1. I might have to move next year for various reasons and I would be like to buy.
This really is the key - uncertainty.
You do not know whether you will have to move or not.
So don't worry too much about whether or not to sell until your plans become clearer.
When things are uncertain, what you need most is flexibility. So under no circumstances should you be contributing to a pension until you know where you stand. Liquid assets are king and you should make sure that you have access to your cash at all times.
You should be able to get a mortgage of around €160k which added to your cash will bring you quite close to being able to get enough of a mortgage to buy what you want. You don't want to have stashed a lump of that cash in a pension fund which you cannot access.
Where to put the cash in the meantime?
This is very difficult. If you were definitely moving and buying a house in 2020, then you should definitely stay in a deposit account. And when your plans harden and you know you will be buying a house, then you definitely move any investment to cash.
But with low cost tracker funds, I think you can invest for a short period. If you do buy in the next year, the fund may have increased in value or it may have reduced in value. Either way you can handle a loss. And you may find yourself invested for the long term anyway.
Revisit this issue next year when you know what is happening
If you are living in Leitrim and will be moving to Carlow for work, you probably should rent first. When you settle into the area and the job you can decide if you are there for the medium to long term. At that stage you can buy.
When you do buy...
If the current mortgage deals remain available...
Take out a KBC mortgage and get the €3,000 cash back.
Sell your own house and clear the mortgage.
But as I say, don't worry about any of this until you face that decision.
Brendan