Who pays for repairs or staging before listing during a divorce?

In most cases, yes — both names on the deed typically need to sign off on a sale unless a court order or divorce decree grants one spouse sole authority. Confirm your specific situation with your family law attorney before listing.

Most property acquired during the marriage is treated as community property in Texas, regardless of whose name is on the deed, with exceptions for property owned before the marriage or received individually as a gift or inheritance. Whether a specific property qualifies, and how any separate-property equity gets credited, is a legal determination for your attorney.

It depends on whether either spouse wants to keep the home and can independently qualify to refinance the mortgage. A buyout requires an independent appraisal to set a fair value; if a buyout isn't financially realistic, selling and splitting the proceeds is usually the more honest path forward.

Get an independent, professional valuation and agree on the agent and pricing strategy together in one conversation, upfront. This removes the personal disagreement from the number itself and gives both parties the same starting facts to work from.