The four main home renovation grants in Ireland are: the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant (up to €70,000), the SEAI home energy grants (up to €12,500 per measure), the Housing Adaptation Grant (up to €40,000), and the Warmer Homes Scheme (fully funded — no cost). Each is a separate scheme with separate eligibility, and most can be claimed together. All figures verified against gov.ie, seai.ie and citizensinformation.ie on 2 June 2026.
Every Home Renovation Grant at a Glance
| Grant | Maximum | Who it's for | Means-tested? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant | €70,000 (€50,000 vacant + €20,000 derelict top-up) | Anyone renovating a property that's been vacant 2+ years (built before 2008) to live in or rent out | No |
| SEAI home energy grants | €12,500 (heat pump) — plus separate grants for insulation, windows, solar | Homeowners and landlords upgrading energy efficiency | No |
| Housing Adaptation Grant | €40,000 | Adapting a home for a person with a disability | Yes (income under €75,000) |
| Warmer Homes Scheme | Fully funded (no cost) | Homeowners on qualifying welfare payments, home built before 2006 | Welfare-linked |
1. Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant — Up to €70,000
The largest renovation grant in the State. If you are buying or own a property that has been vacant for at least 2 years and was built before 2008, this grant pays up to €50,000 towards refurbishing it — rising to €70,000 if the property is officially derelict. You must live in it or rent it out afterwards.
It covers structural work, rewiring, plumbing, windows, kitchens, painting — nearly everything except energy upgrades (which SEAI covers separately, see below). Full eligibility rules, the work-category limits and the clawback rules: Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant guide.
2. SEAI Home Energy Grants — Up to €12,500 Per Measure
Not one grant but eight, each claimable separately on the same home:
- Heat pump — up to €12,500
- Wall insulation — up to €8,000
- Windows — up to €4,000; external doors — up to €1,600
- Attic insulation — up to €2,500
- Solar panels — up to €1,800
- Solar water heating — up to €1,200; heating controls — up to €700
- EV home charger — €300
None of these are means-tested. The build-date rules: before 2021 for solar PV, before 2011 for insulation, windows and heating measures. Full list with rates by house type: SEAI Grants 2026 guide.
3. Housing Adaptation Grant — Up to €40,000
For households where someone has a physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual disability. Pays for ramps, accessible bathrooms, stairlifts, extensions (such as a downstairs bedroom) and other accessibility works. Means-tested: household incomes under €37,500 get 100% of costs covered up to €40,000; the percentage tapers to 30% at €75,000, above which no grant is paid. Full means-test table: Housing Adaptation Grant guide.
4. Warmer Homes Scheme — Free
Not a grant but a fully funded works programme: SEAI sends a surveyor, appoints a contractor and pays for insulation, draught-proofing and (in some cases) a heat pump — at no cost to you. Only available to homeowners receiving certain welfare payments, in homes built before 2006 with a BER of C or lower. The catch is the queue: currently 24–26 months. Details: Warmer Homes Scheme guide.
How the Grants Stack: A Worked Example
Take a derelict farmhouse bought in 2026, renovated to live in by a family with a household income over €75,000:
| Grant | Amount |
|---|---|
| Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant (derelict rate) | €70,000 |
| SEAI heat pump grant | €12,500 |
| SEAI external wall insulation grant (detached) | €8,000 |
| SEAI attic insulation grant | €2,000 |
| SEAI solar PV grant | €1,800 |
| SEAI heating controls grant | €700 |
| SEAI EV charger grant | €300 |
| Total support | €95,300 |
This works because the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant explicitly excludes energy upgrade work that SEAI grants cover — the schemes are designed to be claimed together, not as alternatives. The Housing Adaptation Grant and Warmer Homes Scheme are also independent of the others (subject to their own eligibility).
What About Loans?
If the grants don't cover the full cost, two state-backed loan schemes exist alongside them:
- Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme — low-interest loans (minimum €5,000) for energy upgrade works, available through participating banks and credit unions.
- Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Loan — for first-time buyers and ‘fresh start’ applicants buying a derelict or non-habitable home who can't get full funding from a commercial lender. Requires qualifying for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant.
Installing solar during a renovation is meaningfully cheaper than retrofitting it later — the scaffolding, roof access and electrical work are already happening. The €1,800 SEAI grant applies either way. Get free quotes from SEAI-registered installers in your county.
Get Free Solar Quotes →Frequently Asked Questions
Four main schemes: the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant (up to €70,000 for properties vacant 2+ years), the SEAI home energy grants (up to €12,500 for a heat pump, plus separate insulation, windows and solar grants), the Housing Adaptation Grant (up to €40,000, means-tested, for adapting a home for a person with a disability), and the Warmer Homes Scheme (fully funded energy upgrades for qualifying welfare recipients).
No. There is no general-purpose grant for renovating an ordinary occupied home — the Home Renovation Incentive (a tax credit scheme) closed in 2018. Today's grants are targeted: the property must be vacant or derelict (Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant), the work must be an energy upgrade (SEAI grants), or the work must be a disability adaptation (Housing Adaptation Grant). Most renovation projects qualify for at least the SEAI energy grants.
Yes. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and the SEAI energy grants are designed to be combined — the refurbishment grant excludes energy work specifically so SEAI grants can cover it. On a derelict property, the combination is worth up to €95,300. The Housing Adaptation Grant and Warmer Homes Scheme are also independent schemes that don't affect the others.
The single largest grant is the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant at €70,000 for a derelict property (€84,000 on off-shore islands). Combined with the SEAI energy grants on the same renovation, total support can exceed €95,000. For commercial buildings converted to three or more homes, the vacant property grant alone can reach €110,000.
SEAI grants never have to be repaid. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant must be partially or fully repaid only if you sell the property or stop living in/renting it within 10 years (100% within 5 years, 75% between 5 and 10 years). The Housing Adaptation Grant has no clawback. The Warmer Homes Scheme may seek discretionary repayment only if you sell within 5 years.
Sources: gov.ie — Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant; SEAI Individual Grants; Citizens Information — Housing Adaptation Grant; Citizens Information — Warmer Homes Scheme. All figures verified against live pages on 2 June 2026.
Published: 2 June 2026. Author: Neil Russell.