Short answer: Caveat loans in Melbourne are lodged with Land Use Victoria, electronically and usually within hours of signing, and can be funded in as little as 24 hours. Instant Business Finance lends $20,000 to $5 million against Victorian property with no financials and bad credit considered.
How a caveat works on a Victorian title
In Victoria the caveat is lodged with Land Use Victoria. Lodgement is electronic and takes minutes, so the timeline on a Melbourne file is set by how quickly documents can be signed rather than by the registry.
Your existing mortgage is untouched and your lender is not asked for consent. This is the whole reason Victorian owners use caveats instead of refinancing: a refinance means starting again with a new lender, and that is a four to six week conversation at best.
The Melbourne businesses we see most
Melbourne’s mix is different from Sydney’s and it shows in the files. Hospitality, manufacturing, construction and logistics dominate, and each has its own cash-flow shape.
What these industries share is a mismatch between when money is owed to them and when it is owed by them. The customer pays on 30, 60 or 90 days. The supplier, the landlord and the staff do not wait. A business can be profitable on paper and still unable to meet Friday, and that is a timing problem rather than a solvency one.
Hospitality operators come to us when a quiet winter meets a rent review. Fabricators and manufacturers in the south-east come when a large order needs materials bought before the customer pays. Builders across the northern and western growth corridors come when a progress claim slips and the trades still need paying on Friday. In all three the deadline is fixed and the money arriving three weeks later is worth very little.
What Melbourne owners use caveat loans for
| Situation | Why a caveat suits it |
|---|---|
| ATO debt | Cleared quickly, and the debt itself is not a barrier to the loan |
| Progress claim delays in construction | Trades and suppliers paid on schedule while the claim is resolved |
| Hospitality through a slow season | Bridges a known gap with a defined exit |
| Materials for a large manufacturing order | Funded against equity rather than against the order book |
| Settlement shortfall | Lodged inside a fixed settlement date |
Across Melbourne and regional Victoria
We lend against property across Greater Melbourne and throughout regional Victoria.
- CBD and the inner suburbs
- South-east through Dandenong and the manufacturing belt
- Western suburbs, Werribee and the growth corridor
- Northern suburbs and the Hume corridor
- Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and regional Victoria
What works as security in Melbourne
Most Melbourne files are secured against a family home in the established middle suburbs or against the industrial unit the business trades from, and both are straightforward.
Factory and warehouse units through the south-east and the western industrial areas are common security and usually well understood. Owner-occupied commercial premises often carry substantial equity, because many Victorian family businesses bought their premises decades ago and have paid the debt well down.
Apartments work, with the same caveat as anywhere: a building with unresolved cladding or defect issues affects both the value and the time it takes to reach one.
House-and-land in the northern and western growth corridors is accepted, though very new estates with limited comparable sales can take longer to value confidently. Where speed matters most, an established property with a clear sales history is the better security to offer.
A Melbourne file, start to finish
A Dandenong fabricator won the largest order in the company’s history and needed to buy steel before the customer’s first payment. The bank wanted two years of figures and six weeks; the supplier wanted payment that week.
The two directors owned the factory unit the business operated from. We worked from the title and a desktop valuation, and the caveat was lodged with Land Use Victoria the day the documents were signed. The steel was paid for inside 48 hours of the first enquiry.
The exit was the customer’s progress payment, contracted and dated. The loan ran for eleven weeks.
The full step-by-step is on the caveat loan process page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a property in a family trust as security?
Yes, and it is common in Victoria. The practical requirement is that every trustee is available to sign on the day, so it is worth confirming that before the file starts.
What if my property is in a growth-corridor estate?
It works, though very new estates with few comparable sales can take longer to value confidently. If you have a choice of security and the deadline is tight, an established property is usually the faster route.
How quickly can a caveat loan settle in Melbourne?
As little as 24 hours. Lodgement with Land Use Victoria is electronic; the timeline depends on signing and on having ownership and equity confirmed.
Do you lend in regional Victoria?
Yes, including Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and further out. Rural or specialised property may need a full valuation rather than a desktop one.
Can a hospitality business use a caveat loan?
Yes, provided there is equity in property you or your business owns. The loan is assessed on the property and the exit, not on the venue’s trading figures.
Do I need to refinance my home loan?
No. A caveat sits behind your existing mortgage and your lender is not asked for consent.
Does it cost anything to apply?
No. There's no cost to apply or check your eligibility. All costs are set out in writing in your loan offer before you sign anything.
Will checking my eligibility affect my credit score?
No. Our 60-second eligibility check doesn't make a credit enquiry. A credit check is only done later, with your consent, if you decide to proceed.
