Do I Need to Appraise My Home Before a Divorce? 

Getting divorced is emotionally challenging and can be a logistical nightmare. As you and your spouse make decisions about child custody and dividing property, getting your home appraised may be an important consideration. Here’s what you should know about dividing a home in a divorce and whether getting your home appraised before a divorce is finalized is recommended—

Options for Dividing a House During a Divorce

When you are divorcing, there are typically a few options for how you can equitably split your home:

1. One party remains in the home and the other party sells their half to the party who is living in the home. 
2. One party remains in the home and both parties maintain ownership of the home, but the party who is remaining in the home takes on the mortgage and may even pay rent to the party who is not remaining in the home. 
3. The parties decide to sell the home and split the proceeds 50/50 (or in another equitable manner). 

In each of these scenarios, knowing the value of the home will be necessary. 

The Advantages of an Appraisal During Divorce

Before you propose a way of equitably dividing your home in your divorce, you should know the value of the home. How much the home is valued at may determine whether or not you want to retain the home, sell the home entirely, or sell your interest in the home. An appraisal will provide you with the information you need about how the home is valued, which will be essential whether you are keeping the home or dividing the home equitably. 

That being said, keep in mind that the divorce process can drag on for months and, because of market volatility, this might mean that you need to have the home re-appraised at some point if you do the appraisal too early. 

How Allstate Appraisal Can Help

At Allstate Appraisal, we specialize in residential real estate appraisals. We understand that when you’re getting a divorce, you may need quick answers about the value of your home in order to inform your decision-making process. When you choose us, we’ll act quickly to get your appraisal completed without sacrificing quality. Our appraisal review process involves assigning the right appraiser for the job, and we have years of experience in the residential real estate market. To learn more about getting your home appraised before or during a divorce, call our team directly today.