"Can wife take steps to try and sell family home without consent of her husband."
She can do anything she wants!
She can place it with an estate agent. She can go sale agreed.
And then she can't sell it without the other joint owner agreeing.
So - what is the actual question?
Can she go through some elaborate pantomime of wanting to sell ?
Yes, absolutely.
Can she actually sell? Without the other joint owners consent?
No.
So where does it all play out?
Court. Judicial Separation with all the issues being resolved and an agreed sale or Court ordered sale.
Or agreement.
What is the actual story of what is being asked?
mf