Time to Sell? Tapping the Spring Real Estate Market

The spring real estate marketing is always a popular time to consider selling a home. Because this is a topic that we often discuss with our clients, we wanted to repost some thoughts on how to make the process of selling your home following a separation or divorce go more smoothly.

You’ve made the decision to sell your home. Now what? There are so many steps to consider including those involving the actual sale of your home. Divorce is a time filled with many decisions, which can be overwhelming.  Finding an agent to assist with these details is a great idea, as doing so will take many tasks off of you and your ex-spouse’s plates.

Once an agent is contracted, you’ll need to agree on an asking price for your home, make arrangements for showing the house to potential buyers, review offers and actually close on the sale of the home. Be prepared for lengthy discussions around each of these steps. It is important to have open and clear communication so as to clarify each party’s expectations. Some advice to consider:

• Have a clear idea as to what your lowest agreeable selling price will be
• Be clear as to when the house can and cannot be shown – document specific dates if necessary
• Which one of you will be responsible for tasks throughout the process? Who will:
  • maintain the home’s appearance
  • get the house physically ready to show potential buyers
  • manage the home improvement or repair list
  • organize house related paperwork such as; warranties for appliances, user manuals, etc.
  • be the agent’s primary contact

Investing energy upfront to agree on these roles and responsibilities will make the process more organized, manageable and pleasant. If you are considering divorce, contact an experience Rhode Island divorce attorney.