Quick answer
Settling before the Christmas shutdown means completing a property settlement or loan before the holiday break closes PEXA settlements, registries and many lenders. In 2026, Christmas Day falls on Friday 25 December and the Boxing Day public holiday moves to Monday 28 December in NSW and Victoria, so the last pre-Christmas settlement day there is Thursday 24 December. A private property-secured loan can fund settlement when a bank can't meet that date.
Key points
- PEXA does not run financial settlements on national holidays or holidays shared by NSW and Victoria
- In 2026 the NSW and Victorian holidays are Friday 25 December, Monday 28 December and Friday 1 January
- Queensland REIQ contracts treat 27 to 31 December as non-business days
- Bank approvals can take longer in December; a private loan does not depend on them
- Funding possible within 24–48 hours once documents are in
- Amounts
- $20k – $5m
- Speed
- $20k–$250k possible same day
- Structures
- First mortgage, second mortgage or caveat
- Assessment
- No formal valuation required
Every year the same thing happens. Contracts signed in spring settle in December, banks and solicitors run thin as leave starts, and the number of usable settlement days shrinks just as demand peaks. A deal that would be routine in March becomes a scramble in the week before Christmas.
This page sets out the 2026–27 dates that matter, how much lead time to allow, and how private property-secured funding can carry a settlement when a bank cannot make it before the break. We review it each year before the holiday period.
How many settlement days are left before the break?
PEXA runs financial settlements on weekdays only. Its published hours say settlement is unavailable on gazetted national public holidays and any other public holiday shared by Victoria and New South Wales. In 2026, both NSW and Victoria observe Christmas Day on Friday 25 December, Boxing Day on Saturday 26 December with an additional holiday on Monday 28 December, and New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January 2027.
| Date (2026–27) | Day | Settlement position in NSW and Victoria |
|---|---|---|
| 21–24 December | Mon–Thu | Ordinary business days; expect heavy demand |
| 25 December | Friday | Public holiday; no PEXA financial settlement |
| 28 December | Monday | Additional Boxing Day holiday; no PEXA financial settlement |
| 29–31 December | Tue–Thu | Ordinary weekdays; settlements possible subject to availability |
| 1 January 2027 | Friday | Public holiday; no PEXA financial settlement |
| 4 January 2027 | Monday | First business day of the new year |
Queensland is different. PEXA lists no Queensland lodgement on all days between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, and the REIQ contract’s definition of a business day excludes 27 to 31 December. Other states set their own holidays, so check yours.
What time of day can settlement happen in each state?
Even on a business day, settlement has to land inside PEXA’s financial settlement window for the state. In the last days before a holiday, a booking late in the afternoon leaves no room for a delay. PEXA publishes these weekday settlement hours:
| State or territory | PEXA financial settlement hours (weekdays) |
|---|---|
| NSW | 9.30am to 5.30pm (to 6.30pm during daylight saving) |
| VIC and TAS | 9.30am to 5.30pm |
| QLD | 9.30am to 4pm |
| SA | 9.00am to 4.30pm |
| WA | 8.30am to 3.30pm |
| ACT | 9.30am to 4.30pm |
| NT | 9.00am to 3.30pm |
Ask your solicitor to book a morning slot for any settlement in the week before Christmas.
What should you do, depending on today’s date?
| If today is… | What is realistic | First move |
|---|---|---|
| Before mid-November | Any structure; time to compare bank and private options | Map every December deadline now and line up funding |
| Mid-November to early December | Private funding comfortably; a bank only if already well advanced | Send contracts and property details this week |
| 7 to 18 December | Private funding, with documents complete in one batch | Book your solicitor’s signing time before they go on leave |
| 21 to 24 December | Smaller, simple settlements only, with documents already in | Confirm the PEXA booking and the other side’s readiness daily |
| 29 to 31 December | NSW and Victoria only, for simple deals already prepared | Expect January settlement in Queensland |
Funding is possible within 24–48 hours once documents are in, and $20k–$250k possible the same day, but in December the limit is usually other people’s availability, not the lender’s.
Why does December settlement go wrong?
- Bank credit queues. Approvals that would take two weeks in October can take far longer when assessment teams are clearing year-end volume.
- People on leave. A solicitor, a guarantor or the other side’s lender can be the missing piece.
- Fewer registry hours. For the 2025–26 break, the NSW Registrar General announced that the LRS Lodgment Office would close to walk-in customers on the public holidays and run reduced hours from 29 to 31 December. Watch for the 2026–27 notice.
