Quick answer
We write caveat loans on Victorian property. For Sydney and the rest of NSW we use a short-term registered second mortgage instead. It does the same job, putting fast business funds behind your existing bank loan, and is usually arranged just as quickly, with $20k to $250k possible the same day. It is lodged electronically with NSW Land Registry Services and sits cleanly on your title.
Key points
- Sydney property is funded with a short-term registered second mortgage, the NSW equivalent of a caveat loan.
- Your bank's home or business loan stays where it is, in first place, untouched.
- NSW lodges mortgages and discharges electronically, so registration adds no paper delay.
- Homes, units, Western Sydney industrial and Parramatta commercial property can all be considered.
- Business purposes only, from $20k to $5m, and you deal with the lender itself.
- NSW structure
- Registered second mortgage
- Registry
- NSW Land Registry Services
- Lodgement
- Electronic only since 2021
You typed “caveat loan Sydney” because you need money against your property quickly, without refinancing the bank. Good news: that is exactly what we do, and the NSW version is the tidier one. We write caveat loans on Victorian property. For Sydney property we use a short-term registered second mortgage instead. It does the same job (fast funds behind your existing bank loan) and is usually arranged just as quickly. We are the lender, so the people assessing your file are the people who fund it.
Can you get a caveat loan in Sydney?
Think about what you actually want from a “caveat loan”. Most Sydney owners who search for one want three things:
- Speed. Days, not the six-week bank cycle.
- No disturbance to the bank. The existing home or business loan keeps running on its current terms.
- A short life. Borrow for a business need, repay from a sale, a refinance or incoming money, and move on.
A short-term registered second mortgage over NSW property delivers all three. It sits behind your bank on the title, it is recorded in the standard form every NSW conveyancer, bank and buyer’s solicitor deals with daily, and when you repay, a discharge is lodged and the title goes back to how it was. Nobody on the other side of your future sale or refinance has to stop and ask what the extra interest on the title means.
If you also own property in Victoria, read about caveat loans in Victoria and we’ll compare the two titles for you.
What do we use instead of a caveat in NSW, and is it as fast?
The NSW land register is run on behalf of the NSW Government by NSW Land Registry Services, with oversight from the Office of the Registrar General. According to the Registrar General, since 11 October 2021 land dealings, caveats and priority notices in NSW have had to be lodged electronically, and paper lodgement is no longer permitted. Mortgages and discharges are among the dealings named.
So there is no paper queue to wait in. Here is how a typical Sydney file moves:
| Stage | What happens on a Sydney second mortgage |
|---|---|
| Enquiry | You tell us the property, what’s owing, the amount, the purpose and the deadline |
| Indicative terms | Our credit team sizes the loan against your equity and your exit |
| Valuation | A local valuer inspects; Sydney’s valuer coverage is deep, so bookings are usually quick |
| Documents | Loan documents are issued; every owner and guarantor is identified and signs |
| Lodgement | The mortgage is lodged electronically behind your bank’s mortgage |
| Funds | Money is paid to you, your supplier, the ATO or wherever the deal needs it |
| Payout | You repay, the discharge is lodged electronically, and the title is clear of us |
None of those stages is slower because the security is a registered mortgage instead of a caveat. The clock is set by valuation, signatures and exit evidence, whichever state the property is in.
Will a Sydney second mortgage affect my bank loan?
Your bank keeps its first mortgage, its repayments and its rate. We rank behind it. That is the whole point: you keep a long-term facility you’re happy with and add a short-term layer for a business need.
Two things to know:
- The second mortgage shows on the title. It is a registered interest, visible to anyone who searches.
- Your loan contract may say something about further security. Some bank contracts require the bank’s consent before a second mortgage is granted, others only notice. Check yours or ask the bank, and tell us who the lender is. Our page on borrowing behind your bank covers this step in detail.
Own the place outright? Then a short-term first mortgage is often the better fit.
What Sydney property can secure a short-term loan?
