Divorce ranks high on the list of the most stressful things. One of the reasons is that you lose a companion you once thought would be for a lifetime. On the other hand, divorce necessarily comes with many issues you need to deal with. One of these is solving the matter of your marital home. Depending on the relationship of the ex-partners, things can go hard or smoothly. Still, when the question of selling the property is posed, everything becomes more complicated. In case you get stuck in this situation, here is a small guide to selling a house after divorce.
1 Professional help – hiring a real estate agent
Selling a house requires a lot of work. You should deal with marketing the property, the prices and offers, and dealing with potential buyers. However, during the divorce, you have already been through a lot. That is why many sellers would instead hire a real estate agent and then do everything themselves. Only that way will they have enough time to settle down their thoughts and deal with the after-divorce emotions while someone else is doing the hard work for them.
However, hiring a real estate agent also means additional expenses for your budget. So, in case you don’t want to sell your home on your own, get ready to pay the real estate agent fee.
2 Take care of the deed- a crucial step of the guide to selling a house after divorce
When the divorce is finally over, it is time to make the right decision one more time. You need to make sure you are ready to move out. However, before you do that, all the paperwork of your marital home should be in order. This is especially important when you decide to enter the real estate market.
If, during the process of deciding who will retain the home, you are the winning party, the first next step is settling the paperwork. To avoid complications, ensure your ex-spouse’s name is removed from the deed. In the new deed, the home should be titled to you alone.
However, if you do not finish all that easily, and the property is not in your name yet, get yourself a Notice of Home Rights. That serves as a guarantee that your ex-spouse will not have the right to sell the property in question without your consent.
3 The staging process
Once you put your house on the real estate market, potential buyers can demand to visit it. In most cases, the first impression they get about the home can significantly impact the decision they’ll make hereafter. That is why it is critical to put some effort into staging.
First of all, since, due to the divorce property division, not all the furniture will come into your possession, you should be aware of the voids that will be apparent. To show the property in its best light and to get the best price, find the most effective way to stage it. You can always consult your real estate agent for some helpful ideas.
On the other hand, if you come across some flaws and breaks to fix along the way, please, don’t lose your mind. There are always things you must deal with immediately, as well as those you can easily skip.
4 Hiring an attorney
Divorce has a lot to do with legal matters. There are always things you can demand and those you are obliged to do. Since most people can’t bother with the law, they hire an attorney. Moreover, we strongly agree with this in our guide to selling a house after divorce. You need someone who can protect your interests in legal matters. However, when looking for the one, check out his experience in divorce, mortgage, and tax laws. The tax part is crucial if you are about to buy out your ex-partner’s part of the house. You need to make it clear what are the possible tax considerations in case you keep the entire house. Property taxes can sometimes be high. However, keep in mind that all professional services come with a cost.
Finally, when it’s all done and you have justice on your side, it’s time to move on and deal with settling down in your new home. As experts from Excalibur Moving and Storage like to point out, this is also something you should leave to the professionals.
5 Determine the appropriate price
One of the most challenging things every seller has to deal with is determining the price of the property in question. Naturally, everyone thinks their home is priceless. However, that can significantly and negatively impact setting a reasonable price. On the other hand, buyers strive to get the lowest price for the best property they can find.
It’ll be better to consult a professional in the field to make the right decision and not miss a potentially good offer. A good and experienced realtor will solve all your dilemmas. They are familiar with the real estate market in the area and can make a real bargain for both sides.
Once a marriage ends, and people start considering their interests only, many things can go wrong. From all the paperwork and property division to potential arguments between the partners, it’s hard to save everybody from being hurt. However, it may help if you prepare for what will follow. That’s precisely what this guide to selling a house after divorce is made for, and we hope it’ll serve its purpose well. And, when, at last, everything is over, you should look straight forward and step into the new bright future.