The Indo's "from €130,000" headline isn't wrong — but it isn't the whole picture either. Below: every line item from ex-factory price to occupied dwelling, with realistic ranges sourced from the providers we track.
The Indo article that drove the 400% enquiry spike led on a €130,000 figure for a typical back-garden modular home. That number is achievable, but it depends on which provider, which finish, and what's included. Here's the realistic decomposition.
| Line item | Low | Mid | High | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ex-factory price (Baltic, 35–40 m², 1-bed) | €38,000 | €55,000 | €72,000 | ILUMHOUSE Lund 31 m² €46,200 +VAT; Green Cube Pille 40 m² ~€52k. Ireland delivery confirmed for ILUMHOUSE only. |
| Ex-factory price (Irish, equivalent) | €60,000 | €78,000 | €110,000 | Berko 40 m² apex ~€74k; quote-on-request from Pod Factory, Therma House, Gleoite. Domestic premium 30–50%. |
| VAT (where ex-factory price excludes) | €8,700 | €12,700 | €16,500 | Irish VAT 23%. Some Baltic providers can VAT-zero an export sale; this requires correct paperwork at both ends. |
| Transport to site (Baltic origin) | €3,500 | €5,500 | €8,500 | 3.6 m wide unit on low-loader, factory-to-site door-to-door including ferry. Tighter sites need crane reload (extra). |
| Transport to site (Irish origin) | €800 | €1,800 | €3,500 | Factory-to-site within Ireland. Often included or heavily subsidised by domestic providers. |
| Crane lift (if needed) | €800 | €2,200 | €6,000 | Open access: self-loader does it. Tight urban site with cabling overhead: separate articulated crane half-day. |
| Foundation (concrete strip or pad) | €3,500 | €7,500 | €14,000 | Depends on ground conditions and size. Screw-piles can be cheaper for small light units (€2k–€4k) but not all manufacturers permit them. |
| Service connections (water, ESB, drainage) | €1,500 | €4,500 | €10,000 | If existing connections are <10 m away. New trenching, ESB cabinet, or septic system push the upper end significantly. |
| Septic / treatment system (if no mains drainage) | €5,000 | €8,000 | €12,000 | EPA percolation test required. Adds 2–4 weeks to overall timeline. |
| Internal commissioning & finishes | €800 | €2,500 | €8,000 | If price excludes interior finishes (typical for "shell-finished" Baltic packs). Kitchen install + flooring + paint. |
| Planning consultation (pre-clearance) | €200 | €400 | €800 | One pre-application advice consultation with an Irish planning consultant. Cheap insurance. |
| Solicitor review (contract over €40k) | €250 | €500 | €1,200 | Worth doing for any Baltic contract. Not always needed for domestic purchase from established Irish provider. |
| BER assessment + cert | €200 | €350 | €600 | Mandatory for any new dwelling; required for rental. |
| Total — Baltic shell to liveable | €62,650 | €100,650 | €160,300 | Headline figure of €130k lands in the upper-middle of this range with full finish. |
| Total — Irish equivalent | €72,300 | €103,300 | €161,600 | The price gap closes once site costs are added — most of the Baltic premium is in the unit itself. |
The savings narrative is real but contextual. Going Baltic saves €15,000–€35,000 on a like-for-like compact dwelling, before the site work. The site work is the same in either case. So the real-world saving on a fully delivered project is closer to 15–25% than the 40% headline figure that ex-works pricing alone suggests.
Even comprehensive packs typically exclude:
Domestic mortgage products for prefab and modular homes are still maturing in Ireland. Bank of Ireland, AIB, and KBC have variable comfort with non-traditional construction, particularly when units are imported from outside the EEA or use materials outside standard Irish certification frameworks. The realistic financing routes today are:
Standalone mortgages on a back-garden modular dwelling are uncommon. Plan financing around the principal dwelling.
Under the 2026 exemption, up to €14,000 per year of rental income from a back-garden dwelling let under licence (not a tenancy) is tax-free. At a realistic €1,000–€1,200/month rent, that's a 10–14 year payback period on a €120k–€140k all-in build cost. The licence structure — which means the occupier is not a tenant, not protected by the Residential Tenancies Act — is the regulatory feature that distinguishes this from a standard buy-to-let.
In practice that distinction is what makes the build attractive to risk-averse Irish landlords burned by the RTB process. A licensee is not protected by the RTB and the 1–2 month notice provisions of a standard licence are meaningfully easier to enforce than tenant termination.
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