Financial Assistance For Home Improvement In Ireland

There are a multitude of financial aids available for Irish property owners to renovate and improve their homes, in particular to make their homes more energy efficient. Keep reading to find out more about the kinds of assistance you may be entitled to.

Tax Credits to Renovate Your Home

Homeowners, landlords and local authority tenants are able to claim tax relief on renovations of their primary residence. The works must have been of a value of at least €4500 and can be up to €30,000, and the tax credit is available to anyone who is an Irish taxpayer. This, in practice, means that the value of the renovations is deducted from your taxes over a period of two years, and can be used for any kind of works you would like: so long as the contractor you use is properly registered and has not been found to have had any tax irregularities. For the parts of the work to qualify for the tax credit, they must be purchased on your behalf by the contractor, as opposed to by yourself. The contractor that you hire will enter the details of the work carried out for you on the Irish government’s online database, however you are at liberty to look at this database yourself in order to make sure that they have been correctly entered. 

Home Energy Grants

There are also various grants which are available to help you make your home more energy efficient. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland administers a wide range of grants for homeowners, for example to install better insulation for better heat retention, reduce your home's energy consumption and save on heating expenses, reduce carbon emissions or install solar heating or electricity systems. These grants can have a value of up to €6000 for having external wall insulation redone for a detached house. It's necessary to get grant approval before beginning any grant-funded work, so before these works are carried out, a surveyor will come to the property and check how best this money could be spent. These grants can be used for the installation of heat and energy generating equipment, such as solar panels, wind turbines or air-source heat pumps.  For those who are receipt of certain benefits, such as Fuel Allowance or Working Family Credit, there is a similar grant available, specifically for the installation of insulation, which does not have a maximum value. This allows people on low income to have work carried out to their homes for free, which will mean that their energy bills will be lower and their impact on the environment will be less so.

Grants for Lead Removal and Safety Improvements

If you believe that there may be lead pipes in your property, there are also grant schemes also available to help you make your home safer for your family. The value of these grants depends on your household income, and they have a maximum value of €4000. Replacing lead pipes or fittings is a work that you should have immediately carried out, as having lead pipes in your home can be highly injurious to your health. It's estimated that up to 180,000 houses in Ireland may be affected by lead, especially houses built before 1980, so it may be a good idea to have your home checked for lead. 

There are also grants available for elderly people living in poor conditions to have their homes renovated up to a more agreeable standard. This can generally only be paid in order to carry out essential repairs and maintenance, such as structural repairs or remedial work to the wiring and electricity or plumbing. The maximum amount available for this grant comes to a total of €8000, which is payable to those on incomes of less than €30,000 per year. While not a substitute for financing for a full renovation, this grant can be very useful to improve the standard of living for at-risk elderly people.

Would you like to find out about financial aid for a renovation project in the United Kingdom? Click here. 

Do you have an idea for a renovation project? Log on to find-my-architect.com and get in contact with architects in your area today, in order to bring your project to life!