When real estate values fluctuate, people keep a close eye on how much their house is worth, what needs repairing, and what maintenance chores are currently required. Homeowners are diligent about keeping their home valuable, because for most people a home constitutes their life savings.

So, just as you know the net worth of your most prized material possession, your home, it follows that you must also calculate the value and status of the most important non-material thing: your marriage as the cornerstone of your family. It's time to figure out what in your marriage needs replacing and what can be addressed simply through improved maintenance.

To draw an analogy between real estate and marriage may seem odd, but if you and your partner were like most couples you'd agree that your marriage and family is of far more value than your home. Homes can be replaced, while divorce can produce total financial and emotional devastation. Only you and your partner can assess the value of your marriage.

In the Marriage Self-Test that is sampled below and provided in full here, you can get a fair evaluation of the current value of your marriage.

For example, consider these four self-test questions:

1. On a scale of one to ten, how satisfied are you in your marriage?

2. On a scale of one to ten, how satisfied is your partner in your marriage?

3. Are you optimistic about the future of your marriage?

4. Is your partner optimistic about the future of the marriage?

In each case you are asked to first answer the question from your own point of view. And then, consider the same question as if answering for your partner. This exercise is often very revealing for couples, especially if they sit down and compare and discuss their answers.

If you really wish to assess the value of your marriage, the ten questions that make up this Marriage Self-Test should begin a lively debate between you and your partner. One thing is certain: Good marriages are not an accident. Bad marriages, like bad real estate, tend to be neglected.