Selling due to a divorce or separation - Knightsbridge Estate Agents & Valuers

Selling due to a

divorce or separation

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.

First Steps

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.

Agreement

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.

Communication

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.

1. Do seek advice and help

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.

2. Don’t sell to quick home buying companies

Many companies offer a quick buy service, where they will under offer on your property but do the deal quickly. This is the last resort rather than a first choice. You’ll get considerably less than if a good estate agency properly markets your property.

3. Do your research

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.

4. Don’t be swayed by high numbers or cheap fees

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.

5. Do relationships

Look for an agent who values the relationship with you over the transaction your property offers. We’ve built our business on establishing long-term relationships with our clients. This is because of our focus on service, listening, empathising, and simply being there for our clients.

Your FAQ's answered

Does one party want to buy out the other?

If this is the case, it would be worth exploring your financial options. We can put you in contact with an independent mortgage broker.

Do you both want to sell?

This is often necessary, as there needs to be mutual agreement around the price and marketing strategy applied to the property’s sale.

Will you both be living at the property during the sale?

If the answer is yes, your estate agent would need to discuss the presentation of your property when it comes to viewings (who will do the tidying up?). We operate accompanied viewings as standard, meaning no one needs to be home when a potential buyer views.

Are children involved?

Again, this is to do with viewings. It’s often a good idea to take them out whilst a viewing is happening.

How would you like to be contacted?

We are always happy to use the method of communication preferred by our clients, be that by phone, text messaging, emails, in-person or WhatsApp.

Are we meeting at the property or away from it?

You may not feel comfortable meeting at your current property, so we can meet you and discuss anything regarding the sale away from it, if that suits you better.

What to tell potential buyers if they ask why you are moving?

Our advice and recommendation is to be honest and open with any potential buyer should that question be asked. It is not likely to affect someone’s buying decision about your home and there will be plenty of other positive points to highlight about the home, should this question be asked.

Does the divorce solicitor need to handle the conveyancing aspect?

Usually the solicitor handling the divorce is skilled in that area of law and wouldn’t be as experienced handling the conveyancing. Our advice is to appoint a conveyancing solicitor who has experience in handling property sales as they are likely to be able to get the sale through quicker and with less stress. Compare prices, but also question how long on average is it taking solicitors to handle a property sale from start to finish – you should be looking for an answer between 60 – 90 days.

Six tips

on moving on due to a divorce