House valuation and separation

anna_1977

Hi all

Looking for some more advice (last time you are all incredibly helpful).

OH has asked the ex for 3 valuations of the house so they can look at the financial settlement etc (divorce going through).

She has emailed over the valuations. Now, next door (other half of semi) sold for £440k in January needing work. The valuations she has are all £400k - she asked for a separation valuation rather than market price valuation. The had a new kitchen fitted 3 months before he left and she's asked for one of the valuations to be without the work done as he wasn't there....which he was but she doesn't feel he should benefit from it.

Is this correct? can he get valuations of his own on top of hers?

She's announced she's looking at buying him out which is great but I think she's deliberately asked the agents for low valuations.

Stoke

anna_1977 wrote: »

Hi all

Looking for some more advice (last time you are all incredibly helpful).

OH has asked the ex for 3 valuations of the house so they can look at the financial settlement etc (divorce going through).

She has emailed over the valuations. Now, next door (other half of semi) sold for £440k in January needing work. The valuations she has are all £400k - she asked for a separation valuation rather than market price valuation. The had a new kitchen fitted 3 months before he left and she's asked for one of the valuations to be without the work done as he wasn't there....which he was but she doesn't feel he should benefit from it.

Is this correct? can he get valuations of his own on top of hers?

She's announced she's looking at buying him out which is great but I think she's deliberately asked the agents for low valuations.

Anna,
3 valuations is normal... However..... (I'll continue later on)

She can't ask for a valuation that 'omits' features. That sounds like absolute !!!! and bull to me. It certainly is not how it worked with my ex. We got the valuations based on the current value of the property. She can't benefit disproportionately like that....

So, regarding separation vs market valuations.... when we got our valuations, I decided to get 5 rather than 3 because the first two guys who arrived were both giving market valuations and this wasn't realistic. We're talking 20-30k on top of the house price... I kid you not. Had we tried to sell it at those prices, it would have stood for 12 months, much like the one down the road..... Eventually, the final three, we told them on entry we wanted "realistic valuations based on other properties in the area" which we knew was somewhere around 2k-5k more. Eventually averaged at 4k. However, if the property next door sold for 40 grand more, it sounds like the valuations being provided are unrealistic or intentionally lowballed.

Going back to my 3 valuations is normal, yes, of course he can get his own. I openly invited my partner to get her own valuations, as I fully expected her to suggest I was lowballing after the ridiculous valuations I got at the start. She went ahead and got two before agreeing to the 4k. Turns out most estate agents think alike, if you tell them to be realistic.

Obviously if she's looking to buy him out, then he should absolutely get his own valuations. She has a vested interest in stitching him up...... Don't let her take the mickey.

anna_1977

thank you, she's refusing to allow him to get valuations but I don't think she can do that. His name are on the deeds and mortgage.
When I divorced nearly 8 years ago we did it amicably so none of this

Stoke

anna_1977 wrote: »

thank you, she's refusing to allow him to get valuations but I don't think she can do that. His name are on the deeds and mortgage.
When I divorced nearly 8 years ago we did it amicably so none of this

She cannot do that. Fact.

Grezz24

Your partner needs to speak with a solicitor and not directly with his ex.

Stoke

Grezz24 wrote: »

Your partner needs to speak with a solicitor and not directly with his ex.

Agreed. Worst mistake I made was not getting a solicitor in sooner.

anna_1977

Stoke wrote: »

Agreed. Worst mistake I made was not getting a solicitor in sooner.

Thanks, he has got a solicitor but was hoping to keep costs down.

Since this morning she has agreed he can get valuations but she MUST be there. I advised he pre-warn the EA's that they are there with him to value house not her.

He's also booked an initial financial mediation appointment for tomorrow morning to discuss what's happened up to date and to see what he needs to do once valuations are in.

Stoke

anna_1977 wrote: »

Thanks, he has got a solicitor but was hoping to keep costs down.

Since this morning she has agreed he can get valuations but she MUST be there. I advised he pre-warn the EA's that they are there with him to value house not her.

He's also booked an initial financial mediation appointment for tomorrow morning to discuss what's happened up to date and to see what he needs to do once valuations are in.

Meaning what? Present in the house to let them in, or present to actively participate. I would state (in writing) that as these are your valuations, you want an unbiased valuation and her being present will not achieve that.

Are you paying for these valuations or getting them for free?

anna_1977

Stoke wrote: »

Meaning what? Present in the house to let them in, or present to actively participate. I would state (in writing) that as these are your valuations, you want an unbiased valuation and her being present will not achieve that.

Are you paying for these valuations or getting them for free?

She wants to be there to interfere I am sure and actively participate. I will get him to message that to her but she is being very difficult at the moment so I don't think she will allow them to happen without being there.

They are free valuations

Stoke

anna_1977 wrote: »

She wants to be there to interfere I am sure and actively participate. I will get him to message that to her but she is being very difficult at the moment so I don't think she will allow them to happen without being there.

They are free valuations

If she's there to actively interfere then that is not acceptable. You need to state (in writing) that while you are happy for her to be in the house etc, the estate agent needs to be able to do his job.

Her actions sound very vindictive. When I was sorting the valuations for my house, my ex partner suggested I would make the place messy and unpleasant to intentionally drive down the price. This was absolute garbage as you can imagine, but it sounds like the kind of thing this particular person might do.

anna_1977

It absolutely is something she would do.

She's demanded to know what agents are coming, I suggested to ex he book them in on the morning she suggested and then just tell her what time to and from i.e. 9-10.30am for all 3 agents - she doesn't need to know what agency they are from until the valuations come in

She's instigated the divorce meaning this has to get sorted so I would have hoped she'd be amicable for the sake of getting sorted - wishful thinking