Marriage breakdown/house renovation/two children

[jessblack]

I am going through a marriage breakdown, plus we are halfway through a house renovation and we have two sons. The separation happened in March 2024 and we have lived separately within the same house since. I ended it, and despite my ex being against it and upset to begin with, he has made his peace with the separation and he even started seeing someone last year for several months. There has been no urgency over finishing the house as my ex had been doing the work for 2 years and had a well-earned break over the summer. I have recently started seeing someone, things are getting serious and this has sped up my keenness to finish the house and sell it. However, my ex will not move out and he has started to dig his heels in a bit with regard to childcare/doing the work/money etc. I have said I will move out and either stay with a family member or rent something small until the house sells. Has anyone else been in a similar situation? I know people who have left marriages, but not with the added complication of a house renovation!! Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

How much renovation are we talking about? As long as it’s structurally intact and mortgageable i.e. has a functioning kitchen, bathroom and heating system, there will be a decent market for it, and if completing the work yourselves isn’t in the horizon then just tidy up any loose ends of maintenance and get it up for sale.

Put on a united front and present it as an amicable separation and agreement for sale: the prospect of buying from a bitter divorcing couple who want to make life difficult for each other and may stall progress puts off a lot of prospective buyers.

Unless you’re constantly at each other’s throats then you’ll probably find that remaining in the home until a sale is agreed will keep up the momentum and also ensure it’s presented at its best for viewings.

as above - as long as it is mortgageable I would tell him he either needs to buy you out and take over the mortgage or you sell it.
He doesn’t have any other options. I would not move out however. But I would be instructing solicitors to let him know his options as above and give him a deadline.