Sites for Sale in Ireland

The three types of Irish site listing

"Site for sale" can mean three very different things in Ireland — and the price gap between them is enormous.

1. Site with full planning permission — the seller has already secured a grant of permission from the local council. You can start building. These carry the highest price tag.
2. Site with outline / previous permission — someone once got permission here, but it may have lapsed or only covered principle. Reassuring but not guaranteed.
3. Site subject to planning — no permission, sold on the buyer's ability to secure it. The cheapest but the riskiest. Due diligence is everything.

Any site you view should tell you clearly which category it falls into. If it doesn't, assume category 3 until proven otherwise.

What the local needs rule means for you

Most Irish rural councils operate some version of a local needs test in their County Development Plan. If a site sits in a Rural Area Under Strong Urban Influence or a "Structurally Weak Area", the council will usually only grant permission to applicants with a demonstrable local connection — typically meaning you've lived in the area for a defined number of years, or have close family living locally, or work the land. This is the single biggest reason site applications get refused.

Our planning permission guide walks through each category and the questions to ask.

What influences site price

• Planning status — by far the biggest variable
• Services available — mains water vs well, connected electricity, fibre/broadband
• Ground conditions — percolation test result for septic suitability, bedrock depth
• Views, aspect, and elevation — south-facing slopes command premiums
• Distance from a town with a Local Area Plan
• Road frontage and access sightlines — a narrow, busy N-road frontage often requires a costly sightline upgrade

Typical price ranges

In 2025, serviced half-acre sites with full planning permission in commuter-belt counties (Meath, Kildare, Wicklow, Cork, Galway) commonly sold in the €80,000–€200,000 range. Unserviced sites in remoter rural counties subject to planning can go for €30,000–€60,000. These are broad ranges — individual sites are priced almost entirely on their specifics.