The process of a divorce is one that is not nice or even very easy. If you are a homeowner with your wife or husband, then selling your home during this time can be difficult. What is key is understanding what are the best solutions and also what options you have available to yourself. All will be dependent on your situation, however the processes are very much the same. In our latest article Norwich Home Buyers take a look at selling your home during a divorce.
How Can I Sell My Home?
When it comes to selling your home the usual methods still apply. However, what does differ is being aware of any legal elements which may cause friction or issues. Most homes will be divided in some way as we will discuss later on. This therefore needs to be agreed between both parties. If you’re in a position where you need to sell your home, then some of the ways you can consider include the following:-
Sell Through An Estate Agent
Selling through an estate agent is most definitely the most popular of methods in which to use. When it comes to selling your home during a divorce you need to be mindful of the legal aspects. If you are the sole owner of the property then you are free to do whatever you like. However, joint ownership is where issues can arise. Make sure that all of the legal aspects are sorted beforehand.
Using the services of an estate agent in this case may help to boost the chances of selling your home. They can rely on their existing network of buyers, as well as marketing your property effectively to best achieve a sale. As well as offering market insights about what price you should be looking to achieve.
Auction
As with selling via an estate agent during a divorce, you need to ensure that if you are in a joint ownership agreement you both consent to selling at an auction. An auction is a great way to sell a property if you need to raise funds for your next home. Finding the right auction is key to how likely you are to sell. Be aware however that with an auction the prices you may achieve will not be as competitive as selling directly to a buyer.
How Is The House Divided?
Dividing the house appears to be one of the toughest things you will have to do. When it comes to the process of a house all of your assets are then split into half, there are situations however where this is not applicable. However, for this article we will focus heavily on everything being split 50/50. Some of the options you have when selling your home during a divorce include the following:-
Both Selling And Moving Out
Both selling and moving out tends to be the least favourite option between divorced couples due to the fact that they will have to agree on an estate agent as well as the price they will want to sell at. However, it is a genuine option if you find yourself on good terms with each other.
Selling At A Later Date
Depending on the relationship you have with your ex-partner, one person may remain in the property and the other may move out. This is particularly used for when someone has children under the age of 18. The person who vacates the property also retains their stake in preparation for sale.
Buying Your Partner Out
If you find yourself in a position financially there is always the option of buying out the other person. This would then transfer 100% ownership onto the sole owner for any future sale. To fund this some may use savings, a loan or even a potential remortgage to release some equity from the home.
What If I Have A Joint Mortgage
If you and your partner have had a joint mortgage beforehand then even separated you are legally bound by that contract. That means any unpaid mortgage payments will affect you both. Regardless if you are living in that property or not. For the reasons of it negatively affecting your credit rating as well as potential repossession you need to speak with your lender about the situation you find yourself in.
Most couples find that they often transfer the names on the mortgage into a single person once the divorce has been completed. This means that sole person is then liable for the mortgage payments. The other benefits to this include:-
- Breaking any financial ties that could impact both your credit scores.
- Stopping risk of mortgage repayments being compromised by one person.
- Allowing the person who has been taken off the mortgage to borrow for another property again.
As with all mortgages and even those that are being transferred there is a process of having an affordability check completed. If your mortgage lender feels you are not able to fulfil the repayments then you may need to look at a guarantor mortgage instead.
To Conclude
As mentioned above the process of going through a divorce is one that is not most definitely not very nice. Navigating the red tape is usually what takes the longest. Selling your home during a divorce in that case is complex and needs to be looked at seriously in order to validate your options. At Norwich Home Buyers we work with a number of clients who have differing situations. For advice on how best to sell your home please feel free to Contact Us.