Our experience means we know just how emotional, stressful, and draining this period can be for people. Divorce or separation is often, when it comes to selling a home, a difficult thing to go through.
However, there are specific steps you can take to help you embark on a fresh chapter of your life. We aim to help and guide you during these times and to become your support partner for the property’s sale.
We’re here to help you get through what can be a very challenging period of your life. We cover many aspects of selling due to divorce or separation in this guide.
Preparing Properly for a
There are many things to consider during a divorce. Whether it’s family finances, property or even pets, it pays to prepare properly. Addressing the points below will make the experience easier to navigate through.
When getting a divorce, it’s wise to contact a solicitor to seek legal advice. They should be able to advise you on any legal implications you need to consider. A good solicitor will also give you guidance on the financial aspect of any settlements.
If you have a mortgage, it’s worth making your provider aware of the situation to see if they can offer help and advice.
For example: If you need to reduce the mortgage payments for a short period while the property is being sold.
Once you have instructed a solicitor, it’s time to contact an estate agent.
Every agency is different and even though legally we only need one signatory on our sales agreement, we always insist on having two. This helps a sale to be successful and far less stressful for both parties.
A good estate agent understands there needs to be a high level of agreement and transparency.
The easiest way to pour fuel on an already highly emotional situation is to allow a breakdown in communication to happen. It’s so important to involve both parties once a property is up for sale, even if that is through mediators.
By keeping both sides fully updated around viewings, feedback, offers and progress, we reduce the risk of sales falling through and making an often stressful situation even more fraught.
We will often set up a WhatsApp group to ensure updates are shared with everyone involved in the sale. Having these foundations in place will help enormously when it comes to selling and moving on.
We often see people who are dealing with selling a home for the first time. This may be because their ex-partner had dealt with it all in the past. The paperwork, processes, and preparations can seem daunting to the uninitiated, so don’t try to do it on your own. We’re always happy to sit down, go through and help with any issues or questions you have. Moving home is an emotional experience at the best of times, and we understand and empathise with what you’re going through.
When putting your home up for sale, invite three estate agents to value it. You’ll be able to gauge who you have a rapport with and who you feel you can trust. The last thing you want when selling due to a divorce is an agent you don’t trust implicitly. Check out their reviews, their standard of marketing, and ask for testimonials.
Something we often see is people who are going through a divorce that end up instructing an agency which has overvalued their home to win their instruction. Usually, this leads to the property sticking on the market at a time when people want/need a swifter sale. And it’s worth considering why some agencies fees are a lot cheaper than others. Often personal service and care, the very things you’ll need most during this chapter of your life, are sacrificed by the cheap agent.
Things to think about....
Does one party want to buy out the other?
Do you both want to sell?
Will you both be living at the property during the sale?
Are children involved?
How would you like to be contacted?
Does the divorce solicitor need to handle the conveyancing aspect?
Are we meeting at the property or away from it?
What to tell potential buyers if they ask why you are moving?
