📦 Cost of Moving House
What will moving actually cost me?
People budget for the removal van. The van is rarely what causes the problem. What causes the problem is the cash that has to exist on one particular day — a deposit and a month’s rent up front, on a new place, while the deposit on the old one has not come back and might not for weeks.
Figures reviewed September 2026. Free, no signup, nothing stored on our servers.
What this means
The headline figure is the cash you need on moving day. It counts everything you will spend and the deposit you will have to lodge, and deliberately does not count the deposit you are owed on the place you are leaving. That money is owed to you, not in your hand, and budgeting as if it will arrive in time is how a rental move goes wrong.
Beneath it, the three kinds of money are kept apart. Money spent is gone. A deposit lodged is yours and comes back at the end of the tenancy, but you still need it on the day. A deposit owed is a claim, not a resource.
Where the up-front demand exceeds what the law allows, this says so. A deposit and advance rent taken together cannot exceed two months’ rent, and a demand above that is not lawful regardless of how tight the market is.
What affects the result
- Whether you are renting, where a deposit and a month in advance usually dwarf everything else.
- Whether the dates line up. A gap means storage, priced by the month, and possibly a second set of removal costs.
- How much of the new place is unfurnished. Curtains, a washing machine and a bed are a four-figure category people leave out entirely.
- Whether you are paying for two properties at once, even for a week.
- Whether a broadband contract at the old address still has months to run.
- Whether the old place needs professional cleaning, which frequently decides whether the deposit comes back whole.
What will moving actually cost me?
Get the timing right before the price
The order that works is: confirm the date you get keys, confirm the date you hand back the old keys, and only then book anything. Every expensive surprise in a move — storage, a second van, a week of overlap — comes from those two dates not meeting.
Protect the deposit you are leaving behind
Photograph every room on the day you move out, dated, and keep the inventory you were given when you moved in. A deposit is withheld far more easily where there is no record, and the RTB’s dispute service works on evidence.
What comes next
If you are renting, the rent tax credit is worth claiming and frequently is not, and the rent increase checker matters the first time a review arrives. If you are buying, the buying costs calculator covers stamp duty, legal fees and the rest of the transaction. Either way, set the new bills up properly rather than taking whatever the previous occupant had.
Important assumptions
Every figure on this page rests on these. Where one does not match your situation, the answer moves — sometimes a great deal.
- Deposits are treated as your money moving, not money spent — so they are in the cash needed on the day but not in the net cost of the move.
- The deposit owed on your previous home is never counted as cash available.
- Advance rent is counted as spent, because it buys a month of living somewhere and does not come back.
- Storage is charged by the month, which is how Irish storage is sold — a fortnight costs a month.
- Every figure is yours to enter. Nothing here assumes what a removal firm, a storage unit or An Post charges.
- Purchase transaction costs — stamp duty, legal fees, survey, mortgage protection — are not here. The buying costs calculator does those properly, and duplicating them would produce two different answers.
Official sources
Where this tool applies a published rule, this is where the rule comes from. Check the source before acting on anything that matters.
- Residential Tenancies Board — deposits
The statutory limit on a deposit and advance rent, what a deposit may lawfully be withheld for, and the free dispute resolution service.
- Citizens Information — moving to a new home
The practical checklist for an Irish move — notifying services, transferring utilities and changing your address on official records.
- An Post — redirection of mail
The mail redirection service, its terms and its current price.
- Threshold — ending a tenancy
Free advice on notice periods, deposit return and what to do when a deposit is withheld.
Common questions
How much cash do I need to move into a rental in Ireland?
At minimum, a deposit and a month’s rent in advance, plus the cost of getting your things there and setting up services. On typical Dublin rents that is a four-figure sum before the van is booked, and the deposit from your last place will usually not have arrived. That timing, rather than the total, is what catches people.
How much can a landlord ask for up front?
A deposit and any advance rent together cannot exceed the equivalent of two months’ rent — in practice one month’s deposit and one month in advance. That limit comes from the Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Act 2021. A demand above it is unlawful and the RTB deals with it.
When do I get my old deposit back?
It should be returned promptly at the end of the tenancy, less any lawful deduction for rent arrears or damage beyond normal wear and tear. In practice it often takes weeks, which is exactly why it should never be counted as money available for the next move. Where it is withheld unfairly, the RTB’s dispute service is free.
What do people forget to budget for when moving?
Furnishing an unfurnished place, storage when the dates do not line up, utility standing charges from day one at the new address, a broadband contract still running at the old one, and the time off work. The removal van is usually the line people remember and rarely the largest.
Is it cheaper to move yourself?
On the invoice, usually. Count the van hire, the fuel, the insurance, the helpers and the day off work before deciding, and note that a self-move carries no cover for damage to your own things. For a small flat it is generally worth it; for a house with stairs at both ends it frequently is not.
What to check next
What does buying actually cost on top?
Stamp duty, solicitor, survey, valuation and the rest, added up before you commit.
House Buying CostsPopularIs this rent increase legal?
Check a proposed increase against Rent Pressure Zone rules and RTB notice periods.
Rent Increase CheckerCan I claim the rent tax credit?
What the credit is worth, who qualifies, and how far back you can claim.
Rent Tax CreditNewWhich of my bills am I overpaying on?
Every recurring bill in one place, with the annual figure and where to start.
Bill CheckerNext steps across CheckIreland
Picked for what you just worked out — not a list of everything we make.
- Claim the rent tax creditWorth a four-figure sum over the years most renters never claim it for, and it can be backdated.
- Set the new bills up properlyMoving is the one moment you are choosing every supplier from scratch. Do not inherit the last tenant’s.
- If you are buyingStamp duty, legal fees and the survey are a separate and much larger set of numbers.
CheckIreland is independent and is not affiliated with the Irish Government or any public body. This tool is general information built on published rules and typical costs — it is not financial, tax or legal advice, and it does not account for your individual circumstances. Confirm anything that matters with the relevant body or a qualified adviser before acting on it.