3 reasons not to keep the house after a divorce

 Posted on June 05, 2025 in Child Custody

For some people, their main goal during property division while going through a divorce is to keep their house. Maybe they don’t want to move. Perhaps their children are happy in the home and they want to stay. Maybe it’s a dream house, and they don’t think they’d be able to afford it again.

It can be the right decision to keep the home, but it’s also worth considering some of the downsides of doing so. Below are three examples.

1. It may not be affordable

First and foremost, how affordable is it to manage the expenses of a home on one income? You have to pay the mortgage, the property taxes, the utilities and all of the maintenance and upkeep costs. Before deciding that you definitely want to keep your home, just make a post-divorce budget to see if this is actually a viable option.

2. You could give up more valuable assets

It’s also important to remember that, while a home is a valuable asset, it also creates the aforementioned expenses. It’s going to cost you every month. Some people accidentally give up more valuable assets. For instance, maybe you have an investment portfolio with a similar value to your home. This might feel like a fair trade, but the investment portfolio is going to gain wealth in the future, while the home is going to create expenses.

3. You have to refinance your mortgage

Finally, unless your house is paid off, you probably have to refinance your mortgage during the divorce. Your spouse can allow you to have ownership, but they’re not going to want to stay on the mortgage with you after the divorce is done.

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t keep your house after your divorce, but simply that it’s important to carefully consider both perspectives while looking into your legal options during the process.