Before We All Say “Let’s Deal With It in January”
Buying, Selling, Leasing or Leaving It Until January? Let’s Talk Summer Property Plans, Christmas Deadlines and Getting a Head Start on 2027.
We’ve reached that part of the year where you look at the calendar, look away briefly, and suddenly someone is asking what you’re bringing to Christmas lunch.
Sorry, wasn’t it March about eleven minutes ago?
The next few months have a habit of disappearing into school events, work functions, shopping lists and the annual discovery that the Christmas lights have somehow tangled themselves while sitting completely still.
Add property plans to the mix and things get interesting.
Maybe you want to sell. Maybe your lease is ending. Maybe you’ve spent the year saying you’ll start looking for a home “when things settle down”.
A bold strategy. Please let us know if things ever do.
With summer approaching and 2027 appearing a little too confidently on the horizon, it’s time to work out what you want to get done—and what can realistically happen before everyone starts signing emails with “if I don’t speak to you beforehand”.
The Calendar Is Speeding Up. The Market Has Its Own Plans.
A busy diary can make everything feel urgent. Unfortunately, the property market hasn’t agreed to work around your cousin’s wedding or your preferred removalist.
The 2026 figures available so far are a reminder to allow some breathing room:
Selling is taking time. REIV’s August figures put Melbourne’s median private-sale selling time at 48 days, compared with 34 days a year earlier.
Buyers have choices. Its September commentary reported elevated stock levels and fewer active buyers in Melbourne.
Rental conditions need a local view. REIV reported higher Melbourne house and unit rents than a year earlier and a citywide vacancy rate of 2.5% in August. That broad picture won’t describe every suburb, property or price range.
Our takeaway? Check current comparisons, listen to actual feedback and leave room to adjust.
Your property plans deserve a stronger foundation than something someone said at a barbecue.
What Does “Done Before Christmas” Actually Mean?
This phrase needs unpacking.
Do you mean:
The property is advertised?
A contract or rental agreement is signed?
Settlement is complete and keys are collected?
You’re fully unpacked, with a wreath on the door and enough emotional energy to make potato salad?
Those are several different levels of ambition.
Start with the outcome you need, then work backwards.
Preparation, inspections, applications, negotiations, finance and paperwork all need space in the diary. Confirm availability with the people involved before committing to dates.
And if your plan relies on six unrelated people all being available on 23 December, it may need another look.
Your Christmas Deadline Isn’t Everyone Else’s Deadline
Wanting a fresh start before the holidays is understandable. Finding the kettle before Christmas Eve sounds considerably better than opening seventeen boxes labelled “miscellaneous”.
But a personal deadline can start making expensive decisions if you let it.
A buyer still needs time to understand the property and contract. A seller needs to assess an offer on its terms. A renter needs confirmed arrangements before booking the truck.
Ask yourself: what happens if this takes longer?
Could you adjust your moving date? Would you need storage or temporary accommodation? What would that cost?
A backup plan lacks the excitement of picking your new couch, but earns its keep when the original timetable develops a personality.
Summer Presents Beautifully. It Also Reveals Things.
Longer days, outdoor entertaining and a freshly tidied garden can make a property feel very inviting.
Then you stand in the west-facing lounge at four in the afternoon and understand why every blind is closed.
Whether you’re inspecting a home or preparing one for the market, give the practical details some attention:
Shade and comfort: Where does the afternoon sun land, and how comfortable are the main living areas?
Cooling and ventilation: What is available, and are there known issues needing attention?
Outdoor usability: Is there somewhere comfortable to sit, or will everyone retreat inside by lunchtime?
Garden upkeep: What will it take to keep things manageable through summer?
That “low-maintenance garden” deserves a proper look. Sometimes it means a small courtyard. Sometimes it means twelve garden beds currently being maintained by someone else.
The Unfinished Jobs Would Also Like a Holiday
Every home has a job that has been waiting patiently.
The dripping tap. The struggling air conditioner. The gate that closes if you lift it, lean sideways and whisper encouragement.
As the holiday period approaches, review what needs attention and confirm availability for planned work. Don’t assume routine jobs can be booked at short notice.
For rental providers and renters, raising known issues early gives everyone more time to coordinate the next step. If you’re heading away, check you have the relevant contact details and reporting arrangements.
Nobody wants to begin their beach holiday searching old emails for a plumber while someone at home says, “It’s probably fine,” over the sound of running water.
January Is Already Carrying Quite a Lot
“Let’s deal with it in January” feels wonderfully responsible in October.
January has no idea what you’ve volunteered it for.
Apparently, it will organise the house, review the budget, find a new rental, prepare a sale, establish a fitness routine and somehow pay for December.
Sometimes waiting makes sense. Give that decision an actual plan:
Choose a starting date. “After the holidays” can quietly become Easter.
Identify what needs doing first. Documents, repairs, budgeting or getting advice?
Complete one useful task now. Book the appraisal, request the quote or gather your application information.
Leave some breathing room. Allow for costs and timing changes rather than planning everything to the last dollar and day.
Future You will appreciate it. Future You is also recovering from Christmas.
Preparing for 2027 Without Pretending We Can Predict It
Interest rates, affordability, available stock and confidence will remain worth watching. Cotality’s October assessment highlighted borrowing costs and uncertainty about household finances as obstacles to a sustained recovery in buyer demand. That offers context for planning, rather than a guaranteed script for next year.
Focus on what you can organise: a realistic budget, recent local comparisons, a maintenance allowance and flexibility around your preferred dates.
You don’t need your entire property future solved before Christmas. Understanding your next step is a useful place to start.
A Little Planning, a Little Perspective & Hopefully a Proper Break
Somewhere between the property headlines, paperwork and fifth invitation to bring a plate, there are real people organising their next chapter.
For one family, that means finding a home before school begins. For a renter, it means the relief of collecting the keys and knowing where they’ll be living.
For a seller, it might mean leaving years of memories behind—and discovering how much can accumulate in a garage. For a rental provider, it might mean knowing the property and the people living there are being looked after.
Others may decide to stay put, catch their breath and revisit their options after a proper break.
We see these different circumstances through our renters, rental providers, buyers, sellers and local families across Carrum Downs, Frankston and Seaford. The dates matter because of the lives being organised around them.
Make the call you’ve been putting off. Ask the question. Give yourself enough information and time to make a decision you feel comfortable with.
Then leave some space for the good parts of summer: a beach walk, a backyard barbecue and at least one afternoon where nobody needs you to sign anything.
Whatever 2027 holds, we look forward to helping our local community take their next step with more clarity and less stress.
We’ll keep showing up, keeping you informed and keeping it real along the way.
The Us Real Estate Team 💗