Marriage is considered to be a rite of passage. But sadly, that doesn’t always mean that couples live happily ever after. Despite the fact that divorce rates are dropping in the United States, there are still hundreds of thousands of divorces that take place in the average year.
Going through a divorce is an overwhelming process as it is. And when you share property with your soon-to-be ex, things become even more complicated. While it’s important to seek out expert help from a local divorce attorney when trying to navigate these uncharted waters, you’ll also want to educate yourself on the next steps to take when selling your home. Here are some tips that may help.
Try to remove emotional attachment
When you’re going through a separation or divorce proceedings, you’ll be faced with a whole lot of changes all at once. It can be a challenge to hold yourself together, making it more likely for you to cling onto what’s familiar and comforting. In some cases, this may be your house. While it’s filled with a lot of memories, moving forward can be difficult when you’re not ready to let go of the past.
If you wish you could afford the house on your own, or you aren’t ready to come to terms with all of these life adjustments, you may be tempted to drag your feet on listing your home or come up with excuses to put a stop to a sale in progress. It may sound nearly impossible, but you’ll need to take the emotional attachment to the property out of the picture.
That’s the only way that you’ll be able to obtain reasonable offers for your home and take the next step in life. Try to remember that home really is where the heart is: by focusing on changing up your environment, you’ll be able to heal and to find a new home in which you can make happy memories.
Work with a real estate agent
Although it’s possible to sell both luxury homes and small townhouses without the help of an agent, it’s not typically recommended. It’s an especially risky maneuver to go the DIY home selling route when you’re going through a divorce at the same time.
An agent can provide you with expertise that allows your home to remain on the market for a shorter period of time, which allows you to settle these financial matters much sooner. What’s more, your agent may actually serve a vital role as mediator between you and your ex-spouse.
By communicating with your former partner through your agent, potential arguments can be avoided more easily. Make sure that your agent is someone each of you can trust, so that you both benefit from the final sale. Having an understanding real estate agent as a go-between can alleviate unnecessary tension and help to facilitate a fair deal for all parties.
Stage the home to sell more quickly
Regardless of whether one partner is staying in the home until it sells, or you both moved out well ahead of listing time, it’ll pay off (literally) to stage your home.
Since many essential belongings may be missing or out of place due to the recent changes, the property might appear less attractive to buyers. Home maintenance may have also fallen by the wayside, as everyone is too busy and too exhausted to take on these tasks.
Not only should you make an effort to perform necessary repairs before listing, but you should also hire someone to stage your home prior to taking photos and scheduling open houses. Approximately 62 percent of sellers’ agents say that staging a home decreases the amount of time that property stays on the market, which means that the ROI might be well worth being able to move on that much more quickly.
By making certain that your home is in good shape and that potential buyers can picture themselves living there, you’ll come out financially ahead. And you’ll resolve any issues associated with shared property on a shorter timeline.
Dividing assets during your divorce may be the last thing that’s on your mind. But in order to take care of yourself and your finances during this challenging period, you’ll need to power through and prioritize practicality.
