Is it a good idea to buy a house over Christmas?

It can be. Fewer buyers are active and some sellers want to sell before the new year, so a keen, ready buyer may find a better deal.

Do banks process home loans over Christmas?

Yes, but lenders, valuers and conveyancers run lighter over the break, so approvals and settlements can take longer. Get your pre-approval sorted beforehand.

Are sellers more motivated over the holidays?

Some are, especially those who want the sale done before the new year. Not all, so judge each property on its own.

What should I do before buying over the holidays?

Get pre-approval in place, know your budget, line up a conveyancer and allow extra time in your finance clause or settlement date.

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Straight Answers · First home

Is it smarter to buy over the Christmas holidays when there are fewer buyers around?

Bayley Clarke · Mortgage broker on the road · Last checked 11 November 2026 · 2 min read

The short answer

It can be. The end of the year is an interesting time in real estate because you've got people in two camps: buyers who can't be bothered buying over Christmas because it's chaotic enough already, and sellers who still want their place sold before the new year.

So you've got motivated owners and fewer buyers. If you're a keen buyer, it's a good time to get in, make offers and start negotiating on places you like, because you may pick up a deal that makes sense for you.

The 60 second version, filmed from the driver's seat. The rest of this page is the detail underneath it.

Why the holidays can work in your favour

Plenty of buyers switch off from mid December. They're busy, they're travelling, and they figure they'll start looking again in the new year. That thins out the competition at open homes and on offers.

Meanwhile some sellers are keen to get it done. They don't want the sale dragging into the new year bucket, they may have already bought elsewhere, or they just want certainty before the break. A motivated seller with fewer offers on the table is more likely to listen to a sensible offer. So don't write off the holidays just because they're chaotic. That chaos might be something you can use.

Get your finance sorted before the shutdown

The flip side is that banks, valuers, conveyancers and agents all run lighter over the break. Approvals and settlements can take longer between Christmas and mid January, so the time to line everything up is before the holidays, not during them.

Have your pre-approval in place, know your numbers, and have a conveyancer ready to look at a contract quickly. Then when the right place comes up, you can move while other buyers are at the beach. If you're making an offer, allow a bit more time in the finance clause or settlement date so the holiday slowdown doesn't squeeze you.

The honest bit: a quiet market isn't a guaranteed discount

Fewer buyers can mean better deals, but it doesn't mean every seller will drop their price. Some sellers who list over Christmas are testing the market and happy to wait. Buy because it's the right place at a fair price, not just because it's December.

The more offers you make, the more chance you have of getting lucky. The holidays just make it a little easier to be the one making them.

Thinking of buying over the holidays?

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