- Contract definitions. Business-day definitions that exclude late December can move your obligations into January.
How it works: settling before the break with private funding
- Lock the date. Confirm the contract settlement date and whether it is a business day under your contract.
- Enquire early with the contract, the amount needed and the security on offer.
- Structure. A private first mortgage over the property being bought, or a caveat loan or second mortgage over property you already own to fund a gap.
- Sign before leave starts. Loan documents signed with your solicitor while everyone is still at work.
- Book PEXA with the private lender as incoming financier.
- Refinance in the new year. The bank finishes its approval and repays the private loan.
Our page on settling a property purchase on time covers two-lender settlements in more detail, and what happens at settlement explains the PEXA steps.
How does this compare with the alternatives?
| Option | Makes the December date? | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Wait for the bank | Only if it is already near final approval | Risk of a missed date over the holidays |
| Ask the other side to move to January | If they agree | Costs, and some sellers or buyers won’t wait |
| Private first mortgage over the purchase | Often | Costs more for the short period; bank refinance as exit |
| Caveat or second mortgage over other property | Often, for a gap | Another property secures the loan |
| Settle late and absorb penalties | No | Late interest, notice to complete, possible termination |
Who it suits
- Business owners buying commercial, industrial or investment property with December settlement dates
- Sellers refinancing or discharging loans before the break to stop costs building
- Businesses that need a property-secured loan to pay suppliers, staff or the ATO before the shutdown
- Borrowers whose bank will approve in January but not before Christmas
When this isn’t the right move
- Nothing turns on the December date. If a January settlement costs you nothing, wait for the bank.
- There is no exit in the new year. A short loan taken to beat Christmas still needs repaying.
- The other side can’t settle anyway. If their lender or solicitor is unavailable, your funding won’t fix it.
- The purchase is a home to live in. These loans are for business purposes only.
What it costs (without the guesswork)
We price every deal on its own merits, using the security, the loan-to-value ratio, the term and the exit, and aim for the sharpest price your circumstances allow. The parts you will see:
- Interest for the term, either prepaid or capitalised, so there may be nothing to pay monthly over a slow January
- The assessment fee, a small amount that varies by loan and is stated on the Letter of Offer
- Legal and registration costs, plus a discharge of mortgage when the bank refinances
Weigh that against what a missed December settlement could cost: late interest, the seller’s costs, or the deal itself.
Documents you’ll need
- The contract of sale, with the settlement date and any special conditions about late completion
- Details of the bank’s approval status and expected timing
- Identification for borrowers, directors, guarantors and security owners, including anyone travelling over the holidays
- Address, ownership and loan balance for each security property
- Company or trust documents where relevant
- Your solicitor’s holiday-period availability
How fast can a December settlement be funded?
Once documents are in, funding is possible within 24–48 hours, and $20k–$250k possible the same day. There is no formal valuation required, which matters in a month when report providers are also stretched. Most December failures come from a missing signature, so check that every signatory will be available. Send your contract and settlement date to get a clear answer before the rush.
Illustrative example: a pre-Christmas commercial purchase
Illustrative example: a Melbourne printing business has exchanged on its leased factory at $1.3m, settling on Tuesday 22 December 2026, with a $130k deposit paid. Its bank says approval will come in the second week of January. The business needs $1.24m on the day including duty and costs, and has $110k in cash. A private first mortgage over the factory at an illustrative LVR band of 75% gives $975k, and a second mortgage over the director’s investment unit, worth about $600k with $250k owing, adds about $170k at an illustrative band of 70%.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| First mortgage over the factory | $975k |
| Second mortgage over the unit | $170k |
| Less capitalised interest allowance and loan costs (illustrative) | $15k |
| Cash on hand | $110k |
| Available on 22 December | $1.24m |
Settlement happens before Christmas, and in late January the bank refinances the factory and the unit loan is repaid. This illustration is not a client record.
A December settlement checklist
- Confirm the date is a business day under your contract’s definition, not just on the calendar.
- Collect every signature early. Directors, guarantors and co-owners who plan to travel should sign before they leave.
- Request payout letters now for any loan being discharged at settlement.
- Check your solicitor’s leave dates and who covers their files.
- Ask the other side whether their lender and solicitor are confirmed for the day.
- Know your plan B. If the date slips, what does the contract say about late settlement, and what will it cost?
