Timing Your Offer: Key Steps to Settle Before Christmas or the New Year in WA

If you’re looking to close your property purchase and move in before the holidays, timing is everything.

In Western Australia the settlement process involves a number of deadlines, conditions and holidays which can affect your contract. At Adaptive Settlements we’ve put together a guide to help you plan your offer, streamline your settlement and avoid unwanted delays.

Offer & Contract Conditions

When your offer is accepted, the contract will typically include certain conditions, such as finance approval and inspections, each with its own timeframe. It’s common in WA to have a finance approval period of around 14 to 28 days, depending on your lender and how prepared you are.

Then the settlement date will be set, often something like “21 days after finance approval” or a fixed date.

If you want to settle before Christmas or around the New Year, you’ll need to work backwards from your target settlement date:

• Allow time for finance approval (14 to 28 days)

• Allow time from finance approval to settlement (21to 30 days)

• Factor in long weekends and public holidays (Christmas & New Year’s shut‐down periods)

• Build in a grace period of about 3 business days after the agreed settlement date, which many WA contracts allow before penalties apply.
  

Choose the Right Settlement Date

Pick a settlement date that gives you enough buffer. For example, if you’d like to settle in mid-December:

• Ensure your finance condition allows approval no later than ~late October/early November.

• Settlement then set for mid-December, allowing your settlement agent and lender to work ahead of holiday closures.

• Avoid scheduling settlement right on major holidays or during peak office shutdowns—banks, titles offices and agents may be slower.

Public Holidays & Office Shut-Downs

The end of the year brings several non-business days. If your settlement falls during or immediately after this period, processing can be delayed, documents may sit awaiting signatures, and essential transfers may not occur until business is fully resumed in the new year.

Grace Period & Delay Risks

In WA, the Joint Form of General Conditions include a standard 3 business-day grace period after the settlement date. If settlement is delayed beyond that, penalty interest may apply. So, if you’re relying on your sale of another property, or the seller has tenants, or you’re coordinating building works, these can all introduce risks.

Tips to Smooth Your Path

• Get pre-approval early so you’re ready when your offer is accepted.

• Work closely with your settlement agent to set realistic timeframes and track each milestone.

• Check vendor & buyer transition logistics (tenancy, moving out, property condition).

• Avoid eg. settlement on 24 to 29 December when many offices are closed.

• Communicate early, if your lender, agent or vendor indicates a potential delay, address it promptly and consider varying the date in contract if needed.

How Adaptive Settlements Can Help

At Adaptive Settlements, we specialise in managing tight settlement timelines. If you’re aiming for a year-end settlement across Perth or Western Australia, we’ll map out your condition deadlines, check holiday closure impact, coordinate with your lender, and help mitigate delay risks so you can move in with confidence.