Coming Home: Making the Dream a Reality for Irish Expats
Róisín Cahill
December 2024
The Lived Experience
For Irish expats, the dream of returning home often comes with a bittersweet reality. While the pull of family, community, and the comfort of the familiar is strong, the challenges of navigating Ireland’s housing market from abroad can make the process feel almost impossible. The cost of housing, unreturned calls from estate agents, and the stress of bidding wars leave many wondering if they’ll ever make it back.
I know this struggle all too well. As someone who even had insight and experience in the property industry, I found buying a home in Ireland while living abroad both frustrating and exhausting. Estate agents rarely returned calls to foreign numbers, and the time zone differences made even simple communications difficult. I relied heavily on family and friends to attend viewings, which left me feeling like a burden. By the time I factored in flights, car rentals, and days off work, the process had not only drained my time but also significantly added to the cost.
It breaks my heart to hear about people who tried coming home, who really want to be at home, leave again because they weren’t able to secure housing and create stability for themselves here in Ireland. That’s why I started Emerald Sage—to make this process easier and less stressful for others, particularly those who long to return home but feel the hurdles are too great to overcome.
What Home Means to Me
For me, home is more than a house—it’s a sanctuary. It’s where I find warmth, safety, and comfort. It’s where a simple cup of tea on the couch with a friend can brighten your day, and where the stresses of life melt away when you walk through the door.
More than that, home is about being near the people who matter most. For me, that’s my parents, my sisters, my nieces and nephews and close friends. It’s this deep connection to family and community that drives my passion for helping others find their place back home in Ireland.
Consider Buying your home BEFORE Returning
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned, and what I wish more expats knew, is that buying property before you return 
home can save you so much time, stress, and money. Even if you return home today with a healthy deposit saved, you may not have a home until 2026. Waiting until you’re back in Ireland to buy can take 12-18 months, or more, to secure a home.
First, there’s the wait for your probation period at work to end before you can apply for a mortgage. Then comes the search for the right property, which can take months in a competitive market. Finally, there’s the sale process itself, which often takes four months or longer. In the meantime, many people are stuck paying high rents or living with family—a situation that can be both costly and emotionally draining.
Buying before you return allows you to bypass much of this stress. Not everyone knows that you can get a mortgage with an Irish bank based on your foreign salary, allowing you to secure a property in advance of your return. Not only will this give you a head start on avoiding the pressure of Ireland’s housing crisis, but significantly improve your experience of transitioning back into the Irish lifestyle, and resettling.
Consider your lifestyle
People often get lured in by bespoke kitchens, and “A” rated homes, without considering the practicalities of day to day 
living. If you’ve bought a property that doesn’t suit your lifestyle, that same property can add long commute times to your day, make access to the amenities you need, and hobbies you love challenging. It can isolate you from your loved ones, and create overwhelming pressure.
All too often I hear stories about how a home that was supposed to be a haven, has become a burden, and the appeal of the beautiful kitchen very quickly became diluted. One tip I always give to people is you can always transform how a house looks, but you can never pick it up and move it to a new location.
Bidding Wars
One of the most common challenges we see is bidding wars, where properties can sell for 10-20% or more over the asking price. It’s easy to feel pressured into exceeding your budget just to secure a home. It’s really important at these times to take a step back and reflect on how exceeding the budget aligns with your long-term goals. Sometimes walking away from a bidding war or holding out for a property that’s a better fit is the right move.
Beyond Property Buying
People often ask, why would I pay someone to do it for me, when I can do it myself. And while yes, of course you can find a property by yourself, the question you have to ask is have I the knowledge and expertise in the property market to get myself the best value my money can buy? Am I making an informed decision about how to wisely spend my entire life savings? When someone goes to view a house, ultimately the agent showing them is selling them something. Having a buying consultant and knowing someone is advocating for your property needs makes all the difference. In one example, we helped a client secure a home in their ideal location, that was 33% under their budget, saving them a lot more than the cost of our service.
We also understand the practical challenges of buying from abroad—whether it’s coordinating across time zones or juggling a busy work and family schedule. We handle the calls, emails, and viewings, often saving clients over 100 – 150 hours of admin work. It is about how much value you place on your time.
Looking Ahead
The name Emerald Sage reflects our mission: “Emerald” for Ireland, and “Sage” for wisdom. Our goal is to empower people with the advice and guidance they need to make informed, thoughtful property decisions.
I believe that returning home should be a joyful experience, not a stressful one. By making expert property advice accessible, I hope to help more Irish expats feel confident and supported as they take this important step.
Supporting You
For those dreaming of returning to Ireland, it’s possible to come home to a place that’s truly yours. Buying a home from abroad isn’t just about navigating paperwork; it’s about feeling supported through a deeply personal and often stressful journey. At Emerald Sage, we aim to be that support for our clients, and helping them choose the right property.
- Free Consultations: We offer a free, no obligation video consultation for those who want to talk through their property ideas and concerns. These can be booked through www.emeraldsage.ie
- Social Media Tips: We post property buying advice regularly on our social media pages, and are continuously working on new ways to help the Irish expat community make informed property decisions.
- Network of professionals: We connect you with a network of reliable professionals such as mortgage advisors, solicitors, surveyors, insurance brokers, valuers, and any other service you might need along your property buying journey.
- Complete Property Buying Service: For those who need additional support in buying, or are lacking the time needed to search thoroughly, we offer a complete property buying service where we do all the viewings, research, analysis, and value comparisons on your behalf. We report back the pro’s and con’s of each property in relation to your property and budgetary needs, giving you objective information for you to make an informed decision.
- Home Renovations Project Management: For many expats, returning home means more than finding a house—it’s about creating a space that truly feels like home. That’s why we also offer support with renovations, helping clients transform properties into warm, welcoming spaces, enabling them to consider homes in locations closer to the people and things that are important to them.