Divorce - Will my house go to auction?

[NewBeginnings2025]

Hi all,
I’m after some advice on my current situation. Myself and my soon to be ex-husband own a property, with a reasonably low mortgage left for house prices in London and our ages.
Mh ex-husband (I’ll refer to him as H) is builder. Our marriage began showing cracks 4 years ago however he went ahead and began pulling our home apart to build a single storey wrap around extension. Over the last 3 years our marriage has broken down beyond repair and I applied for divorce 3 weeks ago. The building work is not complete. I’ve been living in a building site since he walked out 3 years ago. I have not been in the position financially (as he was the primary earner) to be able to finish off any work, to be honest, I wouldn’t even have any idea where to start or who I would need to call first.
I’m really worried that inevitably, when the divorce is finalised, the house will be split but will have to go to auction due to the downstairs being block work, roof and windows with wires hanging between the roof rafters! I don’t think they given the unfinished works that my house someone could get a mortgage on it.
Can anyone please give some advice or guidance on the above and also if anyone knows what is the minimum work I would have to try to complete to avoid auction? I’ve taken on a second job and if I have to, I’ll try to pay for the work myself. H is refusing to touch the property and would rather we both lose. It’s a really horrible situation which is causing me so much stress, I have a 17 year old and 13 year old with me at home and it’s not nice for them either.
Thank you so much for any help x

Utterly confused by the timeline

Over the last 3 years our marriage has broken down beyond repair

he walked out three years ago. So it ended 3 years ago

Sounds utterly dire for the poor children
does he pay maintenance?
no one can give you an idea of cost - just get some quotes
and absolutely not inevitable that go to auction and odd you’d think that.

Yes, he walked out 3 years ago to live with his parents. He continued to carry out minimal work but essentially it is still a building site. For 2 of the 3 years we tried to work on our marriage, I told him a year ago in August I wanted to separate. I only got around to a divorce application 3 weeks ago. Hope this clears up the timeline for you.

So it ended 3 years ago? Or broke down recently? Confusing.

I'd get some builders and trades in see what the quote - and then talk to some local estate agents see what they say.

Throughout this time he’s been paying the entire mortgage and half the bills?

Tbh it is in his interest to get the work done otherwise he will lose financially too.

have you actually asked him and explained that?

It’s dire for all of us, even more so them. He pays £80 a week as a self employed builder. Unfortunately we have fallen into the trap of self employed people not to declaring their full income hence getting away with paying a lot less CM than they should. I’m not looking for an idea of cost, I’ve been told that the house would have to go to auction by a few people which I just wanted to get some advice on and what work minimum I would have to complete to avoid the house going to auction if this was the case.

I’m sorry, your replies are coming across quite arrogant? I apologise if I’m taking them the wrong way but why would you assume he is paying the mortgage and half the bills? Your assumptions are wrong…

Have you spoken to local estate agents and asked them min needed to avoid auction ?

There’s no have to!

You put it on with an EA and priced to reflect that it needs work

He walked out to live with his parents 3 years ago, 2 of these years we tried to fix our marriage and a year ago I told I wanted to separate. I then applied for divorce 3 weeks ago. Sorry for any confusion with the timeline.

Thank you

It's quite possible that you'll get a reasonable offer in an auction.

You can always set a minimum price.

Most people who buy at auction are buy to let landlords who have a team of tradesmen behind them and aren't really daunted by doing extra work although the price will have to reflect this of course. It could work out cheaper and less stressful to sell at auction but really your going to have to do some investigating, get quotes and get figures together before making a final decision.

No, I wasn’t sure if this was something I could do. I just wanted some advice before going ahead.

Thank you, this was a really helpful comment.

@NewBeginnings2025
It would probably be best to speak to maybe 3 estate agents to get their views on price and saleability in its current state. Possibly also speak to an auction house as well.

Understandable, since I told him I would like to separate, that has stopped.

Thank you

It might be easiest to auction it? What's your concern?
Do you have a solicitor?

There is no minimum needed to avoid an auction.

you can put houses up for sale in pretty much any condition through an estate agent.

people who are cash buyers can buy them. By me there are some plots of land, shells, and totally falling apart houses up for sale with estate agents.

there is a minimum level that you can get a mortgage on which I think is something like roofed, has kitchen and bathroom of sorts.

so you can put it for sale with estate agent as half finished project. More people will be able to buy it if it meets minimum mortgage requirements.

auctions are shit. Avoid if possible.

Can you get a price with and without the work, then tell him the difference and ask if he still wants to not do it?

I thought aution were more about speed of sale than state - and though one that don't sell though estate agents fast enough can find there ways to auction.

So I'd suggest get in touch with few local estate agents and ask them what current value is - what sale time you are looking at and bare min to get it sold faster and for more.

It depends on what price you can accept - what you can spend on work and time frames and who they know/have on books to take it on.

Il next door was bought quickly landlord sale by a builder gutted it was expected to rent spoke to local agent beofre actaully done and had couple of buyers looking for exactly that type of property so sold straight away.

I have had this conversation with him but he won’t do any more work since we are divorcing. He sees it as I will be benefiting from him putting money into the house. I have said I will pay half of any outstanding work but he refuses.