How modular home pricing actually works in Ireland
When you see "from €15,635" on a modular home listing, that's roughly half the number you'll wire across to actually live in the thing. Here's the four layers stacked between a brochure price and a finished house — with the numbers we see across 70 models tracked on this site.
Layer 1 — The factory price (the brochure number)
Every modular manufacturer publishes one headline number. Almost always ex-VAT. That's the "from €X" you'll see on the home page. What it includes varies a lot.
At the cheaper end of the Baltic market — Latvian timber-frame studios in the 25–30m² range — the factory price typically buys you a fully-finished shell: insulated walls, roof, windows, exterior cladding, basic flooring, drywall, electrical first-fix. Bathroom and kitchen fittings, painting, and final electrical second-fix are often add-ons.
At the premium end — Estonian concrete underground homes from Revonia, mirror-clad units from ÖÖD, or CompactLiving's award-winning Cliff — the factory price is more like a delivered turnkey number. Bathroom finished, kitchen installed, smart heating included.
The most useful question to ask the supplier on first contact is not "what does it cost?" but "what's in the price?" The same €40,000 number can buy a watertight shell or a move-in-ready holiday cabin depending on the manufacturer.
Two-tier pricing: factory vs full
Some Latvian builders (notably ARMA and ECOSPACE) publish two prices side by side:
- Factory package — the grey-finish shell, foundation prep, electrical and plumbing first-fix only. You finish the inside yourself or hire local trades.
- Full package — turnkey. Painted walls, finished bathroom, fitted kitchen, heat recovery ventilation.
The gap between them is usually €9,000–€21,000 depending on size — a useful proxy for what "finish the inside" costs if you go grey-finish from any builder.
Layer 2 — VAT
Most Baltic and Polish providers quote prices ex-VAT. When the unit ships into Ireland from another EU country, you have two scenarios:
- You're VAT-registered (running this as a business — short-term let, granny flat as a rental, etc.). You self-account for Irish VAT at 23% on import, then reclaim it as input VAT. Net cost to you: zero VAT cash impact. You still front the working-capital between paying and reclaiming, which is annoying for amateurs.
- You're a private buyer. You're not VAT-registered. The supplier should charge you Irish VAT at the point of sale (most do, some bill ex-VAT and pretend you can figure it out — push back). 23% on top of €30,000 is €6,900, and yes that lands fully on you.
The 23% VAT line is the single biggest predictor of whether a buyer is happy or angry six weeks after committing. Build it into your mental "real" number from day one.
Layer 3 — Transport to Ireland
The factory in Tartu, Riga, or Klaipeda has to get the modules to your site in Wexford, Leitrim, or Donegal. This is where the geography of the Baltic states actually matters to your wallet.
| From | Typical 25m² | Typical 60m² | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lithuania 🇱🇹 | €3,300 | €7,600 | Klaipeda → Dublin direct ferry |
| Latvia 🇱🇻 | €4,000 | €8,400 | Via Riga or Liepāja, German port leg |
| Estonia 🇪🇪 | €4,600 | €10,500 | Tallinn → Stockholm/Rotterdam → UK/IE |
| Bulgaria 🇧🇬 | €6,300 | €12,500 | Longest road leg in EU |
Two-module homes (typically 40m² and above) attract an extra €1,000–€1,500 because they need a bigger crane on Irish soil. Sites that aren't crane-accessible add cost or kill the deal entirely — see the delivery article.
Our pricing methodology page has the full transport rate model, including the per-m² scaling factors we use for sizes we haven't seen quoted.
Layer 4 — Foundation, connections, and the site work nobody mentions
The truck arrives. The crane lifts the box. The box sits on… what?
Three foundation options for under-60m² modulars in Ireland:
- Screw piles — €2,000–€4,000 installed. Fast, low-impact, removable. Most popular for tiny homes and garden cabins.
- Strip foundation — €4,000–€8,000. Better for two-module homes or wet sites.
- Concrete raft slab — €5,000–€12,000. Best long-term but slowest to cure (4 weeks ideally).
Then services:
- Irish Water mains connection: €2,000–€4,000 plus trenching to the house.
- ESB Networks electricity connection: €2,000–€10,000 depending on distance from the pole. Apply early — the queue runs 8–16 weeks.
- Wastewater: mains if you have it; otherwise a septic tank with EPA percolation test, around €4,000–€9,000 installed.
For a green-field site with no existing connections, budget €8,000–€20,000 on top of the delivered house price.
Worked example — ECOSPACE FURU 25 to a green-field site in Co Leitrim
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Factory price (full package, ex-VAT) | €19,999 | €19,999 |
| Irish VAT @ 23% | €4,600 | €4,600 |
| Transport from Latvia to site | €3,000 | €5,000 |
| Screw pile foundation | €2,500 | €3,500 |
| ESB connection (50m from pole) | €3,500 | €5,500 |
| Water connection (Irish Water) | €2,500 | €4,000 |
| Septic tank install + percolation test | €5,000 | €7,500 |
| Crane + delivery day labour | €1,200 | €1,800 |
| Total move-in cost | €42,300 | €51,900 |
The 25m² "from €19,999" is real. Living in it for €42k–€52k all-in is also real. Anyone telling you €20k is your total budget hasn't done this before.
What this means for shortlisting
Three filters that quickly cut your shortlist:
- Use delivered totals, not factory prices. Our compare table shows both. Sort by delivered to see what's actually achievable.
- Compare like with like on inclusions. Two "€55,000" homes can be a finished bathroom apart. Ask the question.
- Add VAT mentally to anything Baltic. 23% on €40k is €9,200 — the difference between affordable and not for most buyers.
Back to: Buyers guide hub · Compare all models by delivered price