Home/Separation
Separation
Separating? Get the house decision onto one page.
When a relationship ends, the home is often the biggest decision left. These are the routes couples usually weigh, with what each one means for price, speed and staying involved.
First Steps
What usually comes first.
Every separation is different, so each owner should take their own advice. A few things hold true in most cases.
- If you own the home together, a sale needs both owners to agree
- If you cannot agree, a family solicitor or mediator can explain the options, including asking a court to decide
- Check the mortgage: payments still fall due while the decision is made
- Keep each other informed about any offers or enquiries, in writing
Your Routes
The routes, compared.
Most couples look at two or three of these before deciding.
| Route | What happens | Price and speed | Where we fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| One buys the other out | One owner keeps the home, usually with a new mortgage | No sale costs; depends on the lender | Not a route we handle |
| Open-market sale | An estate agent markets the home | Usually the best price, over a longer timescale | An agent handles this |
| Quiet sale | Introductions to investors on our list | Below open market value, in exchange for speed and certainty | No fee to you; the buyer pays our fee |
| Let it while you decide | Full management or a company let agreement with us as lessee | Income shared as you agree; no sale yet | Both owners agree the arrangement |
If you are not ready to sell, letting the home can take the pressure off while the rest is settled. Both owners need to agree, as with a sale.
Read This First
What we are and what we are not.
We do not buy your house. Maine Property Solutions is not the buyer and makes no offers of its own. We introduce properties to investors on our list and any offer comes from them.
You pay us nothing. Not now, not on completion. We are paid by the buyer we introduce you to. That amount is agreed in writing and we tell you what it is before you commit to anything.
Investors buy below open market value. They trade a lower price for speed and certainty, so an offer will be lower than a full open-market sale through an estate agent would be expected to achieve.
If price matters most, use an estate agent. An open-market sale is expected to achieve more. Take independent legal advice before agreeing to anything: a solicitor acting for you, not for a buyer.
Tell Us About It
Tell us about the home.
Where it is and what you are both considering. We come back to you about next steps and talk to both owners where you would like us to.
- Nothing happens without both owners agreeing
- Discreet, by phone or WhatsApp
- A call at the time you choose
Prefer to talk? 02477 450677 or WhatsApp us — Mon–Fri 9–6, Sat 10–2.
Free Guide
Selling a property off-market
What off-market means, how it compares with an agent or an auction and the checks that protect you.
Other Situations
Not quite your situation?
Each page sets out the routes for one situation. The guides go into more depth.
Your Questions
Separation and the home, answered.
Can one of us sell the house without the other?
Not if you own it together. A sale needs both owners to agree. If you cannot agree, a family solicitor or mediator can explain the options, including asking a court to decide.
Can we let the house while we decide?
Often yes, if both owners agree and the lender and insurer allow it. Full management or a company let agreement with us as lessee are both possible.
Will a quiet sale be quicker?
It can be, because investors trade price for speed and certainty. The trade is a lower price than a full open-market sale would be expected to achieve.
Who do you take instructions from?
From both owners where the home is jointly owned. We will not act on one owner's instructions alone.