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Tips on Selling Home Fast During Divorce

Posted Sunday, September 8, 2013

A house is probably the largest asset a couple has to deal with dividing when going through divorce. When it is decided, either between husband and wife or the court that the home needs to be sold.  It is best to work together to make sure the transition of selling your home is a smooth one. Here are some home selling tips for divorcing couples.

In order to avoid both of you moving out of and into new homes all at once. Or potentially having an issue with your name being tied to your current mortgage, impact the purchase of a new home separately, you will want to get your home listed quickly.  Also to be sure both parties hold up their end of the bargain, timelines and penalties for not meeting them should be included in your divorce papers.

Spruce up the outside. First impressions are extremely important to attracting buyers. Make sure the yard is clean, get rid of clutter, be sure lawn and landscaping are tended to. Touch up trim with a fresh coat of paint. Also be sure to look for issues on the outside that may affect closing on a sale (foundation cracks, issues with driveway or sidewalks), etc.

Give the inside a thorough cleaning including carpeting and windows. A fresh coat of interior paint is relatively inexpensive and can improve the look of your home. Making sure your home is in showing condition will go far in attracting buyers.

De-clutter all areas including interior, basement and garage.Move as much of your possessions as you can out. You want the home to be staged for showings, but you do not want it to be jam packed with all of your possessions either. This makes the home not only look cleaner, but larger. This will also help you both begin the move into separate homes.

Cosmetic updates and a general sprucing up doesn't have to be a big, expensive project. It does make your home more appealing and shows you took pride in the general upkeep and maintenance of your home.   

For peace of mind and security, remove valuables from the home so that you do not have to worry about them during showings to potential buyers. You can either use this time to divide these belongings with your spouse, or put them into a safety deposit box if they are part of your divorce assets that will need to be divided in the future.

Consider working with a professional. A Sell My Property professional can assist you in determining the value of your home and the current market conditions in your neighborhood.  They can also help eliminate a lot of the stress trying to sell your home can cause,especially when you are in the middle of divorce. Sell My Property professionals can often help to speed up the home sale process allowing you to move forward into your new homes after your marital home is sold and your divorce is settled.