You and your spouse have decided the best option (or perhaps the only financially viable one) is to sell your home and divide the proceeds. Just being able to agree on that puts you far ahead of many other couples who do battle over this issue.
Nonetheless, selling a home together as you’re going through your divorce can be a stressful endeavor. How do you keep your feelings and your differences with one another from getting the best price possible as quickly as possible. Let’s look at a few tips from real estate professionals.
Hire an experienced real estate agent you both trust
You want an agent who isn’t taking sides in your divorce and will communicate with you both. Maybe you have an agent who’s helped you with previous home purchases or sales. It’s also good to retain someone with some experience dealing with sellers who are divorcing.
Think of this as a business transaction
It actually is a business transaction, and one where hundreds of thousands of dollars or more may be on the line. Keep your conversations to the topic of the home. Don’t drag in other issues. Focus on your mutual goal of getting the best possible deal. If you still have trouble communicating amicably, communicate through your agent where possible.
You may need to put some agreements in writing
Remember that you’ll need to keep making your mortgage payments, if you still have a mortgage. You’ll also need to determine what kind of upgrades and repairs are necessary. It may be best to codify how these financial responsibilities, as well as property taxes, insurance and regular household expenses will be covered while it’s on the market.
If you haven’t already determined the living situation, you need to do that before you start showing the home. Real estate agents tend to recommend that one spouse (but not both) remains in the home so it looks lived in. The less it looks like the owners are anxious to sell, the more likely you are to get the kind of offers you’re looking for.
Of course, it’s also crucial that you have sound legal guidance as you sell your home and work out the division of this and other assets during your divorce. This can help put you in the best possible position to move forward.