to €14,500 | €39,000 to €50,000 |
| Meath | €385,000 | €3,850 | €4,700 to €11,800 | €10,500 to €20,500 | €48,000 to €60,000 |
| Monaghan | €270,000 | €2,700 | €3,300 to €8,300 | €8,000 to €16,000 | €39,000 to €50,000 |
| Offaly | €270,000 | €2,700 | €3,300 to €8,300 | €8,000 to €16,000 | €43,000 to €54,000 |
| Roscommon | €220,000 | €2,200 | €2,700 to €6,800 | €7,000 to €14,000 | €39,000 to €50,000 |
| Sligo | €245,000 | €2,450 | €3,000 to €7,500 | €7,500 to €15,000 | €39,000 to €50,000 |
| Tipperary | €260,000 | €2,600 | €3,200 to €8,000 | €8,000 to €15,500 | €41,000 to €52,000 |
| Waterford | €287,000 | €2,870 | €3,500 to €8,800 | €8,500 to €16,500 | €41,000 to €52,000 |
| Westmeath | €315,000 | €3,150 | €3,900 to €9,700 | €9,000 to €18,000 | €43,000 to €54,000 |
| Wexford | €292,000 | €2,920 | €3,600 to €9,000 | €8,500 to €17,000 | €43,000 to €54,000 |
| Wicklow | €481,000 | €4,810 | €5,900 to €14,800 | €12,500 to €24,500 | €48,000 to €60,000 |
Moving costs here cover stamp duty on the next house at the same price, the agent's fee with VAT and the solicitor. The bigger house's higher price comes on top.
Plan your house extension
Four quick taps, and your plan fills in as you answer: what it costs, whether it needs planning permission and how long it takes. Contact details come last, and only if you want a builder to price it.
25 m² single-storey rear, mid-range finish: €52,000 to €65,000, including VAT and fees.
How the estimate is worked out
Every kind of extension has a build rate per m² for each region of Ireland, VAT at 13.5% included. A standard finish uses the lower half of that range and mid-range the upper half; high spec or a wall of glass moves the build to the glazed rate. Design, engineer and BER fees go on top, with anything you tick (an en-suite, a kitchen, a steel beam into the house) priced at your finish. A garage conversion gets one price for the whole job, since the walls and roof are already standing. Totals are rounded to the nearest €1,000. Use it to plan with. It isn't a quote: a builder prices your house after seeing it.
When extending is the better answer
- You like where you live. The school, the commute, the neighbours. None of that moves with you.
- The house has room to grow. A garden over 25 m² after the extension, a side passage, an attached garage or a semi or detached house with room upstairs.
- The extension fits the exemption. Up to 45 m² at the back with no planning application, or a garage conversion.
- You want the money in the house. Stamp duty, agents' fees and legal fees leave nothing behind. An extension is floor area you keep.
When moving is
- The plot is too small. If the extension would leave less private open space than the rules allow, or no light in the rooms behind it.
- You need two more bedrooms and a bigger ground floor. At some point the build costs more than the difference between your house and the next.
- The house needs everything. Rewiring, insulation, a new roof and an extension together can outrun the price gap.
- You'd be over-extending for the street. Ask a local estate agent what the house would be worth after the extension before you build to sell.
Questions before you build
Is it cheaper to extend or move house in Ireland?
Moving costs money that buys no extra room. On a €380,000 house, the median price people moving home paid in 2025, stamp duty on the next house is €3,800, the agent's fee on the sale €4,700 to €11,700 with VAT and the solicitor €2,000 to €5,000: €10,500 to €20,500 before removals, a survey and the higher price of a bigger house. A 20 m² ground-floor room costs €42,000 to €54,000 to build with fees, and every euro of it stays in the house.
How much is stamp duty when moving house?
1% on a home up to €1 million, 2% on the part from €1 million to €1.5 million, and 6% on anything above. It is paid before you get the keys.
How much do estate agents charge to sell a house?
1% to 2.5% of the sale price, plus VAT at 23%.
Does an extension add value to a house?
It adds floor area, and usually a bedroom or a better ground floor, which buyers pay for. Whether it adds more than it costs depends on the street, so ask a local agent before you build to sell.
How do I decide between extending and moving?
Price both: the extension with the planner and a builder's written price, the move with the costs on this page and the real price gap between your house and the next one up.
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Room to grow, without moving
Pick the type, the size and the finish to see the cost in your county. When you want a firm price, your plan goes to a single vetted builder for your area.