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Charging orders and the risk of an order for sale

A charging order doesn't force a sale of your home on its own — but it's a step towards it.

Charging Orders3 min readReviewed July 2026

Once a charging order is in place, the creditor can apply for an order for sale. Courts weigh this carefully, especially where children live in the home.

Keeping up with any instalment order agreed at the charging order stage significantly reduces the risk of a sale application.

A debt help team member can review whether a formal solution (such as an IVA) might be more appropriate than allowing further enforcement.

General information, not personalised adviceThis article is written to inform. It isn't personalised debt or legal advice, and Debt Compass is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. A team member can talk you through the options and point you to a free debt help service or authorised insolvency practitioner before you decide on anything.