Do I have to sell the house for Fair Deal?
Under the financial assessment you contribute 7.5% of the value of assets per year (3.75% for one of a couple). The principal private residence is included in that calculation, but only for the first three years in care — after that it stops counting automatically. Over three years that is 22.5% of the home's value at most.
You do not have to sell to pay it. The Nursing Home Loan lets the HSE recover the home-based portion later from the estate, so no property has to be sold during the person's lifetime to fund care.
FairPath's v1 covers the straightforward branch (single/widowed, no loan). If you need the loan, tell us and we'll notify you the week we cover it.
The price is only half the number.
What your family actually pays is set by the Fair Deal means test — often far less than the sticker price. Work it out in two minutes, free.