Quick answer
A private property-secured business loan can settle fast: $20k to $250k is possible the same day, and loans up to $5,000,000 are possible within 24–48 hours. The real timeline depends on the paperwork chain — valuation, title and entity checks, signatures from everyone involved and, for a first mortgage, the existing lender's payout. Electronic lodgement makes the registry side quick; people and documents are what usually set the pace.
Key points
- Same day is possible for $20k to $250k; up to $5m is possible within 24–48 hours.
- Our credit decision is rarely the slow part — valuation access, signatures and existing lenders are.
- Second mortgages and Victorian caveat loans avoid waiting on the first lender, which often makes them the quickest.
- Electronic lodgement is standard in the major states, so registration itself is fast.
- Possible same day
- $20k to $250k
- Up to $5m
- Possible in 24–48 hours
- Usual bottleneck
- Paperwork, not approval
When the deadline is real — the ATO’s notice, a settlement date in a contract, a supplier who won’t ship without a deposit — the only question that matters is: how long until the money is in the account? For a private property-secured business loan, the honest answer is “faster than most people expect, and mostly up to the paperwork”.
How long does a private loan take to settle?
The outer markers:
- $20k to $250k — possible the same day, for property-secured loans.
- Up to $5,000,000 — possible within 24–48 hours.
“Possible” is doing real work in those sentences. They describe what can happen when the file is straightforward and everyone moves. They aren’t a promise for every property or every borrower. What actually decides your timeline is the chain of steps every secured loan goes through, and how quickly each link can be closed.
What are the steps between enquiry and funds?
| Step | What happens | What usually decides the pace |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Enquiry and first call | You give the property, the amount, the purpose, the exit and the deadline; a real person calls | How accurate the answers are |
| 2. Structure and indicative terms | First mortgage, second mortgage or — in Victoria — caveat loan chosen; terms outlined | Whether the exit is clear |
| 3. Property check | Title search and valuation, or our own desktop assessment where it suits | Valuer access to the property |
| 4. Entity and ID checks | Company, ABN, director ID and trust deed checks; ID for every signer | Finding the trust deed and variations |
| 5. Loan documents | Lender’s solicitors draw up the loan, mortgage and guarantees | Everyone available to sign, with legal advice where needed |
| 6. Settlement and lodgement | Funds paid out; mortgage or caveat lodged electronically | Any existing lender’s payout and discharge |
Steps 1 and 2 can happen in the same conversation. Steps 3 to 5 are where days are won or lost.
Why is a private lender faster than a bank in the first place?
Three reasons:
- The decision is narrower. It rests on the property, the purpose and the exit, not on a full review of two years of trading.
- Fewer hands. The people deciding are close to the file, not three committees away.
- No need to move the first lender — on a second mortgage or caveat loan, the existing bank stays where it is, so its processing queue isn’t part of your timeline.
For more on the trade-off, see private lender vs bank.
Does it matter which state the property is in?
For speed, less than it used to. Land dealings in the major states are now lodged electronically:
- New South Wales: all land dealings, caveats and priority notices must be lodged electronically, and have been since 11 October 2021 (NSW Registrar General).
- Queensland: mortgages, releases of mortgage, caveats and transfers signed from 20 February 2023 must go through eConveyancing (Titles Queensland).
- Victoria: conveyancing transactions including mortgages and caveats are lodged electronically by lawyers, conveyancers and other subscribers through an electronic lodgment network (Land Use Victoria).
Where the state does matter is the structure. Caveat loans are written for Victorian property and are often the quickest way to put a top-up behind an existing mortgage there. In every other state and territory, a short-term registered second mortgage does the same job — and with electronic lodgement, it’s usually arranged just as quickly. Our private second mortgage page covers how that works.
Racing a deadline right now? Tell us the date in a 60-second enquiry and we’ll tell you what’s realistic before you commit to anything.
What speeds a settlement up — and what slows it down?
| Speeds it up | Slows it down |
|---|---|
| Accurate answers at enquiry, including what’s owed | Surprises on title found by the search |
| One owner, or all co-owners ready to sign | A co-owner overseas or not on board |
| Second mortgage or caveat, no payout needed | First mortgage waiting on the old lender’s payout and discharge |
| A suburban house or standard commercial unit | Unusual or remote property needing a full valuation |
| Trust deed and variations on hand | Deed lost, or variations missing |
| Exit evidence ready — contract, approval, confirmed payment | An exit that is still only a hope |
The best single thing you can do: if a first mortgage will pay out an existing lender, ask that lender for a payout figure on the day you enquire. The documents checklist lists everything else to have ready.
Illustrative example: two files, two timelines
Illustrative only — rounded figures, not real clients.
File A — Melbourne, same-day possible. An electrician needs $90,000 to pay a wholesaler before a large job starts. He owns his Melbourne townhouse with a bank loan he wants to keep, owes about half its value, and is the sole owner. He calls in the morning with his rates notice and loan statement ready. The structure is a caveat loan; the townhouse is easy to value, he signs the documents as soon as they arrive, and the funds can land that day.
File B — Brisbane, two days. A transport company needs $1,200,000 to buy out a partner, secured by a first mortgage over a depot owned by the family trust, paying out the bank. Two directors and the trustee company must sign, the deed has one variation, and the bank must produce a payout figure. With the payout ordered on day one and the deed supplied straight away, settlement inside 48 hours is realistic. If the bank had been asked a week later, it wouldn’t have been.
Need it urgently? Our page on urgent property-secured business loans covers what to do in the first hour.
Start the clock with an accurate enquiry
Every fast settlement starts the same way: a clear picture of the property, the amount, the exit and the deadline, given up front. That’s what lets us pick the right structure while you’re still on the first call.
The enquiry takes about 60 seconds and there’s no credit check when you first enquire. We don’t fire your details out to a heap of lenders; a real person reads your answers and phones you, usually with a realistic timeline in hand. Please be accurate — especially the property’s address and state, what’s owed and the exact date you need the money.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a private loan take to settle?
For property-secured business loans, $20k to $250k is possible the same day and up to $5m is possible within 24–48 hours. Files take longer when a valuation can't be booked quickly, someone can't sign, or an existing lender is slow to provide a payout.
Can a private loan really settle the same day?
It's possible for smaller property-secured loans when the property is straightforward, everyone can sign promptly, no existing lender needs to be paid out and the exit is clear. It isn't guaranteed — it depends on the file.
Which is faster, a caveat loan or a second mortgage?
Both avoid waiting on the first lender. Caveat loans are written for Victorian property; in every other state and territory a registered second mortgage does the same job and is usually arranged just as quickly.
Why does a first mortgage sometimes take longer?
If the new loan pays out an existing lender, settlement can't happen until that lender provides a payout figure and is ready to discharge its mortgage. Ordering the payout figure early is the best way to keep things moving.
What can I do to speed up settlement?
Answer the enquiry accurately, have ID for every owner and director ready, request any payout figure on day one, find your trust deed and variations if a trust is involved, and make sure everyone who must sign is available.