Key terms
- Business day: a day defined by the contract, often excluding weekends, public holidays and, in Queensland’s REIQ contract, 27 to 31 December.
- Financial settlement: the moment in PEXA when funds move between the parties’ lenders and accounts.
- Incoming financier: the lender funding the buyer’s side of a settlement.
- Gap loan: a short loan covering only the difference between the bank’s funding and the amount needed.
Other urgent situations we fund
- Bank finance fell through before settlement
- Received a notice to complete
- Buying commercial property fast
- Off-the-plan settlement shortfalls
Local detail: private lender in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. For a typical timetable, see the commercial property purchase timeline.
December deadline? See if you qualify
Start now rather than in the week of settlement. Tell us the settlement date, the amount needed on the day, the property you are buying or refinancing, and any other property you can offer with what is owing on it. There is no credit check to enquire, your enquiry goes to one direct lender, and a specialist reads it.
Precise figures let us confirm early whether a pre-Christmas settlement is achievable, while there are still business days to spare. Lock in your December settlement.
Frequently asked questions
We exchanged on a Sydney warehouse with settlement on 22 December, but our bank says approval won't be ready until mid-January. What can we do?
Fund the settlement privately and let the bank refinance it in January. A private first mortgage over the warehouse, or a gap loan over other property, can settle on 22 December. Send the contract and your other property details now, not in the week of settlement, because December fills up fast.
What's the last day to settle before Christmas in 2026?
In NSW and Victoria, Christmas Day is Friday 25 December and the Boxing Day public holiday is observed on Monday 28 December, so Thursday 24 December is the last weekday before the break. Check your own state's holidays, and remember PEXA hours differ by state.
Can settlements happen between Christmas and New Year?
In NSW and Victoria, Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 December 2026 are ordinary weekdays, so PEXA settlements can run on those days subject to its normal availability. Queensland is different: PEXA lists no Queensland lodgement between Boxing Day and New Year's Day, and REIQ contracts exclude 27 to 31 December from business days.
My Queensland contract says settlement is 30 December. What happens?
Queensland Law Society material on the REIQ contract says a business day excludes 27 to 31 December, and an obligation falling on a non-business day may be performed on the next business day. Ask your solicitor how your contract applies, but expect settlement to move into January.
When does the land registry close in NSW?
For the 2025–26 break, the NSW Registrar General announced that the LRS Lodgment Office would close to walk-in customers on the public holidays and run reduced hours from 29 to 31 December. Check the 2026–27 announcement in early December, as arrangements are published each year.
Our seller wants settlement before Christmas or they'll pull out. Can a private lender help?
Yes, if equity and the exit stack up. Funding is possible within 24–48 hours once documents are in. The key is starting early enough that documents, signatures and the PEXA booking all happen before the last business days fill.
Can we settle a refinance before the break so we're not paying default interest over January?
Often, yes. A private refinance can pay out an expiring or defaulted loan before the break, which stops default interest building over the holidays. Your current lender's payout letter is the slowest part, so request it now.
Is it worth settling just before Christmas rather than early January?
It depends what the delay costs. If missing December triggers late-settlement interest, a lost deal, a lapsed loan or an ATO step, paying for a short private loan may be cheaper. If nothing turns on the date, waiting for the bank can be the better choice.
Do private lenders work through the holidays?
Many people take leave, and settlement still needs solicitors, the other party's lender and PEXA to be available. The realistic advice is to have everything signed and booked well before the last business days, whoever your lender is.
Can interest be capitalised so the business isn't paying through the quiet January period?
Yes. Interest can be prepaid or capitalised per deal, so there may be no monthly repayments during the term, which suits businesses with a slow January.
We need to pay a tradie and supplier run before the shutdown. Is that a fit?
If the loan is secured on property and used for business purposes, such as paying suppliers or wages, it can be. Smaller property-secured amounts of $20k–$250k are possible the same day once documents are in.
I'm buying at a December auction with settlement in late January. Is that a Christmas issue?
Less so, but the holiday period still slows banks and solicitors in early January. Our auction page covers funding a deposit and settlement against existing property equity.
What if settlement slips past the break?
A missed settlement date may lead to a notice to complete and late-settlement interest under your contract. If that happens, move quickly in the first business days of January, and read our notice to complete page.
Do you need a formal property report, which would be hard to get in December?
No. There is no formal valuation required; the property is assessed directly. That removes one of the steps most likely to stall over the holidays.