Do you lose your deposit if you pull out of a house sale?

If you pull out before contracts are signed and exchanged, the deposit is fully refundable.

Most property sales in Ireland are “private treaty” sales. The booking deposit is paid subject to contract.

WARNING – If buying at auction (including online auction) your deposit is NOT refundable as you are entering a legal contract on the drop of the hammer and there is not a legal justifyable reason that the contract cannot go ahead. 

We also answer this question ‘Can you pull out of a house sale after signing contracts here?