Selling the family home when a marriage ends....

Recent studies of the marriage and family structure in Canada have shown that divorce rates across the country are on a slight decline. Still, separation and divorce are parts of life that many of us will continue to deal with. About 40% of marriages end in divorce before the 30th year. This is a reality for many homeowners, and the effects of divorce extend beyond the emotional adjustment to both the physical and financial transitions as well.


The legal proceedings for divorce would involve a decision on which of the couple would get the home. In many cases, newly-divorced homeowners would find that revamping the space, doing major renovations and upgrades, or even moving to a completely new home would assist in one’s healing process, transitioning to a new life and adjusting to life post-marriage. Many elements of your current home could remind you of difficult or challenging memories from the relationship that just ended, and selling your home or a home makeover could be therapeutic and also be the much-needed breath of fresh air that your home needs after years of the same look and feel.

 

Take your time

After the divorce, you may be very eager to just throw everything out, buy new furniture altogether, and transform the entire home. Before you spend exorbitant amounts of money on things, however, you should also pause and make sure that you are thinking clearly and planning correctly for the future. Emotions could be running high and you might end up selling your home or making purchases based only on impulsive feelings but without a clear direction or purpose for the entire effort.

 Ease the family in

If you have children and they are living with you after the marriage ends, you also have to keep them in mind as you change up the home design and décor. In this difficult period, children are able to adjust better if there are elements of home that remain constant and familiar to them. If you are planning to move to a new house, try to bring some of the old furniture pieces with you, especially from their bedroom space. You can try to include your children in the planning and designing of their new bedroom as much as possible, so they also have a sense of control and security especially after the divorce, when feelings of overwhelming change and insecurity could be prevalent.

Time to express yourself

Treat this time of home refurbishing and upgrades as a way for you to regain control over decisions or choices you may not have had when you were still married. Those mementos from your childhood that your spouse did not want displayed? Now you can fish them out of the attic or storage and perhaps add them to your wall décor. Remember to also move forward and make your home a reminder to yourself that this is your step towards finding yourself and being whole again.