Second-hand dealer in Essonne (91), when the house becomes too big

Leaving a house in Essonne

One day, the house with a garden becomes too big. The children have left, the upkeep is tiring, and you choose a simpler apartment or a retirement residence. Not everything fits into a two-bedroom flat. You have to decide what comes with you, what goes to the children, and what can be sold or given away.

That is when a second-hand dealer can help. We come to your home, look at every room and tell you what has resale value. You do this sorting at your own pace, without rushing. Before putting the house on the market, having its contents valued also helps: you know what you are taking, what you are selling, and what will be left to clear.

Another common case: children have to empty the house of a parent who has died or moved into a care home. The approach is the same, often with less time and more emotion.

Three piles: keep, sell, give

During the visit, we go through the rooms together. We suggest sorting everything into three groups:

• what you keep, which we do not touch;
• what we buy, with a clear offer and immediate payment by bank transfer;
• what goes, as donations to Emmaüs, the Armée du Salut or a nearby reuse centre, and for the rest to the tip or to recycling.

If you want to empty the whole house, our house clearance service takes care of the last group. The amount we pay is taken off the price, and can be enough to pay for it entirely.

Paintings, prints, frames: what we look at

The walls of a house say a lot. Before taking the paintings down, let us see them. We look at:

• whether it is a painting, a print or a printed reproduction; under a magnifying glass, a reproduction often shows a grid of small dots;
• the signature, the subject, the quality of the brushwork;
• the back of the canvas or board: labels, stamps, inscriptions;
• the frame, which can have value of its own.

Do not clean a canvas yourself, not even with a damp cloth. To go further, read our page on old painting valuation.

Jewellery and gold in the drawers

A broken chain, a single wedding ring, a grandmother's brooch: gold is bought even when damaged. For these purchases, payment must go through bank transfer. We explain everything on our page about selling antique jewellery.

Our visit to your home in Essonne

We travel for free throughout Essonne. You can start with photos on WhatsApp, or welcome us straight away for a home valuation, free and with no obligation.

Before we come:

• put a sticky note on what you are taking to your new home;
• leave the paintings hanging and the drawers full;
• gather any papers or old receipts linked to the items.

Where we travel in Essonne

Massy, Palaiseau, Orsay, Bures-sur-Yvette, Gif-sur-Yvette, Les Ulis, Igny, Bièvres, Verrières-le-Buisson, Chilly-Mazarin, Longjumeau, Morangis, Savigny-sur-Orge, Juvisy-sur-Orge, Athis-Mons, Viry-Châtillon, Draveil, Vigneux-sur-Seine, Montgeron, Yerres, Brunoy, Épinay-sous-Sénart, Évry-Courcouronnes, Corbeil-Essonnes, Ris-Orangis, Mennecy, Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, Saint-Michel-sur-Orge, Brétigny-sur-Orge, Arpajon, Limours, Dourdan, Étampes and Milly-la-Forêt.

If you would like to see our work before calling us, we are on our stand at the Puces de Vanves flea market at weekends.

Planning a move in Essonne? Call us on 06 24 56 38 58 (+33 6 24 56 38 58 from abroad), or show us the rooms to clear and the paintings on WhatsApp. We will then suggest a date for the visit.