How important are home inspections to a divorcing couple who are selling their home?  Well, if the property is being split as part of the couples' assets, or if one of the spouses wants to keep the house, then a home inspection is vital. 

The divorcing couple needs to know the "true value" of the home - not just the appraised value.  An appraiser does not do a physical inspection of the property, and therefore cannot tell the sellers exactly what is wrong with the property, nor how much the repairs will cost. 

If the couple intends to sell the home and split the assets from the sale of the home, then it makes good sense to do a physical inspection of the property to determine what is wrong with it and how much it will cost to correct the problems.  This is also true when one of the spouses wants to keep the house.  In order to know the true value of the house versus, say, a 401K retirement plan, it makes sense to find out exactly what is wrong with the house and how much it will cost to fix the problems. 

Many attorneys are not cognizant of this course of action, and merely rely on an appraisal to get the "true value" of the home.  Oftentimes, the spouse who is keeping the house will be at a disadvantage because the needed repairs to the home are never determined during the divorce proceedings. 

Realtors who have attained the new credential of RCS-D "Real Estate Collaborative Specialists-Divorce" are aware of this problem and know exactly what to do when this situation arises.  If you have a divorce situation when you are selling a property, it will be to your distinct advantage to obtain the services of an RCS-D Realtor who can best serve your needs. This will show you how important home inspections are to divorcing couples who are selling their home.