New-Build Home Interior Design in Ireland: What’s Included and What You’ll Pay Extra For

Buying a new-build in Ireland is exciting — but the glossy brochure and the reality of what you get on handover day are not always the same thing. This guide explains what a typical Irish new-build “standard finish” actually includes in 2026, what buyers routinely pay extra for, and how to layer on design and furniture without overpaying.

The Irish new-build market in 2026

Demand is strong and supply tight. According to the Daft.ie House Price Report by Prof Ronan Lyons, reported by The Irish Times on 2 January 2026, “the median price of a newly built home rose faster than the general market – up 10 per cent in the year to December – to €375,000.” For Dublin specifically, the Daft.ie House Price Report Q2 2025 found that during the six months to March 2025 “the median price of a newly built home during these six months was €444,000, up 10% on a year before.” A Dublin three-bed semi carries an average asking price of roughly €611,000. Typical new-build floor areas are modest: two-bed houses around 90 m² (963 sq ft), three-beds commonly 100–118 m² (1,076–1,270 sq ft), and two-bed apartments around 74 m² (796 sq ft).

First-time buyers can claim the Help to Buy scheme. Per Revenue and Citizens Information, the relief is the lowest of €30,000, 10% of the purchase price, or the income tax and DIRT you paid over the previous four years, and it applies to new builds valued at €500,000 or less; the enhanced scheme runs from 23 July 2020 to 31 December 2029.

What “standard finish” typically includes

Irish developers generally deliver a genuinely liveable shell. Taking published specifications from active developers as examples:

• Quantum Group’s Meadow Mill (Athy, Co. Kildare) advertises “superb handcrafted contemporary kitchens with soft-close doors,” “high quality A-rated appliances including integrated fridge-freezer, oven, dishwasher, hob and hood,” a utility plumbed for washer and dryer, “fitted wardrobes in master and selected guest bedrooms,” bathrooms with “carefully selected tiles on all bathroom floors and wet areas,” and “walls painted throughout in a mid-tone easy neutral paint with ceilings painted in white.”
• Cairn Homes developments describe “a contemporary kitchen, tiling to floors and wet areas in the bathrooms, shower enclosures and doors, heated towel rails and sanitary ware,” with “Shaker-style fitted wardrobes in all double bedrooms.”
• Glenveagh Properties brochures describe painted walls and ceilings, painted internal doors, contemporary skirting and architraves, and a pull-down attic ladder.

So the “building layer” — kitchen with integrated appliances, wet-area tiling, sanitary ware, painted walls, and (often) fitted wardrobes — is usually done to a good standard.

What you’ll almost always pay extra for

Here’s the gap. As Irish property guidance from FindQo.ie puts it, “the advertised price of a new build usually covers the basic structure and standard finishes. What it often does not include are the extras that turn the house into a fully liveable home.” Commonly extra:

• Flooring to living areas and bedrooms. Wet-area tiling is standard; main flooring and carpets frequently are not. Even where premium flooring is shown in the show home, it is often an upgrade — as one Cairn listing noted, the oak parquet “looks perfect – although it is not included as standard.”
• Window treatments — blinds, curtains, shutters.
• Light fittings beyond the basics.
• Wardrobes in bedrooms not covered by the standard spec.
• Furniture and any remaining white goods.
• Garden landscaping, paving, fencing.

Buyer-reported figures on Irish forums give a feel for the numbers: laminate flooring downstairs around €4,000, wool carpets upstairs around €6,000, blinds around €800, and overall furnishing budgets frequently cited between €7,000 and €10,000+ for a mid-to-high finish — with a two-bed sometimes furnishable for around €15,000 where the kitchen and appliances are already in. (Treat these as indicative buyer-reported figures rather than official data.)

Why new-build buyers turn to a designer — and which service they actually need

Because the developer has already handled the “building layer,” most new-build buyers do not need a full civil/turnkey design service. What they need is (1) a coherent design scheme to layer flooring, lighting, window treatments and furniture into the developer shell, and (2) the furniture and FF&E itself. This is precisely where a documentation-plus-FF&E approach shines — and where an India-based studio can deliver striking value.

How Crosby fits an Irish new-build

• Design & Documentation Only (from ₹100/sq ft ≈ €0.91/sq ft): a designer produces a full scheme — layouts, a reflected ceiling/lighting plan, finish and furniture schedules, 4K renders and a 360° VR walkthrough — that your Irish flooring fitter, electrician and joiner can execute. For a 100 m² home the starting design fee is around €980, versus an Irish full-home design scheme that typically begins at €15,000.
• Furniture & FF&E Only (from ₹75,000 ≈ €680, or ₹45,000/room ≈ €410/room): bespoke furniture from Crosby’s Lucknow workshop, lighting and soft furnishings, sourced and shipped to Ireland with transparent separate line items for service fee, product and shipping. Because furniture exports from India are generally GST-exempt, you buy at ex-factory pricing plus visible freight.
• Single Room/Area (from ₹45,000/room): if you only want, say, the kitchen-diner or the main bedroom designed and furnished.

The honest caveats for Irish buyers

• Structural/MEP changes still need a local registered professional and must comply with Irish Building Regulations; Crosby’s documentation is designed to be handed to your local trades.
• Furniture shipped from India to Ireland incurs freight and any applicable EU import duty/VAT on arrival — budget for these on top of the itemised shipping line, and plan sea-freight lead times.
• Currency moves: at September 2026 rates EUR/INR is around 109–110; rates change, so treat euro conversions as indicative.

A sensible sequence for a new-build buyer

1. Confirm your developer’s exact standard spec in writing — kitchen, appliances, tiling, wardrobes, flooring.
2. List the gaps (usually flooring, blinds, lighting, furniture).
3. Commission a design scheme for the whole home (or key rooms) so everything coordinates.
4. Decide furniture item by item: bespoke from India, sourced internationally, or bought locally.
5. Use a staged, pay-on-delivery structure so you’re never over-exposed.

An Irish new-build gives you a great starting point. The value a studio like Crosby adds is turning that developer shell into a designed, furnished home — at design fees a fraction of local rates. Model your project and currency on Crosby’s design-services page.

Internal/anchor links:

• “Crosby’s Design & Documentation package” → https://thecrosbystore.com/design-services/
• “Furniture & FF&E for new-builds” → https://thecrosbystore.com/design-services/
• “bespoke furniture” → https://thecrosbystore.com/furniture/
• “residential design” → https://thecrosbystore.com/residential-design/

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