Divorcing - What to Do If You Are Forced to Live Together Under the Same Roof

It’s no secret that current economic times have created living arrangement circumstances, not usually seen before. 

Increasingly, Realtors are hearing of the trend, which reminds of the old Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner movie, "War of the Roses."

The current real estate market sometimes has divorcing couples looking to separate their lives, but also realizing they can't afford to live apart until their home is sold. 

Unlike a few years ago, when many homeowners had loads of equity to share, and really good credit, present times present many glimpses of fortunes reversed.

If you are one of those couples needing to continue co-habitation, to secure a better financial position, when your home is sold, there are things you can do to make life easier for yourselves in the interim.

It is also important to understand that staying together can actually have a positive effect on marketing your home.  Home Buyers have become quite sophisticated in recent years, and have a knack for sniffing out signs of Sellers in distress.  Seeing that a couple continues to be together in a home can remove a bit of the appearance of distress - even if it is painful for you!

If you are a divorcing couple and find yourself in a forced cohabitation situation until your home sells, there are a few things that you can do to make the experience a little easier.

1) The two of you should sit down and discuss your situation as peacefully as possible.  Perhaps putting yourselves into a mindset that you will continue as roommates for a few months until the house is sold.  You are together in the house in the physical sense - even though the emotional sense has changed. 

(2) Negotiate with each other the mortgage payments, utilities, and other household expenses.  Address the duties for upkeep.  Doing this early on, will help alleviate problems from popping up in the midst of this living arrangement - which weren't addressed early on. 

(3) If there are children in the home, please put the children and their well being first and paramount in your consideration.  Doing so, will help you focus on things more important than your own discomfort.  If the children suffer less distress, it will be easier for all of you.

With a little thought and consideration, you can be successful in selling your home, and making what could be a bad situation work well, and to your benefit. 

Good Luck to you!