Sydney gives us a wide spread of security, and each type is assessed a little differently.
- Inner-ring homes. Federation bungalows, terraces and semis across the inner west, the eastern suburbs and the lower north shore. Strong sales evidence makes these straightforward to value.
- Units and townhouses. Fine as security; the valuer looks at the building, the strata scheme and recent sales in the same complex.
- Western Sydney industrial. Warehouses, factory units and yards in Wetherill Park, Smithfield and the surrounding estates are common security for trade and manufacturing businesses.
- Parramatta commercial. Office suites, retail strata and mixed-use buildings in and around the Parramatta CBD.
- Investment property anywhere in Greater Sydney, owned personally, by a company or through a trust.
For how valuers approach sheds, offices and shops, see commercial and industrial property as security.
Ready to see what your Sydney property supports? Tell us about it in a quick enquiry.
How fast can a Sydney property loan settle?
Where everything lines up, a loan of $20k to $250k can be possible on the day you enquire, while larger loans up to $5m are possible within 24–48 hours. “Lines up” means:
- the valuer can inspect promptly and the report comes back clean;
- every owner, director and guarantor is available to be identified and sign;
- we have a current statement for your bank loan;
- your exit is believable and you can show us why.
The usual delays are human ones: a co-owner overseas, a trust deed nobody can find, or an exit that needs more evidence. Flag them early and we work around them.
A worked example: a Smithfield fabricator with a materials deposit
An illustration, not a real client: the figures are rounded.
A steel fabrication business in Smithfield wins a contract for a commercial fit-out. The builder pays on progress, but the business must pay its steel supplier a deposit before the first claim. The owners need $180,000 within the week.
Their home in the Hills district is worth about $1.6m, with $650,000 owing to their bank. A $180,000 registered second mortgage, plus costs, takes total lending on the home to a little over half its value.
The valuation is booked the day after the enquiry. Both owners sign remotely, the mortgage is lodged electronically behind the bank, and the supplier is paid. A few months later the first two progress claims have been paid, the business clears the second mortgage, the discharge is lodged, and the title shows a single mortgage again. The whole loan lasted a matter of months, not decades.
Got Sydney property? Let’s find out what it can do
Whether the property is a semi in Marrickville, a factory unit in Wetherill Park or an office floor in Parramatta, the starting point is the same short enquiry. It takes roughly a minute, and enquiring places no credit check on your file. Your details stay with us; they are not passed around a list of other lenders, so your phone stays quiet. A real person on our team looks at the numbers and calls you.
Please complete the form carefully: the property address, that it’s in NSW, what’s owing, and the date the money is needed all shape the answer you get.
Frequently asked questions
Do you offer caveat loans on Sydney property?
On Sydney and other NSW property we write a short-term registered second mortgage. It is the NSW tool for the same job: business funds against your equity, behind your bank, arranged quickly. Our caveat loans are written on Victorian property.
Is a second mortgage in NSW slower than a caveat would be?
Not in practice. NSW requires almost every land dealing, mortgages and discharges included, to be lodged electronically, so registration itself is quick. The time goes into the valuation, signing and checking your exit, exactly as it would with a caveat.
Will my bank have to approve a second mortgage over my Sydney home?
That depends on your bank's loan contract. Some contracts ask for consent before you grant further security, others only need notice. Read your loan terms or ask your bank, and tell us who the lender is so we can plan the order of steps.
Can I use a Western Sydney factory or warehouse as security?
Yes. Industrial property in areas such as Wetherill Park and Smithfield is regularly used for short-term business loans. The valuer looks at the building, access, zoning and recent sales of similar units nearby.
Do I need to come into an office?
No. Enquiry, documents, identity checks and signing can all be handled remotely, and the valuer comes to the property. A Sydney file moves the same way as one from anywhere else.
What can the money be used for?
Any genuine business purpose: tax debts, stock, wages while a contract ramps up, a deposit on premises, paying out a partner, or bridging a sale. We don't fund personal spending.