How on earth do we cost up everything in the house?

[Levithecat]

My husband has brought me out and I’m hopefully exchanging soon on a house. I have no idea how we agree how much money he should give me for house things - there’s just so much to think about if we look individually at items. He suggested that he could just help me out whenever I buy anything, but I don’t want to involve him in every purchase.
Is there a simple way to do this? I want to have enough to make sure the kids feel at home (shared care), but don’t know where to start. Thanks. We’re not divorcing until no-fault comes in .

Usually people just agree to split items between them (kind of like, i'll have the sofa and you can have the dishwasher) - then anything else that needs to be replaced is paid for individually.

What do you actually need?

Thanks @ThisIsStartingToBoreMe - I’m not going to take too much, our current house is bigger than my new place and I don’t want to strip this house as that would be weird for the kids and the things we’ve bought are for ‘here’. I’ll need sofas, fridge freezer, dining table & chairs, curtains, beds, wardrobes - all the big stuff plus electricals and then all the little stuff - crockery, pans etc. It’s boggling my mind. I’m taking art that I love, half the kids toys, my books, my desk. Some practical stuff like half the towels and bedding.

sofas, fridge freezer, dining table & chairs, curtains, beds, wardrobes - all the big stuff

I’d imagine it’s like insurance - how much would it cost to replace like-for-like in the house you currently own? Then split that 50-50 and your ex gives you the 50% as a lump sum?

Could you write a list of what you need per room (along the lines of what you wrote there), google a mid-range price for each and then go halves on the total?
Then use that money to spend how you want?

Thanks both @NoSquirrels @MovingtoEssex

• makes sense. It feels overwhelming but probably the only way. Thank you

@Levithecat
I sympathise fully.
Maybe break it down to 1 room per evening to be more manageable.
Electricals - currys/PCworld
Furnishings and furniture - Next
Then add on maybe £500 for random bits you've forgotten (rugs, cushions etc etc).
Good luck

Hi @Levithecat, I am in exactly the same boat. Have just spent the weekend looking online and adding up what I think I need (and it was only really the basics plus I'm bound to have forgotten things). Said to H we need x amount and he said in surprise How much?? So now feel as though I'm being greedy. I'm sure it could be done cheaper if I scour ebay/Facebook for bits but then I think why should I, this is going to be my new home (and the kids' half the time), i don't want loads of non-matching stuff that doesn't feel like mine. Then when the time comes to buy new the cost would fall to me so I feel I need to get it sorted now.

Really appreciate your kind words, @MovingtoEssex it all feels too much at the moment but you’re right, break it down, room by room

@sashamc wishing you all the best - you’re right I think it’ll come to a fair bit... I’m going to try and involve him so I don’t just present him with a figure, but that might be tricky. You’re not being greedy I’m sure - it’s very easy to be the complete opposite in all this, isn’t it.

my STBXH has bought me out of our house, and I am having all my personal stuff and a share of souvenires, art work etc.
For the rest of it - white goods, furniture etc I am having 25% of replacement cost. We agreed this was the fair solution as I am getting brand new goods and his are used.

We had aleady done a spreadsheet of replacement costs of everything as we had recently moved abroad and needed it for shipping. We went through room by room listing everything and looked up costs, it probably took a weekend.

But - I just wanted to get on with things and we agreed to 50/50 of all other assets which is leaving me enough to set up my new home.

Good luck with it all, and don't under estimate the value of your goods - it's the silly litle things you need like a potato peeler and baking trays that really add up more than you realise.

Take a photo of each room.
Then make a list for each room.
Price up replacement furniture for each room.
Then ask to sit down with your STBX and tell him it will be x amount.