Breakups and Shared Housing: - What Happens to the Mortgage, Ownership, and Finances?
What happens to the home in the event of a separation?
Which party can take over the home?
Where do I start?
September 17, 2026
Julianne Gåsvær
What happens to the home in the event of a breakup?
When a relationship ends, there are usually three options:
1. One person buys out the other.
2. The home is sold on the open market.
3. You continue to own the home together during a transitional period.
Which solution is best depends, among other things, on your finances, the children’s situation, the housing market, and how much debt you have.
How do I buy out my cohabiting partner or spouse from the home?
increase the value of the home. An example of this is bathroom renovation, but this can be both expensive and time-consuming. At the same time, the job should be carried out by professionals. Here are some suggestions for what you can do all by yourself, and for quite a reasonable amount of money!
Paint and new colors
Has your home not been painted in a few years? Make your home more exciting and inviting by painting the walls before people show up! A few coats of paint on the walls can do wonders, and quickly create a new and fresh impression.
Feel free to choose some of trend colors of the yearor timeless, muted and natural colors that go with “everything”. Some of the colors that have been popular in recent years are soft greens, burnt earth tones and shades of beige.
Painting the interior of your home is a smart investment. One liter of paint will typically cover a ceiling or wall area of 9 m2. Keep in mind that you should apply two coats. For example, if your wall is 10 m long and 2.40 m high, you’ll need 5.3 liters of paint if you’re applying two coats. If you’re painting your entire home and all interior walls, the total cost will typically range from 10,000 to 30,000 kroner. However, the price will depend on many factors, including the type of paint, the number of walls, how many coats you apply, and similar considerations.
Paint and New Colors
The front door is one of the first things people see, and it plays a major role in the first impression of those who come for a showing. You can
It’s a good idea to buy a new door and install it yourself, which can increase the value of your home. The front door can help enhance the classic or modern look you’re going for, and can come with or without a window. In most cases, a new exterior door costs between 6,500 and 20,000 kroner.
New Flooring
New flooring can also increase the value of your home. Do you have an old, worn-out floor that has seen better days? Parquet, laminate, and
tile floors can all give your home a stylish and inviting look. If you’re installing new hardwood flooring, you can expect to pay between approximately 250 and 2,000 kroner per square meter. Laminate is often slightly cheaper. If you’re installing parquet flooring on a 50 m² floor area, you can expect it to cost somewhere between
12,500 and 100,000 kroner.
Other measures that increase home value
Besides paint, new flooring and a new front door, there are also other value-adding measures you can do in your own home. Here are some quick tips:
- Replace or refurbish old countertops
- Put up an extra wall to add an extra bedroom to your home
- Build a new deck
- Install a fireplace
Adding a balcony can also help increase your home’s value, since many buyers prioritize this when house hunting. But this particular project might not be as easy to tackle on your own, unless you’re exceptionally handy.
Spend NOK 10,000 and increase the value of your home
Sprucing up and fixing up your home can lift the overall impression many notches. You may not need to invest more than NOK 10,000 in renovations for the home’s value to increase.
Simple surface refurbishment is relatively inexpensive compared to other refurbishment projects and can offer good value for money. The fact that you can do a lot yourself also helps to keep costs down.
How to Finance a Renovation?
Since renovations often cost a fair bit of money, many people need some financial assistance to make their project a reality. If you don’t have enough savings, you may need to take out a loan from a bank. In that case, it’s a good idea to compare loan terms from several different banks before making a decision. That way, you can secure the most favorable effective interest rate possible. Eiendomsfinans is a
user-friendly comparison service designed specifically for this purpose. Compare home improvement loans from different banks with us.
Free and fast case management
With us, you will be assigned a dedicated advisor who will help you every step of the way. After
a pleasant conversation with you, we map out your financial situation.
This is what we can help you with
Can I buy out my cohabiting partner?
Yes. If you agree on the value of the home and the bank approves the financing, you can buy out your partner and take sole ownership of the home.
How is the buyout amount calculated?
Typically, the property is owned 50/50. In that case, you obtain appraisals from 2–3 different real estate agents and agree on a value based on the average of those appraisals. Then, you subtract the mortgage balance from the home’s value. The remaining value is then divided by 2. If you do not own the property 50/50, the division is based on the respective ownership shares.
Does the bank have to approve my taking over the loan?
Yes. Even if you both agree, the bank must approve that you can handle the debt on your own. Otherwise, the other party will continue to be jointly and severally liable for the debt along with you. This limits the other party’s ability to take out a new loan to purchase their own home.
What happens if we can’t reach an agreement?
If you cannot agree on a price or on who will take over the home, a sale may be
necessary. In some cases, the matter may result in forced sale.
The Co-ownership Act resolves disputes related to one cohabitant’s desire to sell the shared home when the other does not share that desire.
Can I stay in the home if we have children?
Children’s need for stability can be an important factor when determining who should retain the home following a separation. A strong argument for retaining the home and its contents following a separation is in cases where the parent seeking the home will have primary custody of the children.
At the same time, the decision should be financially sustainable. Excessive loans and too much debt can create new challenges for both parents and children.
Do we need an appraisal or valuation?
The parties must reach an agreement on this, but in most cases, the issue is resolved by obtaining multiple appraisals. An average price is then calculated based on these appraisals, and the parties agree on a value. This is especially true if one party wishes to buy out the other. If the home is to be sold, the real estate agent ensures that an appraisal or valuation is in place before the home is listed for sale.
Do you need help taking over the home?
When a relationship ends, financial considerations often determine whether you can stay in your home.
At Eiendomsfinans, you can get help assessing whether you can take over the mortgage on your own,
refinance your existing debt, or finance the buyout of a former partner or
spouse.
Contact us for a no-obligation review of your options.
Is there a difference between cohabiting partners and spouses?
The Marriage Act governs the financial settlement between married couples. The same rules do not apply to cohabiting partners. Since there is no separate law governing cohabitation, the financial relationship between cohabitants is governed by the general rules of contract law that apply to everyone else in society. There are exceptions, including those found in the Act on Joint Household Property.
Although the rules of the Marriage Act do not apply to cohabiting couples, there are nevertheless certain principles they share, such as the impact of a stay-at-home partner’s work in the home. Many of the same legal issues that arise in a marriage are also relevant in a cohabitation relationship.
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Checklist for Separation and a Shared Home:
- Obtain a property appraisal
- Identify all debts
- Document ownership interests
- Prepare an overview of equity
- Determine who will take over the home
- Explore financing options
- Obtain the bank’s approval for assuming the loan
- Assess tax implications
- Update insurance policies
- Sign the necessary documents
